How to plant and care for an apple tree seedling after planting worries every gardener who decides to plant an apple tree in order to get healthy tree And good harvest. Although an apple tree seedling is considered unpretentious, certain conditions and care are also important for its growth after planting, which we will consider below.
How to plant apple tree seedlings correctly
Apple tree seedlings can be planted twice a year: in the fall, a couple of months before the onset of frost, or in the spring, before the buds appear. If possible, it is advisable to prepare a hole for the seedling in advance - a month before autumn planting, in autumn - for spring. To do this, you need to dig a hole with a diameter of about a meter and a depth of up to 80 cm. Garden soil is mixed with fertilizers and peat; if the soil is acidic, lime should be added to sandy soil The bottom of the hole must be lined with a layer of clay 15 cm thick. When the time comes for planting, the apple tree seedling must be placed in the hole so that the root collar is not covered with soil; as a result, it should rise 2-4 cm above the ground. When burying the tree, you should Shake the trunk slightly so that the soil adheres more tightly to the roots and no air remains. After planting an apple tree seedling, the soil must be compacted and the seedling watered abundantly.
It should be remembered that the apple tree does not like high humidity. Soaked roots can rot, and those flooded before wintering can freeze.
How to care for an apple tree seedling after planting
In the first year after planting, the apple tree seedling does not require additional feeding, and in subsequent years it is recommended to add nitrogen fertilizers in the spring - 2/3 before bud break and 1/3 after flowering, and in the fall - organic matter, potassium and superphosphate.
If there is no drought, it is enough to water the apple tree seedling three times: at the beginning of summer, when the apples are full and before frost.
After heavy rains, you need to properly loosen the soil for better air flow to the roots of the young apple tree seedling.
In the first year, a young seedling should not be pruned, it is not yet strong enough, and in subsequent years, in addition to the usual autumn pruning, should also be carried out in the summer - this will rejuvenate the tree and protect it from pests. Sick and dried branches, as well as those overgrown too thickly, are trimmed.
Pests dangerous to apple tree seedlings and methods of controlling them
The main pests of apple tree seedlings are aphids, mites, hawthorn, codling moth, apple moth, apple moth and sawfly. To prevent their appearance, in May, after flowering, the tree is treated with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture, or half percent copper oxychloride, and the soil is sprayed with a 0.3% solution of nitrafen. If the apple tree is sick, its branches must be treated with a tobacco-soap decoction, although a 3% solution of nitrafen or a 0.3% solution of karbofos will be more effective.
Preparing an apple tree seedling for winter is an integral part of caring for a young apple tree.
In order to properly prepare an apple tree seedling for winter, first of all, before the onset of frost, the apple tree should be cleared of pests and dried branches. Then you need to treat all the broken spots or cracks with a garden varnish, and whitewash the trunk. For young (less than five years old) trees, you can use a regular chalk solution; for older trees, a solution: 1 kg of clay and 3 kg of slaked lime per 10 liters of water. In addition, the trunks need to be tied with insulation: burlap or pine branches, which will protect both from frost and from rodents. Additionally, you should wrap the crown with polyamide film to protect it from bright winter sun– the tree can get severely burned.
Any novice gardener dreams of white blossoming fruit trees in the spring and a bountiful harvest in the fall. Any experienced gardener, who considers his luxurious orchard a source of pride, knows that the basis of success is right choice seedlings, proper landing and care in the early years.
The whole conversation on this topic comes down to answers to 5 questions:
- Where and how to choose the right fruit tree seedlings?
- When is the best time to plant young trees?
- How to choose a place for fruit trees?
- How to plant correctly?
- How to care for young plantings?
Where is the right place to buy young fruit tree seedlings?
Buying tree seedlings with which a summer resident plans to connect his life for several decades from a granny on the road or at a spontaneous market is a big risk. If there is no well-tested, reputable gardener selling planting material, then perfect option– contact the nursery.
Nursery specialists will help you choose a suitable seedling, recommend a variety based on the buyer’s requests, and advise on the specifics of planting and care. But no matter how beautifully a consultant speaks, he is first and foremost a seller. Therefore, a beginner in gardening must be well-versed in order to buy a truly high-quality product.
What should a buyer know when choosing seedlings?
