Is spring, summer or autumn more suitable for planting an apple tree?

Many gardeners are interested in the question: when do trees take root well? Will planting an apple tree in autumn, spring or summer be the most productive? There is no single answer, it all depends on the climatic conditions. For example, in the warm areas of the Krasnodar Territory, some owners of summer cottages have adapted to plant fruit and berry crops in winter. The soil does not freeze there, the roots are covered not with icy clods, but with loose moist earth. By the spring, the soil will be compacted, the awakened seedling will not even understand that it was dug up and moved to a new place, and will quickly start growing. In the south, you can try this option, but in cold regions - Siberia, the Leningrad region - you need to act differently.

When to start planting

Best of all, trees that are in a state of winter dormancy take root: in spring or autumn. It is correct to do this in September or October, when the foliage falls. In this case, when warm days come, the apple tree will immediately begin to develop. This method also has a disadvantage: if it gets cold early and dramatically, the fragile root system may freeze.

In cold regions - Siberia, the Leningrad region - it is better to plant trees in the spring, when the ground has thawed, but the buds have not yet blossomed. Over the summer, the apple tree will root well, get stronger and have time to prepare for wintering. If you got the tree in the fall, after planting, insulate it with spruce branches. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in any case in order to protect the young apple tree from rodents.

A transplant in the summer can be carried out only in extreme cases, for example, in case of an urgent move to another area or the liquidation of the garden. During this period, trees take root very poorly, especially with an open root system. If the need arises, dig up a seedling with a large clod of earth.

Choosing a site

The misconception of many novice gardeners is that the apple tree is the most common fruit tree, so it can grow anywhere. Perhaps the seedling will not die even in a swamp on a site closed on 3 sides in the complete absence of sunlight, only you will not wait for the fruit.

If you want to be with the harvest, remember that this culture will like:

• a lot of sun in summer;
• fertile soil;
• no strong winds, but no stagnant air.

Nature rarely gives us such a combination. Usually it is necessary to eliminate some unfavorable factors on your own. Buildings or a high fence will protect the tree from the wind, poor soil can be improved with fertilizers, drainage will save from groundwater or planting columnar apple trees with shallow roots.

If you got a plot that used to be an orchard, try to find out where which species grew. Every year, plants release substances characteristic of this species into the soil; self-poisoning of the soil occurs. If you plant an apple tree in a place where trees of the same species used to grow, it will become sore. Better to put it where the cherries or plums were, and everything will be fine. On the new land, nettles will be a good advisor: where it grows thickly and luxuriantly, there will be good for an apple tree.

Advice

Some varieties of apple trees require pollinators. It is advisable to put hives on the site or arrange a garden near the apiary.

Preparatory work

An apple tree can be grown from a seed, but this is a long process. This technique is used when breeding new varieties; it makes no sense to do this in summer cottages. The fruits will lose their varietal qualities, will be small and tasteless.A tree grown from a seedling is only suitable as a stock. Buy seedlings at the age of 1-3 years, preferably with a closed root system. It is advisable to buy regionalized varieties from a local nursery. When the area is very limited, choose columnar varieties.

It depends on a properly dug hole how the underground part will develop and, accordingly, the tree will eat. Be guided by the size of the root system, it should fit freely into the recess - a gap of several centimeters is needed between the walls, the bottom and the largest shoots. Start digging by folding the top fertile layer into one pile and the bottom layer into another. Do not make perfectly straight cuts, slightly loosen all surfaces.

Advice

It is better to prepare the pits in advance and let them stand all winter or at least a few weeks.

Now a little trick. Apples are known to contain a lot of iron. Where does this substance come from? The tree itself cannot synthesize metal, it gets it from the earth. To make the desired element larger, you can throw bent nails or other unnecessary metal object to the bottom. In the old days, when a tree stopped bearing fruit, an old ax was buried under it, and the yield was restored. It was believed: the apple tree was afraid that it would be cut down. But in fact, she simply did not have the necessary nutritional components.

