As if pruning a fruit tree wasn't challenging enough, instructions often mention the juice scale. In this guide you can read a practical definition with comprehensible explanations.

When pruning fruit trees, it is essential to pay attention to the juice scale

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  1. Juice Scale - Definition
  2. Why is paying attention to the juice scale important?

    3. Juice Scale - Definition

    For an even crown structure, the top buds of the leading branches must be at the same level. The distance to the top bud of the main stem must not be too great.

    The figure below illustrates the ideal juice scale. If the juice level cannot be achieved by pruning measures, leading shoots of the same rank are brought to the same height by tying them up or down.

    The top buds of the leading branches must be at the same height for a fruit tree to bear fruit faster.

    Why is paying attention to the juice scale important?

    With the help of the juice scales, the growth law of peak production is put into practice. This law states that a bud will always sprout most vigorously when it is at the highest point of the sprout. An even crown can therefore only develop if the top buds of the leading shoots are already at the same height in the youth phase of a tree. In this constellation, the branch tips thrive evenly in the direction of the sunlight. The tip of the central shoot should form an angle of 90-120° with the leading shoots.

    Conversely, ignoring the juice scale results in an uneven, crooked crown, because higher buds are supplied more than buds lower down. At the same time, the stronger-growing branches cast shadows within the crown, which leads to premature bareness and senescence. Last but not least, competition instincts for stem extension develop steeply upwards.

    The illustration below uses an apple tree as an example to show how pruning can be used to train a round crown in juice scales.

    In order for an apple tree to develop a round crown in juice scales, remove all shoots except for the central shoot with three main branches. Shorten the leading branches so that their top buds are at the same height. Overall, the scaffolding branches should form an angle of 90-120°.

    tips

    If a home gardener knows how a juice scale works, he can easily transform superfluous types of shoots, such as water shoots, into valuable fruit wood. For this purpose, the branch is tied diagonally downwards. There is increased juice pressure, which ultimately results in the growth of fruit.

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Trees