- When choosing a variety fruit trees adaptation to regional conditions must be taken into account;
- When purchasing a seedling with an open root system, you need to carefully examine the roots.
The root system should be densely branched, with many small flexible roots, fresh, not broken off or damaged during digging, at least 20 cm long for one-year-old seedlings, about 30 cm for two-year-old seedlings;
- When carefully examining the roots, you should pay attention to ensure that there are no growths, lumps, or thickenings that could signal cancer;
- When choosing a seedling with a closed root system in a container, you need to check whether the tree actually grew in this container or whether it was inserted into the container before sale. To do this, you need to carefully lift the tree, holding the trunk near the ground. The earthen lump does not crumble, it is taken out along with the roots - such a product can be taken with confidence.
How to choose the right fruit seedlings?
To be more sure, you can check whether there are roots that have escaped from the pot through the bottom drainage holes;
- Preference should be given to younger seedlings: the optimal age is from one to three years. It is a mistaken belief that older trees will bloom faster and begin to bear fruit earlier. The fact is that the older the specimen, the more difficult it is to take root, the more time and effort it needs to adapt to a new place. As a result, such trees even lag behind in development, bringing undeserved disappointment to the gardener who made the wrong choice;
- After examining the roots, you should no less carefully inspect the trunk: the purchase will be successful if the seedling has an even, smooth, well-formed trunk without mechanical damage and obvious signs of fungal diseases. Annual trees may have no side branches, biennial trees usually have three branches of 30-40 cm each. The height of the plant from the root is about a meter, which is typical for annual trees; biennial trees grow up to one and a half meters.
After purchase, seedlings with an open root system can be placed in water for a couple of days if the roots are sufficiently dry. Before planting, the roots should be carefully wrapped in wet material, better burlap. If there are leaves, they should be carefully torn off so that the tree does not lose moisture.
More details about the choice planting material on video:
What is the best time to plant seedlings - spring or autumn?
Fruit trees are planted in both spring and autumn. The choice of planting time depends on the type and variety of tree.
Frost-resistant varieties of apple and pear trees are planted in the fall, when all the main seasonal tasks have already been completed, the temperature is not lower than 10-15 degrees, and the first frost is not yet less than a month. The root system of the tree has time to strengthen and begins to grow before the onset of cold weather. In the spring, such seedlings begin to grow earlier than those planted at the beginning of the dacha season.
It is preferable to plant heat-loving stone fruits (plums, cherries, apricots) and those varieties of apple and pear trees that are characterized by poor frost resistance. permanent place in early spring, before the buds open.
Spring planting is also recommended in cases where the soil on the site is too heavy, dense and wet.Choosing a location for fruit trees
Because the fruit trees If they are planted immediately in a permanent place where they will grow for decades, the choice of planting site must be approached very responsibly. Most trees of this species prefer sunny areas protected from the winds.
Places with traffic should be avoided groundwater close to the soil surface, since with age the tree will be susceptible to rotting.
Tall and wide apple and pear trees are planted at a distance of at least 5 m, medium-sized varieties need to be spaced 3-4 meters apart, and columnar forms need a meter of soil in diameter. If planting is planned near buildings, the same parameters must be observed so as not to interfere with tree growth in the future.
The main rules for planting fruit seedlings
Fruit trees are planted in holes dug at least two weeks before planting. If you plan to plant a tree in the spring, then it is best to prepare the hole in the fall so that the soil has time to compact: this will reduce the risk of deepening the root collar of the plant. One size fits all the pits are 80 cm in diameter and deep.
Basic landing rules:
- Place a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the hole, last year’s leaves on top, then sprinkle well with wood ash;
- Mix a bucket of humus or compost with fertile soil removed from the hole during the digging process, place this mixture at the bottom of the hole;
- Place the seedling on this layer, straighten the roots, then add another bucket of humus or compost, shaking the seedling to fill the entire hole space with soil as much as possible;
- Compact the soil and carefully pour out two buckets of water;
- When the water is completely absorbed, the hole is filled to the top. fertile soil, once again water well and mulch the tree trunk circle with rotted sawdust, wood chips, and leaves.
Mulching will conserve soil moisture and prevent the formation of a hard surface crust.
- When planting, it is extremely important not to deepen the root collar of the plant or expose it by planting the tree at an insufficient depth.
