Planting fruit trees in spring. Safe protection of plants from diseases and pests in July and August. When to plant trees

There are different opinions on the question of when to start planting seedlings in the ground. Someone is focusing on personal experience or advice from older relatives, for someone good example– neighbors who receive excellent harvests year after year. As for specialists, their numerous disputes do not subside, since everyone has their own point of view.

But if we summarize the various opinions, it turns out that for most of the territory of Russia, spring is the best period for planting “young trees” of almost all fruit trees.

The fact is that the peculiarity of our climate is such that many seedlings planted in the fall do not have time to “take root” well. One of the reasons is that it takes at least 2 months for the plant to independently extract moisture from the soil with all the substances necessary for full development.

Unfortunately, early frosts do not allow this time. The result is “freezing” or drying out of the “young animals”. Therefore, the recommendation for autumn planting of seedlings has many opponents.

Let's take a closer look at the procedure for spring planting fruit tree seedlings in the country house or in the garden of your home.

Site layout

Some landing features must also be taken into account in cases where the territory has already been developed. The principle of “where there is free space” does not apply here. What to consider:

Type of seedlings. Each plant is characterized by a certain height, characteristics of the crown and root system. If you do not take into account the specifics of development, then there is a possibility that the trees will subsequently “interfere” with each other. For example, taller ones will shade short ones that grow intensively sideways and will be intertwined with branches.

Compatibility. Gardeners who do not have sufficient experience do not take this factor into account. But there are special tables with recommendations on which plants can be planted nearby and which ones should not be planted. On any summer cottage(and these are the ones we are talking about, since a professional doesn’t need tips), in addition to fruit trees, there are also beds with their own plantings, and various shrubs (fruit, ornamental).

Place in the garden. If there are any buildings on the territory or it is shaded by something (for example, other trees growing on the adjacent one), then it is advisable to place the seedlings so that most During the day they were illuminated by direct rays.

Preparation of "planting" holes

Since we are talking about the spring planting of tree seedlings, then it is necessary to prepare the place in advance, in the fall (although this is not necessary). In this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the soil. Depending on this, the sizes of the holes are selected. There are various recommendations. For example, if the soil is soft and fertile, then the side of the conventional “cube” of the hole is about 70 cm. On loams and sandstones it increases to 1 m.

You need to understand the meaning of landing. In black soil, the hole does not have to be wide and deep. The roots of the plant will “find their way” themselves, and the soil is already a nutrient medium. If the soil is “depleted,” then enriched soil will have to be poured into the hole, so its dimensions should be larger.

During the work process, the earth is “stored”, for which upper layer The excavated soil (fertile) is placed separately from the “internal” soil, since the latter will have to be “fed” (mixed with compost, humus).

A separate conversation concerns areas where underground layers of water come close to the surface (read about). The plant should not be buried on them, otherwise there is a risk of root rotting. In such cases, compost is used, a mixture of soil with peat or black soil, which is poured in a heap.

The bottom of the hole “softens”. To do this, it is dug up with a shovel at least half the length of the bayonet.

Preparing pegs and seedlings

They will definitely be needed for gartering young animals. The wood is dried and processed; at least that part of it that will be immersed in the ground. To prevent such a support from rotting ahead of time, you can dip it in liquid tar, burn it, tar it - there are enough options for protecting it from liquid.

Each of the trees must be carefully examined, especially the roots. Dried shoots are immediately removed, after which the root system is immersed in warm water for a day.

Planting a seedling

First, a support is installed at the bottom of the hole, after which water is poured. After it is absorbed into the soil, a mixture of earth with humus or something else (this has already been said) is poured in with the expectation that a tubercle will form. The seedling (with straightened roots) is placed on this mound, its base is sprinkled and lightly pressed, after which it is spilled with water. This work is carried out in several stages: a layer of soil - light compaction - watering.

It is necessary to take into account that the root collar should be flush with the surface after the soil “subsides”. Therefore, when installing a plant in a hole, it rises above the ground by about 50 mm.

