We plant an apple tree on the site according to all the rules

The size of the land plot does not always allow setting up a large garden, but there is a place for a couple of fruit trees on each. When summer residents decide to grow them, the first thing they think about is how to plant an apple tree. Among the many fruit and berry crops, it is she who rules the ball, meeting in almost every area. Its varieties are so diverse that even the most picky owner can choose the perfect one for himself. The bred apple trees are tall and semi-dwarf, with a spreading crown and compact columnar, with different periods of ripening and storage of fruits. There are also zoned varieties of culture adapted to the climate of the region, which allows summer residents to harvest juicy fruits from year to year in the unfavorable conditions of Siberia or the Far East.

Choosing a place

The answer to the question of how to plant a tree correctly includes several components. First you need to decide on a place for the apple tree. The seedling will develop well on a plot that meets two criteria:

• open to the sun's rays;
• not blown by cold winds.

The neighborhood of tall trees with a dense crown will have a bad effect on a young apple tree. In their shadow, her growth will slow down, and she will not begin to bear fruit soon.

The composition of the soil is also important. There are only 3 conditions. It should not be:

• stony;
• crushed;
• swampy.

The apple tree loves loose soils, which easily allow air and moisture to reach its roots. She does not tolerate the proximity of groundwater. In order for the life of the tree to be long, and the harvests abundant, the distance to them should be at least 2 m. In case of an unfavorable location of groundwater, it is recommended to put a sheet of slate at the bottom of the planting pit. Resting on it, the roots of the tree will not go deep, but to the sides. Then the groundwater will not harm it, no matter what level they are.

The tree will be most comfortable in loamy soil. If the land in the country has a different composition, competent planting of an apple tree involves its preparation. The clay soil is mixed with peat or sand. Humus is added to the soil containing a lot of sand. You can replace it with peat.

Advice

The apple tree is a cross-pollinated crop. The harvest will be richer if you place several of its seedlings on the site. It is better to choose for this variety, the ripening times of apples in which differ: White filling, Aport and Gold or Melba, Cinnamon striped and Lobo - there are a lot of options.

Digging a landing hole

Prepare the pit for the apple tree in advance. It is better to do this a month before placing a young tree in the ground, in extreme cases - a week. Then the soil will have time to settle and warm up, and the plant will more easily bear the stress from planting.

A hole is dug round, folding the earth into 2 heaps. It is convenient to use special containers for this. But you can simply cover the area next to the pit with oilcloth or plastic wrap and pour the earth onto it. The fertile soil, which is on top, is piled in one pile. In the other - the lower layer of the earth, poor in nutrients. The optimal diameter of the pit is 1 m. Its walls should be vertical, and the depth depends on the selected apple variety and on the degree of development of the root system of the seedling. On average, it is 0.7 m. A young tree will need support, so a strong (about 5 cm in diameter) stake is driven into the center of the hole. It should rise 40 cm above the ground.

Advice

To prevent the stake in the ground from rotting, its lower part is burned.

When the pit is ready, the soil extracted from it is cultivated, removing weed roots and stones from it.Her laying continues such a responsible task of how to plant an apple tree correctly. Having loosened the bottom of the pit, fertile soil is poured down. Then comes the turn of fertilization:

• humus (1 bucket);
• wood ash (700-800 g);
• mineral compositions (1 kg).

Slightly mixing and tamping the nutrient substrate, pour the remaining soil onto it so that a small hill forms. A recess is made in it, into which the seedling will be placed. The size of its root system determines the size of the fossa.

You can fill the planting hole in a different way. Mixed into the ground removed from above:

• peat;
• compost;
• humus;
• rotted manure.

The pit is completely filled with this soil mixture. This must be done so that a hill of earth forms in its place. Such a planting of an apple tree will guarantee that in a few years the tree will not end up in the funnel due to soil subsidence. The soil from the bottom of the pit will also be used. The sides are formed from it around the landing site. You can scatter it in the aisles.

We follow the advice of professionals

How to plant a tree correctly? The recommendations of specialists will help to successfully cope with such a matter.

