No matter how much they say and write, warning about the mistakes of novice gardeners, some omissions still happen. Apparently, the proverb is appropriate here: “He who does nothing makes no mistakes.” As a result, individual trees may still end up deeply planted, that is, with the root collar immersed in the ground. Such trees need to be raised. To do this in the spring, dig a small trench of the same depth around the tree at a distance of 40 cm from the trunk and carefully lift it on both sides with shovels located under the plant. Add soil under the raised plant so that your seedling is at the desired height.
If you find a tree planted too high, add enough soil so that the root collar and roots are not exposed. It happens to see a tree that is strongly tilted. In this case, you will carefully straighten it, giving it a vertical position with the help of a rope tied to a stake firmly driven into the ground.
At the beginning of life, the roots of a fruit tree extend no further than the trunk circle. Then this circle expands annually by about 60-70 cm. In the second year, the width of the trunk circle must be increased to 2 m. Then it is increased annually by at least half a meter.
Since in young gardens trees in the first years do not fully use the area allotted to them, it is necessary to plant vegetables and potatoes in the spaces between the rows. The row spacing of apple trees can be used for about 15 years, and the row spacing of, say, cherries and plums - half as long. A wide variety of crops are planted, such as cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, carrots, parsley, rutabaga, onions and turnips. Peas, beans and beans are especially useful. Being leguminous plants, they enrich the soil with nitrogen.
About two misses. In the inter-row spaces you can also plant strawberries for 4-5 years, currants and gooseberries for 12-15 years. Under no circumstances should you occupy the inter-row spaces with grains and corn. This will harm fruit crops. Do not make another mistake, which, unfortunately, does occur - do not occupy tree trunk circles for any crops.
Processing tree trunk circles
As already mentioned, the tree trunk circles gradually expand, reaching 3 or more meters in the tenth year. Keep the soil on the tree trunks clean and loose. In the fall, you need to dig up the ground. On the trunk circles of apple and pear trees it is deeper (up to 18-20 cm), and on the trunk circles of cherries and plums it is shallower (up to 15 cm), since the roots of stone fruit trees are located close to the surface. Dig the soil like this. First, at a distance from the tree, deeper, and as you move towards the trunk - very shallow. To avoid cutting the roots, keep the shovel with its edge facing the tree. The best way to dig is with a garden fork.
Early in the spring, as soon as the opportunity arises, again, only smaller, dig up the soil that has compacted over the winter or loosen it with a hoe to a depth of 6-8 cm. From spring to the first half of summer, carry out this treatment (in the central region of the Non-Black Earth Strip) 3-4 times.
It is very useful, especially in dry years, to mulch the soil between the rows, that is, cover it with humus, peat, straw manure, rotten straw, in a small layer of 5-8 cm. Just don’t put the mulch directly to the trunk, step back 10 cm. Here it is necessary to protect gardeners from two common mistakes. The first is the use of fallen leaves for mulching. You can't do this. The second mistake is using dark synthetic film as mulch. We believe that this is also not worth doing, since it creates too much favorable conditions for rodents that cause great damage to trees. Mulch the soil in the spring, immediately after the first loosening. If you are dealing with straw, then you need to lightly cover it with earth so that the wind does not blow it away. Mulched tree trunk circles are not loosened, but weeds are only regularly removed from them. In the fall, during the main digging, manure and peat are incorporated into the soil as fertilizer, and it is better to put straw and other dry materials in compost heap.
Watering
In the first years after planting, fruit trees need watering. Even short dry periods can be detrimental to young trees. In Moscow and nearby regions they water three to four times. It should be watered abundantly. To do this, you need to pour 2-3 buckets of water under one planted tree. For older trees the rate increases. On average, it is necessary to pour 1-2 buckets per 1 m2 of tree trunk circle.
The main amount of water should get under the very crown of the tree. To do this, it is recommended to make compacted ridges of soil along the borders of the crown. After watering, it is advisable to loosen the soil.
Fertilizer
In order for fruit trees to grow and develop well, and then bear fruit, you need to regularly apply fertilizer.