Once again about the root collar of a seedling in the video:
This charge will be enough for the young tree for the first couple of years, during which all its care will be reduced to watering.
How to care for a young, freshly planted tree
Regular abundant watering is all a seedling needs to good development. Even autumn seedlings need to be watered before the first frost. Watering is the basis for the future health of the tree.Disease prevention and pest protection should not be neglected, because it will be difficult for the seedling to withstand these problems. The first wintering also requires a responsible approach: the bark of young fruit trees is often nibbled by mice and hares, so the trunk must be protected. After whitewashing it is wrapped plastic bottles, lay hoses around or car tires to repel rodents.
Even frost-resistant varieties can freeze slightly in the first years of life, especially in winters with little snow. To avoid this, the trees are covered with spruce branches.
When the fruit tree blooms for the first time, especially if this happens in the first year after planting, you need to muster up the will and remove the long-awaited flowers so that the tree concentrates all its energy on development, on the formation of the root system and crown, and does not spend it on ripening a pair of fruits.
By following all these rules, the gardener will receive his first harvest in a few years, and the garden will become a source of pride and admiration.
The future yields of fruit trees depend on how properly you care for the seedlings in the first years of their life. Therefore, it is very important to know the basics of caring for young trees and not to miss the main stages of their development. In today's article we will talk about how to care for young seedlings in the first two years of their life.
Formation of the trunk circle
After planting the seedling in the ground, you should form a so-called trunk circle, thanks to which it is much easier to fertilize and water the young tree, because everything you need will not spill throughout the garden, but will get to its destination, to the roots of the young tree. In the first year of life, the tree trunk circle of a seedling can be 30-40 centimeters, and later it expands.
The tree trunk circle should always be cleared of weeds and well loosened; these simple steps will help ensure better access oxygen to the root system.
Watering seedlings
The required amount of water depends on the soil on which the seedling is planted and on weather conditions. So, if the tree is planted on sandy soil, and the summer was hot and dry, then the young tree should be watered at least 6-7 times a year.
In one watering, 3-4 buckets of water are poured under the root, after which the soil in the tree trunk circle should be loosened.
If you chose good land for planting and the tree does not feel an acute lack of moisture, then it will be enough to water the seedling three times, the first in early April, the second in May, and the third in June.
Necessary feeding
The required amount of fertilizer depends on how correctly the plant was fertilized during planting; if all the necessary procedures have been completed, then young tree this will be enough for a year, but if the landing was carried out “on a quick fix", then already a month after planting, potassium chloride, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate should be added to the tree trunk circle.
As soon as your seedling is one year old, you should expand its tree trunk circle by about half a meter.
The second feeding is carried out at the beginning of the second year of your seedling’s life; depending on how well the tree has grown in the first year of life, the amount of necessary microelements depends. If it is necessary to accelerate the growth of the seedling, then add urea and large quantity ammonium nitrate, they contain nitrogen, so the tree will immediately reach the required height.
Pruning young trees
In the first years of life, pruning young shoots plays an important role, since it is at this time that the crown of the tree is formed. One fourth of the shoots is cut off; this should be done with special pruning scissors. This procedure cannot be performed before the onset of frost, since the young plant may not survive the winter.
If the seedling, even before planting, turns out to be too large, then the first pruning should be done immediately after purchase. young plant.
Mulching the tree trunk circle
Most often, peat, humus or compost are used for mulching; a thin layer of mulch allows you to accumulate and maintain the required level of moisture in the soil.
It is better not to use sawdust for fruit trees. coniferous plants for mulching.
IN winter period this layer will act as a “warming blanket” that will help the young plant survive the winter.
First winter
The first winter and frosts are quite a serious test for a young plant, so it should be helped to survive the winter, for this you need to purchase special material for shelter, it will protect the tree from various rodents, warm the cold period and in early spring will save you from burns. It is best to wrap a tree together, in which case the likelihood that you will not break the branches is much higher. Proper support that will not damage the tree bark can protect you from strong winds.
The future yields of fruit trees depend on how properly you care for the seedlings in the first years of their life. Therefore, it is very important to know the basics of caring for young trees and not to miss the main stages of their development. In today's article we will talk about how to care for young seedlings in the first two years of their life.