After planting is completed, the hole around the perimeter is surrounded by a bank of earth so that the sides of such a unique bowl are formed. In this case, during subsequent waterings, water will not spread over the area.

Mulching

The roots of a young plant are very delicate, so they should be protected even after they are covered with soil. It is for this purpose that it is poured around the tree. protective layer. Its task is to prevent overheating of the soil in this place. You can use whatever is at hand - crushed wood or bark (sawdust, shavings), dry pine needles, humus from.

Further care

After a day or two, you need to add a mixture of humus and soil under the tree and shorten the support if it is too long. Finally, tie the trunk to it.

Well, how exactly to care for the “young animals” during the growth process is a topic for a separate discussion. For example, how to protect young leaves from burns, with what intensity to water and fertilize, and so on.

So let's recap everyone important points things to consider when planting:

Time

Anyone, even someone who is not a specialist in the field of plant growing, has heard about the so-called “lunar cycles”. Every year special calendars go on sale, aimed primarily at people who are involved in one way or another in caring for plantings, be it beds on the site or house flowers on the windowsill.

They have everything necessary information (lunar days, phases, zodiac signs in which this moment is the “heavenly Goddess”) and planting recommendations various types plants depending on these factors. Similar information can be found in almost any “tear-off” calendar.

It is not worth working with seedlings on any free day. The correct choice of planting time will determine how the seedling will “take root” and develop, and what kind of harvest can subsequently be expected. These rules should not be neglected, especially since these are laws of nature, and all of them have been tested many times in practice. For example, trees It is best to plant in the ground before the full moon. Anyone who really wants his work to have the desired effect needs to be guided by data from the lunar calendar.

But that is not all. For example, several days a month are suitable for planting seedlings. Which to choose? Here you should also ask about the weather forecast or just look out the window (if the event is planned for today). The most better weather– windless, moreover, when the sky is “covered” by clouds. Seedlings (especially the root system) are easily exposed to external influences (scorching rays, gusts of wind), and this must be taken into account.

There is one more rule. You need to “pick it up” so that the shoots have not yet started to grow, but the soil has already thawed. At this time, if all the above conditions coincide, you can begin planting.

Features of the seedling

Any plant, regardless of type and variety, develops unevenly. Even the smallest branches that “looked” to the south will look stronger, therefore, the future crown will become asymmetrical. To avoid this, when planting “young trees”, you need to make sure that the stronger ones are oriented towards the north side of the site, and the “short” ones – towards the south.

Purchase of seedlings

To ensure that the tree will develop well and bear fruit, you need to pay attention to the following points:

“young trees” must be adapted to local conditions, so you should not buy imported trees;
The best age for a seedling is considered to be 2 years;
you should carefully inspect the barrel. It shouldn't have mechanical damage, burns, signs of disease;
the root system has 4–5 branches, no less. Their optimal length is about 25 cm. If they look shrunken and break easily, then you should refuse the purchase.

Every year gardeners ask themselves: when is the best time to plant fruit trees and berry bushes , autumn or spring. Each season has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Let's take a closer look why is it better to plant trees in autumn when and how to plant on your summer cottage.

Each plant has its own favorable time for transplantation and planting in a new place.

Let's figure it out what fruit trees can be planted in autumn and why.

When all the harvest has been harvested from the garden bed, it’s time to start planting seedlings. This is an important time, the main thing is to plant the plants on time.

The main advantage of autumn planting is the reasonable price of seedlings. It is more profitable to buy seedlings in autumn: big choice freshly dug seedlings, affordable price, quality material easy to distinguish.

Plants are often sold with leftover leaves, fresh roots (which indicate healthy plant). In the fall, some gardeners, along with seedlings, often display the fruits inherent in this variety, which is very important for buyers.

Planting in the fall requires a minimum of care for seedlings at their summer cottage. Sometimes one watering is enough, then autumn weather and rains will create favorable conditions for seedlings.

The root system continues to grow, despite the fact that a dormant period has begun. Root growth continues until the soil temperature drops to +4 degrees.

The main thing is to plant seedlings in time so that young roots have time to form before the onset of winter. persistent frosts. These new roots will begin to grow with the onset of spring, even 2-3 weeks earlier than the seedlings planted in the spring.