It is best to fertilize the garden with manure, compost, peat and peat feces. These organic fertilizers along with the fact that they give plants the necessary nutrients, they also restore and improve the structure of the soil, which is destroyed during its cultivation.
It is better to apply manure in the fall at the rate of a bucket per 1 m2 of tree trunk circle. This is perhaps the best way to fertilize the soil. But gardeners everywhere experience difficulties in purchasing manure, and therefore it would be a mistake to rely only on this type of organic fertilizer.
Still, more experienced gardeners find a way out. They prepare compost on their plot, which helps good action on fruit trees. To prepare compost, wood leaves, potato and vegetable tops, weeds, strawberry leaves and tendrils removed during processing, rotten straw and chaff, house waste and kitchen waste are used.
The compost heap is placed on a cleared area approximately 1.5-2 m wide at the base at the bottom, 1-1.5 m high and of arbitrary length. The planting is carried out from early spring, when the first material appears in the form of old leaves from the strawberry bed, and ending in late autumn, when cabbage leaves are placed in the compost. In order for compost to rot, you need to periodically water it with water, or even better with slop or slurry. Add ash or lime to the pile. It would be good to shovel the compost heap to the very bottom twice a summer. By shoveling we speed up the decomposition of waste. Compost is ready after 2 years. Most often, gardeners lay not one, but two heaps. Then they have usable, well-decomposed compost year after year.
In garden plots, it happens that feces are used as fertilizer. They are best used in the form of peat feces, that is, peat mixed and aged for 2 years with feces. Peat feces can be prepared separately by spreading fine peat in a layer of 15-20 cm and generously watering it with liquid feces. It is easier to prepare peat feces directly in the latrine, periodically pouring portions of fine, well-decomposed peat into it. Then the toilet is cleaned and the resulting mixture is placed nearby in a pile, which is left to decompose for 2 years.
Bird droppings can also be used to fertilize the garden, especially since local poultry farms now widely offer it. In addition, many gardeners, not to mention villagers permanently living in villages, keep poultry in their backyards.
Dry bird droppings should be added at the rate of 120-150 g per 1 m 2 of tree trunk circle.
Excellent fertilizer - stove wood ash, which contains potassium, phosphorus and lime. Ash is consumed approximately one glass (120 g) per 1 m2.
Very useful for fruit trees mineral fertilizers. Of the main fertilizers, the most common are ammonium nitrate (nitrogen), superphosphate (phosphorus) and potassium chloride (potassium).
Fertilizer doses vary and depend mainly on the age of the trees. Below we present the average rates of fertilization in tree trunk circles per tree (established by scientists and practice).
Note to gardeners: 120-125 g of ash is placed in one glass, ammonium nitrate- 200 g, superphosphate - 150 g and potassium salt - 250 g.
Potassium and phosphate fertilizers apply in the fall, before deep digging, and nitrogen in the spring, during the first loosening. When applying mineral and organic fertilizers (manure, compost, feces) together, their application doses are reduced by half compared to those given above.
Not everyone who has been gardening for more than a year knows that caution must be exercised when mixing mineral fertilizers; For example, you cannot mix them with nitrogen fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate can be mixed with superphosphate, but shortly before adding them to the soil. Do not mix superphosphate with lime. Any mixing with potassium chloride is permissible only before application.
Fertilizing fruit trees is very effective. Use solutions of bird droppings and mullein, feces, slurry and urine first. Animal manure and urine for liquid fertilizer dilute with 4-5 parts water, and bird droppings and feces - 10 parts.
Mineral fertilizers are also suitable for feeding. If the weather is dry, then before applying fertilizer, water the tree trunk circles with water.
How much should I deposit? Divide the norms that were previously named by the number of feedings, say, into shares. Give the first feeding in the spring, when the buds are just opening, the second - 20 days after the first, and the third - three weeks after the second.
A big mistake is made by those gardeners who, having properly treated the fruit trees at the beginning of spring, believe that then little, “cosmetic” care for the apple tree is required.
In fact, all summer you need to not only keep the soil under the crowns free of weeds, but also take measures to prevent pests and diseases from entering the garden, and also supply fruit trees with nutrients in a timely manner and in the proper quantity and quality. To do this, you should regularly feed the plants with mineral and, if possible, organic fertilizers. Fruit buds of apple trees begin to form at the end of July - beginning of August, that is, the gardener should already be preparing the base for next year's harvest at this time.
