Rosehip is a very useful plant. But due to the prickiness of this culture, gardeners prefer to buy its fruits in the store. Without leaving, the rosehip bush quickly turns into wild thickets, forms few berries or does not bloom at all. The problem is solved simply - you need regular pruning of the plant.
Why prune rose hips
Rosehip is characterized by rapid growth of shoots, so without leaving the bush quickly overgrows with thin and weak branches. In addition, the plant gives root shoots, which can appear at a distance of a meter from the bush. After 2-3 years without leaving, spiky thickets will appear on the site.
Wild rose hips only on the tops; the sun, wind and insects cannot reach the rest of the bush
The purpose of pruning is to remove the excess so that the plant is evenly lit and heated by the sun and spent juices on the development of strong and productive shoots.
For those who are afraid of thorns, rosehip varieties without thorns are bred: Alpine, Wilted, Vitamin, Grushenka, Yadviga, Beshipny.
Features of rose hips affecting the pruning method
When cropping, consider that:
- adult rosehip bush consists of 15-20 erect and arched shoots;
- flowering and fruiting occurs on the growth of last year;
- the first fruits appear in the third year, sometimes in the second;
- in the lower part of the bush, ovaries do not form or are few;
- the life span of each fruit branch is 5-6 years.
To trim the prickly rosehips, use the delimbers to get to any branch deep in the bush without hitting your hands
We form a bush by the third year of strong shoots with strong lateral branches. Extra growth and short growths of the lower tier are removed. We cut the five-year bush to zero or arrange a conveyor: we cut the old branches, and for replacement we choose the most beautiful and highest shoots from the young shoots.
Rosehip bush formation
Rosehips need shaping and sanitary pruning.
Traditional way
Trimming Steps:
- Immediately after planting a seedling, we cut off all available shoots at a height of 10-15 cm from the ground. At the same time, several buds should remain on each shoot.
- The next 2 years, the bush grows the desired number of stems on its own. To form branches of the second order, pinch the tops of the main shoots as soon as they grow to 70-80 cm.
- From the third year, we cut out weak and low shoots, as well as all the branches of the second order in the lower tier (up to 40 cm), in order to destroy the base of the bush. In addition, branches that grow horizontally, down and inside the crown, as well as intersecting and rubbing against others, are subject to removal.
- From 5-6 years of age, we cut out old lignified thick stems near the ground. For replacement, we leave exactly the same number of young substitute shoots.
Rosehip bush has been formed for several years.
Cut branches of rose hips provide excellent protection against rodents in the winter. In late autumn, lay them as mulch under fruit trees and shrubs, in beds with wintering onion crops, on top of garden strawberries.
Hedge
Rosehip is multifunctional, it serves as a decoration of the garden, and a healer for its owners, and to protect the site from uninvited guests. Hedgerow - not neglected thickets, but planting plants in one continuous row with their regular cutting. Stages of planting and pruning (for varieties from 2 m high):
- We place seedlings in one row at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
- In the year of planting, we shorten them to 30-40 cm.
- In the second year, we cut off all the shoots at a height of 1 m.
- All subsequent years, we cut the dogrose at the required height (maximum - the height of the arm extended upwards).
The bushes will close and create an impenetrable wall 2 years after planting. Be sure to cut dry and broken branches, and after 5 years every year - the oldest.
Blooming rosehip hedges can be created in a couple of years
From undersized varieties can be made borders. The distance between the bushes is 20-30 cm.
Rosehips in hedges can be cut as you like: in the form of a simple rectangle, trapezoid, hearts, turrets. Rounded shapes are most suitable. Often, trellises are used to build a hedge - they install columns with parallel planks and tie rosehip branches in the form of a fan to them.
The branches of the bush should be evenly distributed and tied to the trellis
Tall plants without thorns are suitable for growing on pergolas and arches.
Tree-shaped on a stem
Instead of a huge prickly bush - one lush branch, strewn with fruits. It is very easy to take care of such a plant, it can be seen from all sides: flowers, fruits, unnecessary branches in plain sight. The main thing is to remove all the shoots, because the more the bush is trimmed, the more actively it gives substitute shoots.
Formation stages:
- In the bush, we leave one strong annual shoot (without lateral branches), shorten it to a height of 40-70 cm. Every other, growing from the ground, is annually removed.
- In the second year, side branches will grow on the stem. We cut the lower ones to form a standard, of the remaining we select the strongest, directed in different directions. They will become skeletal. Curved, thin, broken branches are removed.
- In the third year, the greatly increased lateral branches are shortened by a third. Where there is no strong growth, pinch. You will get a beautiful tree with branches of approximately equal length, symmetrically located on all sides.
- At the age of 3-4 years, standard rose hips are covered with fruits. They are formed not along the entire branch, like gooseberries, but at the tops of shoots, so the more lateral branches of the second and third order there are on the tree, the richer the harvest.
- After 5-6 years of fruiting, we cut the tree at ground level, and form a new one from the shoot.
In most cases, standard rose hips are unstable, they need to be tied to stakes, and untied and laid on the ground for the winter
When to trim a rosehip
Starting in the third year, well-rooted rose hips are cut by gardeners all year round. Even if something went wrong, you can cut the entire bush to the ground. He will quickly recover due to overgrowth and again will provide the opportunity to experiment. If you pursue the goal of obtaining a good harvest of berries, then the formation must be carried out during the sleep of the plant, i.e. from late autumn to early spring. But sanitary pruning is needed as needed.
Shoots damaged by hail, pests and diseases must be removed immediately. Thus, the foci of infection will be eliminated, and the bush will have more strength for the growth and maturation of healthy branches.
Pruning in autumn
In the fall, it is not recommended to carry out formative pruning (shorten or cut strong, but extra shoots). The fact is that during the winter the bush can be damaged by frost, wind, and heavy snow. Therefore, in the fall it is worthwhile to limit yourself to sanitary pruning, removing small shoots in the lower part of the bush, as well as those branches that will be removed in any case: curves, broken off, growing in and out, dry and sick.
Pruning the old branches of rose hips is better to transfer to the spring. If in winter many young unripe shoots die, then the old lignified ones will save. In the spring we cut them, but not at ground level, but on a stump with two kidneys. Over the summer, strong stems will grow in this place, which will yield a harvest the very next year.
Spring pruning
Ahead of summer, so spring pruning is the most important. The plant wakes up and immediately directs all the juices to grow. Young branches over the summer will grow, mature and tolerate winter well. First of all, we cut off all the frozen tops and broken shoots. Then we carry out forming cropping and thinning.
In spring, old branches with cracked bark are clearly visible.
When and how best to cultivate overgrown dogrose
If you got an abandoned site, or you decided to cultivate a dogrose, which has not been given attention for many years, cut it all to the root. You need to do this in the fall. Take away and burn the whole aerial part. So you will not let fungi and pests go into the ground for wintering and again settle on a young bush, which will begin to grow in the spring.
Another option is to root out the plants, and in the process cut several cuttings with roots for planting in another place. The best time for this event is early spring. It will be clearly visible which buds have wintered, are already awakening and are ready to grow.
Rosehip - a culture on which you can learn to prune without the risk of losing the plant. To gain experience, plant bushes of 2-3 varieties. Use different methods of plant formation, cut rose hips in spring and autumn, and you will find for yourself the most effective way to get a rich harvest.