A significant plus of autumn planting of trees and shrubs in autumn– lack of other work in the garden and in the garden; in the spring there will be a lot of them.

In regions with warm winters It is better to plant in the fall, the ground does not freeze to the depth of the roots, young trees are not in danger of freezing and hypothermia.

Disadvantages of autumn planting

Ice, strong wind, snowfall and other weather conditions can break young seedlings.

Main disadvantages:
-- very coldy can cause damage to fragile trees.
-- rodents can damage seedlings in late autumn and winter.
-- young seedlings can simply be stolen while you are away from the dacha.

Video - Compatibility of fruit trees

Which trees and shrubs take root well when planted in the fall?

From fruit trees we can distinguish winter-hardy varieties of pears and apple trees.

Also take root well:

Chokeberry, currant, raspberry, gooseberry, honeysuckle, walnut, chestnut, birch, coniferous trees.

Avoid planting non-winter-hardy varieties of trees and shrubs.

Apple trees, pears, apricots, plums, peaches, cherries, cherries, almonds.

Do not plant seedlings in southern regions, which were grown in the northern regions, they will not tolerate frosts that are not typical of their homeland.

The optimal period for planting trees and shrubs is the end of September and all of October. In warm weather it can last until mid-November (southern regions).

Every year the weather is changeable and planting dates in autumn depend largely on weather conditions.

Important to remember: The guideline for planting and transplanting seedlings is the dormant period of plants, which begins after the end of leaf fall.

Video - When is the best time to plant seedlings of fruit and berry trees?

It happens that it was not possible to plant in the fall. Do you still have seedlings or purchased seedlings that are not suitable for autumn planting - what to do in this case?

Store in cool and damp room(basement).
- Digging into the ground.
- Snowmaking

Digging into the ground - Properly buried trees will be well preserved and will survive the winter. Dig a ditch 30-40 cm deep and wide in the direction from west to east. The northern side of the groove is vertical, and the southern side is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Place the seedlings at a distance of 15-25 cm from each other, the roots are directed to the north, and the crown to the south. Fill the ditch with soil, stamp it down and pour plenty of water. Before frost, sprinkle with dry soil, sawdust or fallen leaves.

Snowmaking – seedlings are stored outside. Well-packed young trees overwinter under a sufficient layer of snow, which does not allow the temperature to drop for normal plant storage.

Basement storage

At low temperatures basements from 0 to 10 degrees, seedlings are stored well until spring if well-moistened roots are dipped in sand, peat or sawdust. Relative humidity in the basement it should be 87-90%. When stored in the basement, seedlings must be watered once every 10 days.

Video - How to preserve seedlings until spring

When purchasing seedlings, pay attention to their external condition. Seedlings may have immature shoots if they were dug up before natural leaf fall.

Trees with numerous leaves may be unripe and overdried, since the main loss of moisture occurs through the leaves.

Fruit trees They are photophilous, so choose southern areas for planting seedlings. You can plant trees in stages - tall ones to the north, low-growing ones to the south, and there will be enough light for everyone.

Also take into account the distance to buildings and communications from trees; it should be at least 4.5 m. When planting, you must know the size of the crown and root system. The roots of mature trees can cause damage even to the foundation.

Combine trees on the site correctly: Cherries grow well next to apricots. The nut oppresses all the trees that grow next to it. Do not plant apple and peach trees together. For more information about the compatibility of fruit trees, see .

Planting seedlings is a very important and responsible stage in gardening.

After all, an incorrectly planted shrub or tree can take a long time to take root, not grow and bear fruit poorly.

Therefore, before planting young seedlings, you need to study and take into account many important nuances.

Seedlings for planting

Disembarkation time

Planting seedlings in the spring is most popular, as this gives the plants maximum time to take root and grow before the winter cold. But in principle, trees and shrubs can be replanted at any time during dormancy, that is, after shedding their leaves and before buds open. You can plant plants in autumn and even winter, last option is the most gentle for the root system, but difficult for the gardener himself, so this type of planting is best left to specialists.