1. If the soil in the country is clay, the depth of the pit is increased. Be sure to do drainage. Stones or empty canned food cans work well for him. The ideal option is to use pieces of wood. Gradually decomposing, they will provide the roots of the apple tree with nutrients.
2. A tree is planted without drainage. In this case, the hole will have to be made wider, and its depth is reduced to 0.4 m. Such a planting will contribute to the better development of the tree roots, since it will prevent the autumn stagnation of moisture around them.
3. Sandy soil does not retain moisture well. It does not need drainage for the apple tree. Instead, the bottom of the pit is covered with clay, or better with silt. They will help keep the soil moist longer, and care in the form of watering will need to be carried out less often.
4. In the harsh climate of Siberia, apple trees will be easier to grow when they are planted in the hills. This will protect trees from flooding, and their root collar from damping off. The advantage of this method is that the soil on higher elevations warms up faster.
5. Planting hills in Siberia are made flat. Their optimal height is 30-40 cm, and their diameter is up to 1 m. They are prepared in autumn. By the time the apple tree is planted, humus or compost (1 bucket) and wood ash (1 glass) are poured onto them. After mixing fertilizers with soil, the tree is placed on a hill, sprinkled with soil, watered and tied up.
6. If the groundwater is close (located at a level of 1.5 m from the surface of the site), the pit for planting the apple tree is not used. Having dug up the soil and introduced fertilizers into it, they make a small depression. The roots of the seedling are lowered into it and, having spread them, sprinkle with fertile soil.
7. With a higher location of groundwater for seedlings, you will have to fill mounds. Their height can be up to 1.5 m. This arrangement will make it difficult to care for the plantings. But the effort will definitely pay off. If the proximity of groundwater does not threaten the health of the plantings, apple trees can yield up to 25 years.
8. A good result is obtained by planting trees in a hole, prepared in a standard way, but with the use of a little trick. Its bottom is poured with cement mortar and allowed to dry. Further planting is carried out in the traditional way. The cement blockage will change the development of the apple tree's root system, causing it to expand in breadth. The horizontal arrangement of the shoots will protect them from rotting, even if the groundwater is close.

Determining the landing pattern

The distance between the apple trees when planting depends on the variety chosen for breeding. Between the tall ones (Arkadik, Gift to Grafsky) leave 4-5 m of free space. They need wide aisles - 5-6 m. The pit sizes are also more significant. Its depth is brought to 90 cm, and its diameter is up to 1 m.

Semi-dwarf and medium-sized apple varieties (White filling, Aromat de Vare) are placed at a distance of 2-3 m.The row spacing is made equal to 5 m.Such trees need a hole up to 50-60 cm deep and 90 cm in diameter. The dwarf crop variety is planted even closer. Between adjacent apple trees, they retreat 1.5 m each. The rows are spaced at intervals of 4 m. The pits are made shallow (about 35 cm deep), but wide - 90 cm in diameter.

Compliance with the planting scheme will protect the roots and branches of apple trees from intertwining, and it will be easier to care for them. The placement of trees is affected by their height. Vigorous apple trees will be comfortable on the northern side of the site. But White filling and varieties of crops close to it in size in such conditions will not bring a good harvest. The main reason is the lack of light. Semi-dwarf and dwarf apple trees are best planted on the south side. It is especially important to follow the rules of tree placement when trying to grow different varieties of crops. Apple trees should be evenly lit without shading the neighboring ones.

Spring or Autumn?

There is no unity among professionals on the question of when is the best time to plant apple trees. Much depends on the characteristics of the local climate. On fatty chernozems, as well as in the south, autumn planting of culture is more often practiced. It is usually carried out from late September to mid-October. The main thing here is to place the seedling in the ground at least 2 weeks before frost. Otherwise, he will not have time to form new roots. The success of the procedure determines the condition of the seedling. He must shed the foliage and enter the resting phase.

In Siberia, young apple trees are best planted in spring. Year after year is not necessary, so summer residents do not adhere to exact dates, but watch how much the soil has thawed. Landing begins when the ground warms up by 1-2 shovel bayonets. They carry it out while the buds on the tree are still sleeping. So the seedling gets more time to take root, and its growing season in the first year of life in a new place increases. In the middle lane, the optimal time for the procedure is shifted to the end of April or the beginning of May.

The type of seedling is also taken into account. Apple trees with an open root system are successfully placed in summer cottages in spring and autumn, trying not to delay the moment of their immersion in the soil. Trees growing in containers can also be planted in summer.

Getting started landing

Before placing in the ground, the seedlings are carefully examined. The slices at their roots should be white. Brown color indicates the effects of frost or drought. Having found damaged tissue, they are removed with a sharp knife. Healthy areas are pruned by 1-2 cm. The technology of planting different varieties of apple trees, be it medium-sized White filling or high Bogatyr, has a lot in common.

A hole is made in the pit so that the root system of the plant fits freely in it. Black soil is poured into its bottom in a small hill. This will keep the roots of the tree from direct contact with fertilizers, which could cause burns. Then the young apple tree is dipped into the hole. When properly planted, the support remains on the south side of the plant, and its root collar is at the level of 5 cm from the soil surface. Its deepening will not allow growing a good tree, even if it will be looked after according to all the rules. The development of the apple tree will slow down, it will begin to bear fruit late, and harvests will not bring every year. But it is also harmful to overestimate the root collar, otherwise, in the hot summer, the roots of the tree will suffer from a lack of moisture.

Planting apple seedlings alone is a daunting task. It is better to do it with an assistant. His job is to keep the seedling at the same height and gently spread its roots over the mound, while the second person sprinkles them with fertile soil and slightly compacts it. It is especially important to compact the soil around the edges of the pit. The roots should be directed to the sides and down. Over time, upward shoots can come to the surface, where they get burns and disrupt the nutrition of the tree.

