How to plant an apple tree in the fall: timing, scheme

At first glance, an apple tree may seem like a simple, unpretentious fruit tree. It is generally accepted that it can bear fruit for 20 years, and at the same time does not require special care and attention. Most gardeners realize that this is far from the case. Taking care of trees, they know how important and necessary for apple trees regular disease prevention, timely removal of dry branches, correct implementation of the step-by-step grafting guide, and, most importantly, how important it is to plant an apple tree seedling correctly. From this material you will learn how to properly plant an apple tree in the fall.

Why you need to plant an apple tree in the fall

The time for planting apple trees depends on the climatic features of the area where they will grow. For example, gardeners of the Non-Black Earth Region prefer planting seedlings at the beginning of the spring season, for Ukraine the most optimal is the end of September - early October, and for the northern regions of Russia, as well as the Urals, Siberia, Belarus, it is desirable to finish planting much earlier. Most gardeners prefer planting an apple tree in the fall. It is autumn that is a rather humid period, and this is very important for the successful development of the root system of the seedling, it manages to grow and get stronger before the beginning of the growing season.

Site and soil preparation

An important role for planting an apple tree in the fall is played by site and soil preparation. It is recommended to take care of preparing the landing site in advance, 2-3 months in advance. If you need to plant an apple tree in the fall, then we recommend making preparations for this in the spring. It is recommended to plant apple trees where fruit trees have not yet grown. The first step is to dig a hole, and at the same time, you should adhere to simple recommendations. First you need to carefully remove the sod, then the top, most fertile layer of the earth, and put it all together separately. Select another 20-30 centimeters of soil, and then dig up and level everything. The pit should be about 50 cm deep and no more than a meter wide.

After the hole is formed, lay a layer of turf on the bottom, preferably with the grass down. Worms, microorganisms, grass - all this, rotting, will increase the humus content in the soil, which means it will allow the root system to receive the necessary trace elements in sufficient quantities. Wood ash, leaf compost, stale horse or cow manure (but not bird droppings) must be mixed well prepared in advance. When laying them in a pit, you need to continue to mix them well, so the friability of the mass will increase, and therefore sufficient moisture.

If the pit is prepared in advance, then it must be well tamped and marked so that you can find this place after some time. If the soil is clay, make the hole not deep (30-40 cm), but wide. Its width can be 1-1.5 meters. This is so that the roots can feel comfortable in heavy soil and grow in width without problems. Try to make the hole as water and breathable as possible. To do this, you need to select the clay from the depression as much as possible, and add sand and humus. Some gardeners recommend putting drainage on the bottom - broken brick, pebbles, expanded clay, etc. The result of planting a seedling, and therefore all your work, will depend on how well the pit is prepared.

How to choose seedlings

Experienced gardeners recommend planting only young, one-year or two-year-old seedlings purchased not by hand, but in specialized nurseries. Yes, and by eye it is very difficult to determine the variety of the apple tree, so gullible gardeners are often deceived.

Before planting an apple tree in the fall, you need to familiarize yourself with the information about which varieties grow in your area, and give preference only to those that have proven themselves well, and not imported from another climatic zone. Ask how resistant they are to diseases and pests. Pay attention to the roots, they should not be frozen, without damage, mold or fungal deposits. The root system should be moist, lush, lively and healthy, there should be many roots. If they are all of different lengths, then do not let this scare you, the longest of them can be neatly shortened. Take a close look at the bark, it should be smooth and naturally dark brown in color.

The seedling should have a clearly formed crown of 4-5 branches, and the graft should be made at a distance of about 5-8 cm from the root. Especially popular today are seedlings of columnar apple trees of domestic origin. These beautiful, small cypress-like trees produce delicious harvests and are a pleasure to work in. If you want to plant a seedling of such an apple tree, then opt for an annual tree, without long vertical roots.

Video "How to choose an apple tree sapling in the fall"

The video describes in detail how to choose the right apple tree seedling.

Landing technique

Before planting an apple tree seedling in the fall, gardeners are advised to hold it in water for 4-24 hours. So the plant will be saturated with moisture, its roots and stems will straighten, and it will feel comfortable in the ground. In a previously prepared place, you need to make a small depression. Before planting a seedling, carefully consider the color of the bark at the root, find the place where it is slightly darker. Thus, you can determine at what depth the tree was planted, and plant it the same way, then the planting will be carried out correctly. Do not cover the vaccination site with earth, but try to raise it 5-8 cm from the ground. Plant the apple tree only at the level of the root collar. It will be correct not to trample the ground in the hole after planting, but to water it abundantly as it is added. Compacted soil will prevent oxygen from reaching the roots, and this can be detrimental to them.

How to determine the planting depth of a seedling

Then it is recommended to tie the seedling to 1-3 pegs, so it will be resistant to wind. For gardeners of the Urals, the Volga region, western Siberia and other regions where strong winds prevail throughout the year, it is recommended to surround the seedling with pegs from all sides, or place them in the direction of the prevailing winds. It is better to make the garter with a soft cloth or film, as the twine can damage the tender young bark. Do not forget to make a so-called "watering saucer". It is imperative to water the seedling after planting even in rainy weather; on the following days, watering should not be abused. If you are planting more than one seedling, then the distance between them should be about 4 meters. Sometimes it happens that a seedling is purchased, but you do not have enough time to plant it. Dig a small dimple, put a seedling in it, sprinkle the root with earth and water well. So you can store the tree for a week in cloudy weather or for 2-3 warm sunny days.

Seedling care

Seedling care consists in pruning and timely watering. Annual crown formation will accelerate fruiting and frost resistance.In the second year after planting the seedling, in early spring, before the buds begin to swell, the crown should be cut, and damaged and dry branches should be removed. This will speed up the growth of the side branches and increase the yield of the tree. After the appearance of the first fruits, gardeners advise them to thin out, that is, to remove the central, as well as damaged and diseased fruits. It is recommended to water seedlings of the first year up to 4 times a summer, up to 3-4 buckets under a tree for one watering, and even more in a dry period. It is necessary to loosen the soil near the trunk as often as possible, to prevent it from drying out and overgrowing with weeds. Flowers that appeared in the second year in young, including columnar apple trees, are recommended to be immediately picked off, this is a barren flower. It will be good if you make 5 liquid fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers by the end of July. Choose any - organic or mineral.

In autumn, it is recommended to huddle the trees, furnish them with fir branches for 5 years to protect them from hares and other rodents. The trunks of seedlings under 3 years old are recommended to be whitewashed with chalk, and older trees with a solution of lime. It is recommended to carefully examine the seedlings once a week for the presence of caterpillars, moths feeding on young twigs, larvae of weevils, aphids and ants.

Video "Planting an apple tree in autumn"

In the video, the gardener shows and tells how to plant an apple tree correctly. All stages are considered - choosing a seedling, preparing a pit, planting, watering, garter a seedling.