Thus, most crops are best replanted in the spring, after the soil has thawed and before buds open, allowing the plant to become established more easily. Let us next consider how to select planting materials. Only healthy and healthy people can grow, bloom and bear fruit well. good seedlings. Therefore, when choosing them you need to be very careful. It is better to buy seedlings from specialized nurseries in your native region so that the plants are well acclimatized to the local climate. The seedlings themselves must be strong, healthy, without traces of diseases and pests.

Time for planting seedlings

Fruit tree seedlings must have strong roots, a trunk more than 2 centimeters thick and three or more skeletal branches at least 45 cm long. It is also important to inspect the trunk and bark for mechanical damage, rot, stains, and color changes. For rose seedlings, in addition to healthy stems without a trace of aphids or other diseases, you need Special attention pay attention to root system, it must be strong and developed. If the plant is in a container, then the roots should sit firmly in an earthen coma, and when the rhizome is open, it should not dry out. The roots of the seedlings should be healthy, without signs of rot, and white when cut.

Seedling storage

Often young plants are purchased in advance, when it is too early to plant. And in this case, the seedlings must be protected from drying out during this time by wrapping the rhizomes with damp rags and placing them in a cool place, preventing the roots from drying out. When transporting seedlings, it is advisable to wrap the roots and tender branches soft cloth, and plants need to be transported inside a car or in a trailer, covering them with a thick tarpaulin.

Seedling storage

For quick rooting and good growth seedlings need to be prepared for planting. To do this, the roots are trimmed to healthy tissue, and dried and too thin roots are completely removed. Also, a few hours before planting, the root system of seedlings should be watered abundantly if the crop is growing in a container or immersed in water with the rhizome open. This will moisturize the roots and improve survival rate. Seedlings from containers are planted together with the mother earthen ball. Some ornamental shrubs and trees require significant pre-planting pruning of shoots.

Planting fruit tree seedlings

To young plant grew well, you need not only to choose the right time for planting, but also to choose the right place for it. For example, planting apple tree seedlings is not recommended in areas with a level groundwater above 1 meter, in these cases it is necessary to plant seedlings on specially raised areas. It is also not recommended to plant fruit trees, especially apple trees, in areas where similar crops previously grew, since the soil retains pathogenic bacteria.

Let's consider the main stages of planting fruit tree seedlings:

For planting, planting holes are first prepared. Most trees require round holes with steep walls about 80 centimeters deep and a meter in diameter. Planting of apple and pear seedlings should be carried out in holes with a diameter of 125 centimeters, for cherries - 90-100, for cherries and plums - 80.

In the process of digging a hole, the top layer of soil must be set aside by one bayonet; it will then be needed to fill the hole as it is the most fertile. The dug hole is sprinkled with this topsoil mixed with long-soluble fertilizers, this can be wood ash, potassium sulfate, manure, compost, superphosphate.

The rest of the extracted soil is mixed with sand, turf and peat and used for further backfill. Features of fertilizing soil for planting are described in the video.
It is easier to plant a tree with two people: one holds the seedling, and the other sprinkles the roots with soil.
A properly prepared seedling is lowered into the planting hole, the roots are carefully straightened, making sure that the central root is placed vertically.
Next, the entire space between the roots is filled with soil, and the earth is thoroughly compacted.
Most fruit trees need to be deepened into the ground so that the root collar is 6-7 centimeters above the surface.

Stages of planting seedlings

In addition, this form will protect the tree from stagnation of water and rotting.
It is advisable to make a roller around the trunk so that when watering, the water lingers briefly in the hole and is completely absorbed by the root system. Features of planting fruit trees are described in the video.

After planting, the tree must be carefully watered from a watering can at the rate of 2-3 buckets per seedling. Next, the plant is tied to a support peg using soft material.