Prepare the root backfill. Mix part of the fertile layer with a bucket of humus, 0.5 kg of phosphates and 60 g of potash fertilizers. Pour the mixture on the bottom, form a small mound, cover everything with a thin layer of earth on top. The last operation is necessary: ​​for the tree to take root properly, the roots should not touch the fertilizers.

Correct planting of the apple tree

Before planting, the tree must be prepared. Look for damaged areas on the branches and root system: rot, manifestations of the disease, dry and cracked processes. Delete all these parts. Trim the root tips, top and twigs.

Important!

Have columnar varieties do not shorten the top... Such a tree should grow upward, and not develop side branches.
We proceed to the most important operation - landing. In the spring, the thawed soil serves as a signal that the planting time has come. Hurry up, before the buds begin to swell, in the summer with blossoming foliage, the tree may not take root. To keep the seedling level, it is advisable to do this work together.

1. Drive a strong stake into the bottom of the hole, to which you will then tie a tree.
2. Place the underground portion in the hole, making sure all the branches are horizontal or downward.
3. One person holds the seedling in an upright position, and the other covers the roots first with fertile soil, and then with soil from the lower layers. Use a shovel or palms to gently brush the ground. Do not stomp on it or use heavy rammers.
4. Check that the root collar is positioned correctly: a few centimeters above the ground.
5. Spill the soil well, and when it settles, top up to the desired level and moisten again.
6. Tie the trunk to a peg to keep it from being swayed by the wind.
7. Check the hole the next morning. If cracks appear, loosen the ground.

When planting in spring, until the seedling takes root, it needs to be watered 2-3 times a week. If a young tree wants to bloom, cut off all the buds in the first year after transplanting. The development of flowers and fruits will take a lot of energy from the apple tree, and it will not prepare for the winter cold.

If you are planting trees in the fall, stop watering right away. The plant is already entering the resting phase, the juices do not move, and the roots do not need excess liquid. Waterlogging is especially dangerous in cold regions: in Siberia, in the Urals, in the Leningrad region. Sudden frosts will turn the water into ice, which is dangerous for an immature plant.

Advice

If you do not purchase a tree with an open root system, but dig it yourself, take a compass with you and remember which side faces north. When planting, keep the position of the plant relative to the poles.

After planting, mulch the hole. Around columnar trees plant herbs... In this species, all the shoots of the root system are located shallowly, planting and periodic mowing of green manure will create additional protection from drying out and from pests.

Apple orchard planting scheme

Whatever design fantasies come to your mind, do not mix different types of trees. Apple trees should grow with apple trees, cherries with cherries, pears with pears. Select an area for each view, determine its size. Now you can calculate how many varieties will fit in this area. Never thicken the planting, it is better to grow one fruitful tree than three stunted apple trees that give almost no fruit.

Landing in cramped conditions will create many problems for you:

• the risk of fungal infections will increase;
• closely planted trees are a favorite habitat for pests;
• the fruits will be small, sick, with poor taste;
• the harvest will be poor, and the ripening period will be long.

The area that needs to be allocated to one tree depends on the shape and size of its crown, height, characteristics of the scion and rootstock.

Recommended planting pattern for cold area:

• tall - 4.5x5 m;
• high on a wild stock - 3.5x5 m;
• low-growing on a dwarf rootstock - 2.5x4 m;
• apple trees of columnar varieties - 0.5x1 m.

Advice

The land between the young trees can be used for vegetable beds. This will save space and eliminate weeds.

Output

Choosing the right season for planting an apple tree depends on the climate in your area. The tree is hardy, but young seedlings may not survive severe cold. In Siberia, the Leningrad region and other cold regions, it is better to plant apple trees in the spring, take trees with a closed root system so that they get stronger over the summer. If you have to do this work in the fall, be sure to warm the ground with spruce branches and tie the trunk with spruce branches.

The general scheme and planting technique is not suitable for columnar varieties. They have a different root system and a different way of forming a crown. Such apple trees will help out the owners of small plots well: several different species can be planted in a small area. Planting is the most important moment in the life of a tree, how correctly you carry it out, you will get such a harvest.