Planting an apple tree in the fall in the suburbs: tips for beginners

Variety selection

When purchasing apple seedlings, you should take into account the timing of fruit ripening. If we talk about early maturity, then all varieties of apple trees can be divided into summer, autumn and winter types.

In terms of size and height, apple trees are:

• Vigorous - 8-10 meters;
• Medium height - 4-5 meters;
• Weak - 3-4 meters.

For the Moscow region, the most popular varieties of tall trees are: Antonovka ordinary, Grushovka Moscow.

In order to get short trees, you should pay attention to dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks. The height of such trees will be from 2.5 to 3.5 m.

An important feature for an apple tree is cold hardiness and wintering. Indeed, in our climatic conditions, severe and frosty winters are not unusual.

The most resistant to low temperatures are:

• Cinnamon striped;
• Grushovka Moscow;
• Antonovka is ordinary.

In addition, the following varieties tolerate the winter well: Cinnamon new, Brusnichnoe, Marat Busurin.

Those resistant to scab (a common disease affecting an apple tree in the Moscow region) are:

• Veteran;
• Orlik;
• Imrus;
• Orlovskoe striped;
• Sinap Orlovsky.

Columnar apple trees are considered worthy of the attention of gardeners. They come in a variety of sizes and grow as a single trunk. As a rule, they are densely covered with apples in autumn. They do not need to be pruned, as these instances grow with almost no branches. The fruits ripen on them quickly. But the period of existence is relatively short, averaging 16 years.

The following apple trees can be attributed to the varieties of summer ripening: Borovka, Grushovka Moscow, Breading, Mantet, Melba, Sergiana, Orlov.

For autumn: Delight, Wagner's daughter, Anise striped, Cinnamon new, Cinnamon striped, Daughter of Cinnamon, Orlovskoe striped, Autumn striped, Autumn Susova, Zhigulevskoe, Brusnichnoe,

For winter: Antonovka ordinary, Marat Busurin, Daughter of Mekintosh, Orlovskaya Zarya, Ostankino, Bryanskoe, Charovnitsa, Zvezdochka, Veteran, Imrus, Kulikovskoe, Renet Chernenko, Spartak, Welsey, Polivitaminnoe, Pepin saffron, Pepin Orlovsky, Moskovsky red , Gift to Count, Winter beauty, Moscow winter, Moscow later, Memory of Sikora, Memory of Syubarova, Sinap Orlovsky, Orlik,

It is best to opt for small varieties, they also have good yields and require less care. And due to the fact that they take up less space in the garden, this allows you to plant several species at the same time and enjoy an excellent apple assortment.

Video "Characteristics of apple varieties"

From the video you will learn the characteristics of fruitful apple varieties.

Landing time and dates

The apple tree can be planted both in the spring and in the fall. In the cold season, this is done after all the leaves have fallen. In the spring, you need to be in time before bud break. The main thing is not to miss the right moment.

Better, of course, to plant trees in the fall.In this case, if there was damage to the root system when digging up the seedling, it has time to recover during the autumn-winter period. And already during the growing season it is good to be nourished with useful microelements.

The most suitable period for planting seedlings in autumn is mid-October. In regions where winter can bring -30 degrees, it is better to transfer the planting date to spring.

Preparing a landing site

For an apple tree, the ideal soil is considered to be one in which there is normal air circulation, while the occurrence of groundwater is observed at a level of at least two meters. Soil with crushed stone or waterlogged soil is not entirely suitable.

A distance of about three meters is maintained between trees, an interval of 6 meters is observed between rows. About 30 days before planting, the pit itself is prepared. For this, a recess of 0.7 m is dug, round in shape, with sheer walls.

It is important not to mix the fertile layer with the lower one. In the middle of the resulting pit, a stake is constructed with a thickness of 5 centimeters, and the length is calculated so that 40 cm should look out of the pit. To prevent the stake from rotting for a long time, it is pre-fired.

In order for the soil to have a good indicator of fertility, a mixture of a previously deposited top layer, peat, compost, humus, rotted manure and organic fertilizer is required. In cases where clay inclusions predominate in the soil, a small amount of sand is added to the same mixture. The created "cocktail" is filled to the top of the pit and so that a small slide is visible. The mound is made on the basis that over time the soil will sag, and the planted apple trees will end up in the funnel. The part of the soil that remains from the lower layers dug is scattered between the rows.

There are several features for the formation of the necessary pit in order to plant a seedling in it in the future and fertilize correctly:

• When clay components prevail in the soil, the depth of the pit must be increased, and the dimensions themselves must be larger. At its bottom, a drainage layer is laid out, which can easily be made from cans (empty), stones, remnants or scraps of wood. The root system will develop well and receive the required amount of oxygen.
• If a drainage layer is not provided, then the pit should be made wider. This prevents stagnation. When watering, the water will be able to dissolve and not provoke rotting of the root system.
• If the soil is sandy, then it is necessary to provide a layer that would retain water. This can be done from clay or silt.
• If there is groundwater at a depth of about 1.5 m, then the actual hole should not be dug. The soil is simply dug up and, as a rule, this is quite enough. Then they make a small indentation and it is important not to forget to fertilize. After these procedures, plant a tree. The roots are evenly covered with earth.

In the case when the groundwater is close enough to the surface (about 1.5 m), the recess is not dug, on the contrary, the apple tree is placed on a mound.

Sapling planting technology

Having dealt with the peculiarities of the landing site, you should consider the very technique of this process.

It is important to carefully study it before burying the seedling. Indeed, if the cut points do not have a white tint, but are colored brown or brown, this indicates damage to the root system. Most likely, it was frozen or dried out. All injured segments must be removed.

In that hole, which was prepared a month before disembarkation, a small hole is formed, and a tubercle is made at its bottom. This is done so that the root system is not damaged or burned when fertilizers are applied.

The sapling itself is placed so that the planted log is located on the south side of the tree, and the root neck of the trunk itself rises five centimeters above the ground level.It is important not to deepen the border of the transition, this is the place where the light green bark turns into brown. As a rule, this place is clearly visible. Above this line, it is also not recommended to plant, because the root system may not receive the necessary moisture, especially on hot days.

It is very convenient to work in pairs when planting an apple tree. One person can hold the seedling at the desired height and spread the roots along the earthen slide, and the second person can fill the root system and lightly tamp the topsoil. To fill all the voids, when burying, the seedlings are shaken a little, if this is not done, the roots will begin to dry out.

So that the apple tree planted in the fall does not settle, it is necessary to tie it to a peg, this is done with a plastic twine on a free figure eight.

Several buckets of water are poured into the hole and the soil must be mulched. This can be done using leftover earth or humus. Be sure to apply fertilizer to the soil.

Watering is carried out once a week. This process ends in August. In case of soil subsidence, the apple tree itself can be pulled up a little and fixed at the border of the root collar.

There is nothing difficult when planting various varieties of apple trees in the fall, you just need to dig a hole correctly, taking into account the soil in which the tree is planted. The apple tree does not require special care, the irrigation process is very standard, as are the fertilizers used.

Video "Growing and caring for an apple tree"

From the video you will learn how to grow and care for an apple tree.