Planting grape and rose seedlings

It is best to plant grapes in the spring, but sometimes they also autumn planting. For good development, it is very important to properly prepare the planting hole. Some experts recommend digging holes a meter in diameter, while others believe that 50-60 centimeters will be enough. A large hole depth, at least 60 cm, is necessary to ensure that the roots do not suffer from frost; this aspect should be especially taken into account by residents of cool climates. In addition, deep holes allow the plant to take root well and begin to bear fruit faster. Grape seedlings should be planted in sunny places, holes should be dug in advance, and when planting in spring, in the fall, so that it has time to settle.

Features of planting seedlings

Let's look at how to plant grape seedlings:

We dig a 50 cm hole.
Next, the holes are filled with a 10-centimeter layer of crushed stone for drainage, and the trim is inserted vertically into it plastic pipe with a diameter of 4-5 cm, its upper edge should be 10-15 cm above the soil surface. The features of creating holes for grapes are described in the video.
Before planting, the grape seedling needs to be dipped with its roots into a clay “matter” to maintain moisture, placed in a hole, straightened out the roots and turned so that its buds are directed in the north direction, and the root heel is in the south, as shown in the video.
Next, black soil (10-15 cm), manure, fertilizers and soil are poured into the hole, these layers must be alternated until the hole is filled, then the soil is compacted so that after shrinkage the roots are not injured.
After this, a small mound is poured around the trunk, and the seedling is watered abundantly. The video will help you learn more about the features of planting grapes.

Due to the whimsical nature of roses, for the health of the bush and lush long-term flowering, you need to carefully choose a place for planting. It should be a sunny place, protected from wind and drafts. Areas with close groundwater are also not suitable. You also need to remove the rose bed from the garden as much as possible and vegetable crops, since they are a constant source of diseases and pests harmful to roses. You cannot plant rose seedlings in places where these shrubs grew previously, since pests and pathogens long time are stored in the soil, but there is a way out - this is changing the 60-centimeter layer of soil to new and fertile soil.

Planting bush seedlings

Now let’s look at the stages of planting rose seedlings:

To plant roses you need to dig holes with a diameter of about 50 centimeters, different varieties require various technologies landings.
The distance between the bushes also differs; it must be calculated depending on the characteristics of the variety, the height and spread of the bush and its climbing habit.
Planting holes need to be fertilized, but clean ones are not suitable for roses. organic fertilizers, it is better to use ash, which, in addition to increasing soil fertility, also disinfects it and repels pests. You can also use humus to fertilize the soil for planting roses, which is mixed with soil in equal quantities. The video will help you understand the features of the fertilizer landing pit before planting roses.
During the planting process, a small mound is poured onto the bottom of the hole, a seedling is placed on it, the roots are carefully straightened and carefully sprinkled with prepared soil, avoiding air gaps and cavities.
Next, the earth is compacted, and each seedling is carefully watered at the root. The video will help you learn more about the process of planting rose seedlings.

Planting shrubs

Shrubs are planted in the same way as other crops. For example, planting currant seedlings is carried out in holes prepared several weeks in diameter with a diameter of 50-60 centimeters and a depth of 40 cm, as in the video. They are covered 2/3 with fertile soil, then compost, superphosphates and ash are added. It is best to plant shrubs, including currants, in the fall, but no later than two weeks before frost, so that the bushes have time to take root.

The cool period gives plants time to recover, heal wounds and become stronger. The seedlings are placed in holes vertically or at an angle of 45 degrees, the roots are straightened and sprinkled with soil. The currants need to be deepened 7 cm below the root collar, as in the video. After planting, the seedlings need to be watered generously at the root.

Correct and high-quality planting is the key to a long and fruitful life of fruit trees, berries and decorative bushes. Exactly from the right choice landing sites, high-quality planting pit, good fertilizer and proper immersion of the seedling depends on the rapid survival, rooting and further growth of the young plant.

Most owners of country houses, gardens and plots buy seedlings at the market, where the seller can immediately give a lot of advice on their correct landing. Often, sellers are well versed in this matter, but there are often cases when the seller is just hired by a gardening farm to sell seedlings, and in this case they write recommendations for him, which he learns by heart and tells you whether it is correct or not.