Formation of the trunk circle
After planting the seedling in the ground, you should form a so-called trunk circle, thanks to which it is much easier to fertilize and water the young tree, because everything you need will not spill throughout the garden, but will get to its destination, to the roots of the young tree. In the first year of life, the tree trunk circle of a seedling can be 30-40 centimeters, and later it expands.
The tree trunk circle should always be cleared of weeds and well loosened; these simple steps will help ensure better access of oxygen to the root system.
Watering seedlings
The required amount of water depends on the soil on which the seedling is planted and the weather conditions. So, if the tree is planted on sandy soil, and the summer was hot and dry, then the young tree should be watered at least 6-7 times a year.
In one watering, 3-4 buckets of water are poured under the root, after which the soil in the tree trunk circle should be loosened.
If you have chosen good soil for planting and the tree does not feel an acute lack of moisture, then it will be enough to water the seedling three times, the first in early April, the second in May, and the third in June.
Necessary feeding
The required amount of fertilizer depends on how correctly the plant was fertilized during planting; if all the necessary procedures have been completed, then this will be enough for the young tree for a year, but if planting was done in a hurry, then a month after planting it should be applied in the tree trunk circle potassium chloride, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate.
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As soon as your seedling is one year old, you should expand its tree trunk circle by about half a meter.
The second feeding is carried out at the beginning of the second year of your seedling’s life; depending on how well the tree has grown in the first year of life, the amount of necessary microelements depends. If it is necessary to accelerate the growth of a seedling, then add urea and a larger amount of ammonium nitrate, they contain nitrogen, so the tree will immediately gain the required height.
Pruning young trees
In the first years of life, pruning young shoots plays an important role, since it is at this time that the crown of the tree is formed. One fourth of the shoots is cut off; this should be done with special pruning scissors. This procedure cannot be performed before the onset of frost, since the young plant may not survive the winter.
If the seedling, even before planting, turns out to be too large, then the first pruning should be done immediately after purchasing the young plant.
Mulching the tree trunk circle
Most often, peat, humus or compost are used for mulching; a thin layer of mulch allows you to accumulate and maintain the required level of moisture in the soil.
For fruit trees, it is better not to use sawdust from coniferous plants for mulching.
In winter, this layer will act as a “warming blanket” that will help the young plant survive the winter.
First winter
The first winter and frosts are quite a serious test for a young plant, so it should be helped to overwinter, for this you need to purchase special material for shelter, it will protect the tree from various rodents, warm it up during the cold period and save it from burns in early spring. It is best to wrap a tree together, in which case the likelihood that you will not break the branches is much higher. Proper support that will not damage the tree bark can protect you from strong winds.
Immediately after planting the tree the tree trunk circle is loosened. This helps retain moisture in the soil and prevents weeds from growing. For support in inclement weather plants are tied to supports. At the same time, regularly check that the garter material does not cut into the bark, and also prevent friction against the support, since damage to the bark can lead to the death of the plant. To protect fabrics from drying out in spring, in dry, windy weather the stems are wrapped in a damp cloth or moss. If there is a pronounced imbalance between the volume of the root system and the above-ground part of the plant, post-planting pruning. Usually the shoots are shortened by a quarter.
Fresh leaves of young plants are a delicacy for leaf-eating caterpillars and green aphids. Pest collection is carried out manually. If this does not give results, it is necessary to apply biological or chemicals protection.
Top dressing
In the 1st year of growth root system The plant develops within the planting hole using fertilizers added during planting. During this period, fertilizers are not applied, but if fertilizing has not been fully applied and the seedlings are not growing intensively, 10 kg of rotted manure, 120 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium chloride, 60 g of ammonium nitrate are added to the tree trunk circle.
For the 2nd year(if the plants gave insufficient growth in the 1st year), the same amount of fertilizer should be added to the trunk circle, which should be expanded in diameter by 50 cm. Since young trees in the spring urgently feel the need for nitrogen fertilizers, you can increase the dose of ammonium nitrate to 80-90 g, and also add urea.
If the soils are poor, fertilizers can be applied in parts, superficially, then covered with a rake, watered and mulched with peat or compost.
Watering
It is recommended to combine fertilizer with watering, which must be carried out throughout the planting year. Otherwise, the top of the above-ground part of the seedling will begin to gradually die off until it is restored in the root layer. normal humidity and nutrient medium.
