How to prune Japanese crabapple

Japanese crabapple pruning time

Japanese crabapples are generally pruned in spring. After new buds grow, they can be pinched and topped to promote branch growth. In addition, pruning is also required after the flowers wither to reduce nutrient loss.

Japanese crabapple pruning

Japanese crabapples need to be pinched to promote branching after budding in spring, and the withered flowers need to be pruned after the flowering period. In addition, after the Japanese crabapples shed their leaves, in order to maintain nutrients in the winter and enable them to overwinter better, the excess branches should also be cut off.

1. After the Japanese crabapple sprouts new branches in spring, it needs to be pruned. You can cut off dead branches, weak branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, crossed branches, stacked branches, excessive branches, etc. to promote the growth of new branches. This can reduce nutrient loss and make the tree shape more beautiful.

2. Japanese crabapple flowers can be pruned half a month after they finish blooming. Dense and protruding branches can be cut off, and overgrown branches can be shortened, leaving 3 to 4 buds at the base.

Japanese crabapple flowers grow fast when pruned

Some branches of the Japanese crabapple need to be removed to ensure that the Japanese crabapple can better promote the germination of new buds. The pruning should not be too large, otherwise it will affect normal growth.

Japanese crabapple flower pruning

When pruning Japanese crabapples, you can trim off the leaves together. This is to reduce the area of ​​photosynthesis. This is for fear that the leaves will suppress the growth and flowering of the crabapple. Trimming the remaining flowers in time after the flowering period will be beneficial for flowering the following year.

Tips for pruning Japanese crabapple

When pruning Japanese crabapples, be sure to shorten the branches gently and avoid repeated pruning, otherwise it will be detrimental to flowering. Different plants occupy different spaces, so we need to decide how many branches to cut and how many to keep based on the size of the space.