Okay, if you have your own personal experience in planting and laying out a garden and growing this tree, and if not, and the recommendations turn out to be incorrect, then goodbye to the young fruit tree - at best it will not bear fruit for a very long time, at worst it will die before our eyes , right after landing.

Therefore, it is always important to know what, when and how to plant correctly - a fruit tree, especially a young one, a seedling is not a field for experimentation - believe me.

So, how to plant a tree in the garden.

First, let's look at the very structure of a young fruit tree - the seedling in photo 1.

Rice. 1 Structure of a seedling

As many people know, its roots are separated from the trunk by a root collar.

Before planting a seedling, be sure to make sure that you have found the root collar (usually this is the location where the first large root of the root system branches off).

This is important because the graft can be done either into the trunk of the rootstock (the so-called grafting on standard), but it can also be done in the root collar - therefore, when planting a seedling, you cannot be guided by grafting - it would be more accurate to rely on the root collar.

Landing site - preparation

To plant a seedling, dig a hole approximately 80 centimeters in diameter and a little less than a meter deep (80-90 centimeters in Figure 2).

Now it is important to fill it, for which you take manure (be sure to be completely rotted) and peat (two garden carts each), as well as complex fertilizers and sand.

At the same stage of planting a young tree, you can drive a stake into the bottom of the hole, to which you will later tie the seedling so that it grows straight.

It is better to fill the hole for the seedling in layers - soil, humus, peat and mineral fertilizers, then mix, and repeat again in the same order. Fill the planting hole until a small mound about 20 centimeters in height appears around the seedling above the ground. This mound subsequently compensates for the shrinkage of the soil around the seedling, so it should be about 7-10% of the depth (this is approximately how much the backfill soil mixture settles).

If you fill the planting hole flush with the soil, the soil will settle even after the first rain around young seedling there will be a puddle, which means it will begin to rot (not necessarily, but this is quite possible, at least the risk of bark rotting in rainy weather is very high).

However, it is also impossible to avoid moisture completely and the fight against it must be reasonable, so make a kind of border around the seedling that will allow the water to be absorbed into the depths and not spread over the area. (Figure 2).

Rice. 2 Preparation of the planting pit

Rice. 3 Correct and incorrect filling of the pit

a) soil shrinkage when filling the hole correctly

b) soil shrinkage due to improper filling of the pit

Proper planting of seedlings (Photo 5)

Now let's start planting the seedling. To do this, we make a depression along the top of the poured mound, which should be slightly larger in size than the size of the roots of the seedling.

Now carefully straighten all the roots, spread them out to the sides and in depth as evenly as possible, and sprinkle them with soil, taking into account that the root collar rises 6-7 centimeters above the ground.

Before watering the seedling, you need to compact the soil, this can be done with your foot - in photo 4 you can see that in this case the toe of the shoe should be positioned towards the seedling.

You don’t need to tie the seedling to the stake tightly, using a figure of eight - the task of the rope or twine is not to pull the tree seedling as tightly as possible to the stake, but only to hold it in vertical position so that it grows straight.

Some gardeners believe that if the upper roots of a seedling are visible during planting, then this is not a problem and they will still be pulled into the depths a few days after the start of growth, but I try to cover them completely - after all, the young seedling is still very tender and weak.

Rice. 4 Trampling the soil around the seedling

Rice. 5 Planting a seedling on a hill

How to water a seedling

Water a freshly planted tree with four buckets of water (by volume). This can be done with a garden watering can and hose. In most cases, I don’t water from water, but before planting I try to heat the water in the sun or take it from a garden barrel, maybe a rain barrel.

Still, the water from the well is cold.

Water slowly - allowing the water to go deep into the roots, making sure that the mound around the seedling is not washed away.

If seedlings are planted in spring, then you need to water it once every 7-10 days until autumn; if the summer is not rainy, then even more often, the young tree does not have enough ground moisture.

If planting in autumn, you can water less often.

Seedling pruning

The tops of seedlings can often dry out by 6-7 centimeters, because the tree is still young and the growth may simply not have time to form by winter. This is especially common in those seedlings that were planted in the fall.