Average For fruit crops on loamy and clay soils 3 waterings are enough: immediately after planting, in the 2nd half of May and in July - at least 3-4 buckets under the tree. During hot, dry summers or late spring planting requires at least 4-5 waterings: 2 spring and 2-3 summer. On light sandy loam soils, at least 5-6 waterings are required.
Stop watering in August and early September, allowing young plant growths to woody well and prepare for future frosts. At the end of September - October, abundant watering (double the norm) promotes root growth even under snow. Pre-winter watering strengthen the winter hardiness of the seedling.
Mulching
The accumulation and preservation of moisture in the soil is facilitated by mulching - covering tree trunk circles humus, compost, straw manure, peat, mulching paper, plastic film, cut straw and weeded weeds. It is not recommended to use sawdust for mulching, especially from coniferous trees.
The mulch is laid out layer 3-5 cm around the entire trunk circle, with the exception of small area around the trunk in a radius of approximately 10-15 cm. This work must be carried out immediately after the first loosening. Late mulching, especially with dry peat, when the soil has already dried, does not help positive result, and in dry years it can even reduce the yield. During the summer, as the soil compacts, the soil under the mulch is loosened, moving the mulching material to the side. After loosening, it is again distributed around the tree trunk circle. In the fall, mulch is incorporated into the soil to fertilize.
Autumn digging
Proper tillage not only improves the nutritional conditions of plants, but also promotes the accumulation and further retention of moisture in the soil, which increases the overall immunity of trees. Basic tillage with fertilizer application produced in late autumn, when fruit trees finish growing and leaf fall ends. The soil is dug up with shovels, turning over the layer, without crushing the soil clods. When digging the soil in tree trunk circles, care must be taken: the shovel should not be too deep to avoid damaging the roots. In this case, the shovel should be facing the stem with its edge. Near the young trunk, it is advisable to use rippers or cultivators to a depth of no more than 6-7 cm; then from the trunk you can cultivate deeper, at 14-15 cm.
At digging with formation turnover turn out onto the day surface and kill pests overwintering in the upper soil layers. In addition, a blocky soil surface retains moisture better. Please note that before digging the soil, you need to remove weeds and burn fallen leaves.
Spring tillage
In the spring, loosening is carried out without turning the layer and leveling the soil surface. First loosening tree trunk circles In order to preserve the supply of moisture, carry out the process until the snow melts and the soil dries out a little. Subsequently, during the spring, summer, and autumn, the tree trunk circles are loosened at least 3-4 times, while carefully removing the weeds.
The need for loosening is determined by the degree of soil compaction, clogging, and crust formation after rains. The size of the trunk circles depends on the age and development of the plants. They should be slightly larger than the width of the crown. In the first two years after planting, it is enough to cultivate a circle 1-1.5 m wide for apple, cherry, pear, and sea buckthorn trees.
Trimming
In the 2nd year of growth carry out pruning. This makes it possible to bring into line the rapidly developing aboveground part plants with a root system and lay the foundations for the formation of the crown. Typically, fruit trees on vigorous rootstocks are formed according to a sparse-tiered scheme, in which the tree has 5-7 skeletal branches of the 1st tier and 4-5 of the 2nd. To do this, in the 2nd year, the lateral branches are cut by a third for a shoot length of 70 cm and by half for a shoot 100 cm long. If the expected future skeletal branches are identical in development, then the lower shoots are cut less lightly than the upper ones. To obtain the 2nd tier of the crown, the central conductor is also shortened, leaving it 45-50 cm long. Please note that proper care the soil should ensure shoot growth in one season by 60-70 cm for pome crops and 80-100 cm for stone fruit crops.
First winter
To avoid damage to plants from snow, The branches of future crowns are covered with soft material at the end of autumn. This operation is carried out by two people on frost-free days to avoid breakdowns. In addition, at the end of February - beginning of March, when there is no stable temperature, damage to plants is possible sunburn. Whitewashing, used as a means of protection, is not always effective for young trees. Best result gives tying the trunk with special fabrics, which at the same time protects it from rodents. Please note that it is recommended to free the tree from the fabric binding on cloudy, preferably rainy days, in the late afternoon.