Advice

While the roots of the apple tree are covered with soil, it is gently shaken. So there will be no voids between them. Constant contact with air can dry out the roots.

Planting apple trees in containers is easier.They are lowered into the hole along with an earthen clod and sprinkled with soil. Having planted a tree, it is tied to a support with a free eight. It is better to use plastic twine, a strip of cloth or soft rope for this. So the seedling will not settle. Then it is watered abundantly (2.5-3.5 buckets per well). You will need to stop when the water stops quickly absorbing.

The soil under the tree is mulched. Suitable for this:

• humus;
• straw;
• sawdust;
• withered leaves;
• dry land.

Alternative way

Growing apple trees of different varieties can be economical, because it is not necessary to purchase expensive seedlings. For most varieties of culture, propagation by shoots of the mother tree is applicable. This is a quick and easy way to grow a winter hardy apple tree Pink filling and many others. Apply it in the spring.

Having chosen a healthy one-year shoot, it is bent to the ground and buried in, covering it with a 10-centimeter layer of soil. To prevent the branches from straightening, they are fixed with small wooden stakes. The shoot tip 30-40 cm long should remain above the soil surface. A dug-in apple branch is regularly watered and the soil around it is monitored. The next year, the seedling that has taken root is separated. At the end of September, it is placed on a permanent site and pruned.

Another method of growing a tree from a branch is also practiced. A strong 1- or 2-year-old shoot is taken for him. Having retreated 10 cm from its top, the bark is removed, exposing a ring of living tissue. Its width should be 4-5 cm. Having treated this area with a preparation that stimulates the growth of roots, the branch is wrapped in moss or another substrate that can hold moisture for a long time, and then in a film.

We take care of young apple trees

Caring for a young apple tree in the first year of its life in the garden involves regular watering. They are held once a week. This contributes to the compaction of the soil. During the second watering, it is worth adding nitrogen compounds to the water: ammonium nitrate or nitroammophoska (35-45 g per tree). While the shoots on the seedling have not started to grow, the soil under it must be constantly moist. When this happens, watering is reduced. To successfully grow weak seedlings, they are fertilized with organic compounds: slurry, chicken droppings.

The apple tree can sink deeply with the soil. In this case, it is carefully pulled up to the desired height. The plantings are periodically inspected in order to detect pests or signs of disease in time. In the first year, they can cause irreparable harm to a young apple tree. In August, they stop watering the tree.

The main problem that summer residents face after planting is that the tree remains lifeless for a long time, without budding. In this case, it is carefully examined. After cutting a branch with a pruner, check if there are living tissues under the dry areas. In the presence of green buds (even one), the shoot is shortened to them. Such a seedling is watered abundantly. A good result is obtained by using an aqueous solution of heteroauxin (50 mg of a substance per 1 liter of liquid). They cultivate the soil in the area of ​​the trunk circle.

Resuscitation measures are carried out until mid-May. A seedling that has not yet come to life is cut, removing all shoots. After the procedure, its height should be 20 cm above the grafted area. The stump does not stop watering. Over time, he will give new shoots. When this happens and how strong they will be depends on the root system of the tree. This method is called reverse pruning.

We are waiting for the harvest

Saplings usually bring the first apples in 5 years. But in varieties of an intensive type, the fruiting period begins earlier. Narodnoe and the Young Naturalist will delight with apples already in the 2nd or 3rd year of life in the garden. Pink filling begins to bear fruit fully on the 4th. The tall North Sinup will take longer - 5-8 years. But on dwarf rootstocks, the fruits will appear on it much earlier, after 2 years.

The age of the seedling also matters.When planting a 2- or 3-year-old apple tree, it will take 2-3 years to wait for the harvest. An annual sapling will bear fruit later. The tree will generously present apples 2-3 years after the first harvest. This usually happens when he is 8-10 years old.

Choosing an apple variety, take into account the peculiarities of the climate. Even frost-hardy trees intended for cultivation in the middle lane cannot survive in Siberia. Its harsh winters are able to withstand the following varieties:

• Altai purple;
• Ermakovskoe mountain;
• Zhebrovskoe;
• White filling;
• Cabin boy;
• Bayan;
• Gift for the gardener;
• Altai souvenir.

The apple tree is an old favorite of all gardeners. It is unpretentious, hardy, productive, and many of its varieties, such as Lingonberry, Student or White filling, begin to bear fruit early. Found among its many varieties and self-fertile. Even in a cold spring, Pepin saffron and Bryanskoye in the middle lane yield a yield, albeit lower than in those years when they were successfully pollinated by insects.

For most summer residents, growing apples is a pleasure. Trees are easy to take care of, they are hardly a hassle. At the same time, the apple orchard will delight with abundant spring flowering and juicy fruits for decades. If desired, even those summer residents will be able to cultivate a crop, in whose areas the groundwater lies close to the soil surface.