Therefore, the top of autumn seedlings can be cut off to the very border with mature wood (the dense lignification of the shoot is usually clearly visible - the bark there is glossy, but in the immature part the bark is pubescent, the internodes are located very close to each other).

If this cannot be determined by the color of the bark or leaves, then you can simply trim the seedling to the top 2-3 buds after planting - this will be enough. At the same time, trim the side branches so that they do not grow ahead of the central trunk in height.

If a seedling is planted too deep, can it be replanted?

Most often, seedlings die in winter - there are many factors for death - and poor winter hardiness (it happens that our brother the summer resident is deceived, in fact, we are buying a pig in a poke). Second no less common reason- improper planting of seedlings.

If the root collar was deeply buried and hidden by the ground, the tree, instead of immediately entering active growth and vegetation, which will allow it to easily endure the winter, it will take a long time to settle into a new place, or, as they say, “grow.” Also, as a result of the deepening of the root collar, the tree may not begin to produce crops for a very long time.

In this case, you will need to carefully dig up the seedling, rake away the soil and find the root collar. If it is below ground level, then the seedling or young tree It will be necessary to dig deeper (without damaging the root system) and, together with the earthen ball, raise it to the required height. As a rule, after such a procedure, the tree begins to bear fruit in due time.

Advice for summer residents and gardeners

Even seedlings of winter-hardy fruit varieties, if grown in southern nurseries, are poorly adapted to the climate middle zone. So choose to buy planting material nurseries located near your site. Try to buy seedlings from the manufacturer, and not from a reseller.

Experts' comments:

Amateur gardeners ask themselves many questions: “ When to plant? How to plant?" Gardeners come up with all sorts of things, for example, they put rusty iron, stones, branches, etc. in the hole; with such planting, the tree grows poorly and as a result dies.

Almost all literature on gardening recommends planting fruit trees in the spring, because in the fall they do not have time to take root, and it is recommended to simply bury them until spring. I had the sad experience of planting fruit trees in the spring, as many horticultural scientists recommend, namely planting apple trees in holes prepared in the fall. At first the plants grew and developed well; as soon as the time for flowering came, they bloomed, and then the flowers and ovaries dropped and dried up.

After that, I only started planting fruit trees in the fall, and they grow very well. Look what happens in nature in the fall: trees sow themselves, drop bones, seeds, etc. on the ground.

And I do this. I plant purchased fruit tree seedlings only in the fall. I prepare a hole depending on the size of the root system; if it’s large, I make a hole 60x60 cm; if it’s small, it’s smaller. I put 2-3 buckets of rotted manure in the holes, mix it with soil, you can replace the manure with mature compost, add 4-5 cups wood ash and 1.5 - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Before planting, I soak the roots in clay mash for a day, because almost all the seedlings have a dried out root system, and then I plant them. We plant a seedling together. I place the seedling in the center, hammer a stake near it, and tie the seedling to it. We throw soil over the roots. I shake the plant so as not to deepen the root collar, then compact the soil with my feet along a radius from the trunk. The root collar should be 5-6 cm above the soil. Then I sprinkle mounds of earth onto the trunk, which I raking from the trunk to the edges, to form a round earthen roller. I pour 1.5-2 buckets of water to the trunk (see picture). I water to supply moisture to the roots and to better contact them with the soil. The next day I correct and fill up the sagging soil, then mulch with compost.

Trees planted in autumn take root well before spring, since they grow even when the above-ground part is resting. When cold weather sets in, I mulch around the trunk with compost and dry leaves in a 20 cm layer, and aboveground part I wrap the trees in burlap.

How to properly transplant a tree seedling

Sometimes only after some time it becomes obvious that the place on the site for the tree was chosen poorly. Don't grab the saw! Plants that were planted no more than 5 years ago, as a rule, can still be replanted (ideally in October and April in dry weather).

To prevent the tree (in our case, hawthorn (Crataegus) "Carrierei") from losing too many young roots, it must be relocated along with the earthen clod.

First (2) use a shovel to form a hemisphere top part earthen coma, removing the earth in layers, starting from the trunk. Then (3), cutting off the side roots, separate the lump.

(4) Pry it up with a shovel, cutting off the roots going deep into the ground. (5) Carefully trim all protruding roots with pruning shears. If some roots are not completely cut off, the 6th root will begin to crack and may even fall apart. To prevent this from happening, be sure to complete the work and only then remove the tree. After this (7) place it on a piece of burlap and (8) tie the ends of the fabric. To be secure, tie the ball (9) with another piece of burlap.

Then (10) shorten the branches to reduce the diameter of the crown, then the plant will need less nutrients and water (in this case the chances of good rooting in a new place will increase). Move the tree to a new location and plant it at the same depth as before transplanting.

You don’t have to remove the burlap, just untie the knots. Fill the planting hole with soil and water the plant thoroughly.

Preparing a planting hole for planting a seedling

No one will argue that when planting seedlings, the planting hole must be filled with fertile soil. But where can I get it? Yes, of course, if you decided to plant your garden at once and at the same time were going to plant, say, a dozen fruit trees, then the total volume of required fertile soil will be several cubic meters. In this case best option- bring the land to the site by car. What if there is only one landing hole? Where to get soil from? Cut from the beds? You can, of course, do this. But who will benefit from this? That's a lot of garden beds to cut! And is that really what you worked for, laboring over your garden and carefully planning your plantings? It’s really true: we treat one thing, we cripple another.

Some people will tell me that you can buy land in a store. Okay, but let's do the math first. The volume of a typical planting hole measuring 80x80x80 cm is about 500 liters (half a cube). In other words, you will need 10 fifty-liter pound bags, the retail price of which is 200 rubles and above. It turns out that the total cost of this pleasure will be 2000 rubles. Yes, it turns out to be cumbersome.

That’s why I’ve been using it during landing for several years now. fruit seedlings a technology that allows several times to reduce the cost of purchasing soil and at the same time significantly increase the fertility of the soil in the pit. The technology is based on the use of green manure.

I dig a landing pit of the dimensions indicated above. I try to make the walls somewhat inclined (wait and accuse me of excessive luxury, you will see later why this is necessary). In this case, I put the surface layer of soil with turf in a separate place, and store the rest of the soil next to the dug hole.

If I plan to use seedlings with an open root system (their sale usually ends in June-July), then I prepare the hole as early as the thawed soil allows.

And if the seedlings are with closed roots, then you can start preparing the hole until the beginning of August, but not later, otherwise you may not have time to prepare everything for planting. The fact is that the duration of pit preparation using my technology is two and a half, or even three months.

Slowly but surely

I purchase green manure grass seeds in advance at the rate of one packet for each hole. I mainly use lupine and vetch-oat mixture, but I think other green manures are also possible. More package required complex fertilizer, for example, azofoski (70-80 rubles), and a package of 40-50 kg of peat soil (about 150 rubles). Total expenses for 320-330 rubles.

When the hole is dug, I pour a handful of green manure seeds into the bottom of it and embed it in the ground. Using a cultivator or rake, I try to plant seeds on the side walls of the hole - it is for the convenience of this operation that I make them inclined. Then I water it with a solution of complex fertilizer and wait two weeks.

During this time, green manure produces abundant shoots, first at the bottom and then on the walls of the pit (photos 1 and 2). Then I cut off the fresh growth only at the bottom with a sharp hoe, sprinkle it with a layer of excavated soil (12-15 cm, primarily with turf, lay

digging it up with its roots) and planting green manure seeds again. I compact the poured soil. I don’t touch the growth on the walls. I water it again with a fertilizer solution.

At this stage, I install a planting stake, which I make from two connected U-shaped galvanized profiles 1.5 m long. It turns out square pipe, in the lower part I drill a dozen holes for water outlet. This design makes it possible to subsequently deliver water and fertilizer solutions directly to the root layer, leaving surface weeds without nutrition.

So, after two weeks I repeat all the steps, adding a small amount of peat-sand mixture and wood ash to the soil removed from the hole to improve the soil structure. Lime if necessary. I repeat the procedure 4-6 times.