You need to fertilize your garden regularly. True, in the first year you can limit yourself to mulching alone. In other years, it is advisable to apply mineral fertilizers at least once every two years.
If your soil analysis shows that your soil is acidic, add lime. It needs to be applied once every 7 years, scattering 0.5 kg per 1 m 2 of tree trunk circle. Apply lime only in the fall.
Pruning young trees
Their productivity and longevity largely depend on how you carry out the formation of fruit trees. Crown formation is achieved by creating a strong tree skeleton, a strong trunk (trunk) and well-developed, correctly, evenly spaced and tightly connected main branches to the trunk.
If you planted a one-year-old apple or pear seedling, it needs to be shortened. Such pruning will stimulate the growth of lateral buds and the appearance of strong branches, from which the skeleton of the tree will subsequently be formed. Annual plum and cherry trees usually have a well-developed crown and therefore do not need pruning.
If you planted two-year-old apple and pear seedlings on seed rootstocks, then do light pruning in the first year. Remove dry, broken branches. If there are more than six branches in the crown and they are well developed, then move the extra ones to a horizontal position. Do this by tying it up or hanging a small weight on the 7th, 8th, etc. branches, and then it will take a drooping position. In subsequent years, this will contribute to the formation of buds on these branches, and, consequently, fruits.
They deal with seedlings somewhat differently dwarf rootstocks. If they have a well developed root system, then after planting, make emerging pruning, in which the conductor should be 18-20 cm above the side branches. At the same time, move all branches that will not be used as future skeletal ones to an inclined position.
It happens that a three-year-old or older seedling often has a crown that has died for various reasons, and a new strong shoot has appeared from the trunk. Then in the spring, cut off the entire dead crown and form a new one using the young shoot that has appeared.
For trees 3-5 years old, very little pruning and pruning is done. Do this only when you notice that you need to fill the skeletal branch more with overgrowing branches or change the direction of its growth. When strong annual branches are formed during this period, they are transferred, tied, to a horizontal position or simply intertwined with each other.
Pruning must be done so that the ends of the main skeletal branches are at the same level. The semi-skeletal ones in the middle of the crown need to be thinned out a little. In a word, the crown of the tree after your pruning should have open center where sunlight and air can easily penetrate. Over time, the harvest of fruits will ripen evenly throughout the tree, without creating unbearable weight on any branch. This, to put it briefly, is the essence of all pruning and shaping the crown of trees. To those gardeners who have not yet mastered the technique of this rather complex task, let us say: trim tree branches only when you clearly understand that this needs to be done. Without a justified need, do not pick up the pruning shears; allow the plant to grow and develop on its own in its natural form.
At the end of summer, every summer resident and gardener has a lot of work to do, because in addition to harvesting and preparing it, a lot more work will need to be done to own plot. This applies to flowers, shrubs and trees, tillage, fertilization, etc., but today we will look at only some of the ways to care for fruit trees in the garden in the fall and talk about how to prepare them for the colder season. So, autumn garden care is on website.
We all understand perfectly well that the end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a rather difficult period for every owner of their own plots. There will be simply a ton of work here, and it should be done very correctly in order to leave the garden strong and resilient in the winter, and to see it in good condition in the spring.
How to care for trees and bushes in autumn? (video)
Autumn care for garden trees
Tree pruning
Pruning is the most basic way to regulate yield. It can be carried out in spring and autumn, it all depends on the type of plant. Now that summer is coming to an end, get ready to quickly remove all weak and internal shoots, dried and broken branches from trees. They will be of no use next year; the most they can offer is a small, underdeveloped harvest that will not bring any joy.
Tree shaping
This procedure is not necessary for all trees. Carefully inspect the garden and make sure that the branches of each tree are growing correctly, forming the required crown. If this is not the case, and some branches reach strictly vertically towards the sun, they should be lowered a little and given a more horizontal direction. This can be done with the help of a tied load, just be extremely careful, not every branch can withstand a large load. In general, this should be done gradually; it is better to add weight every 5-7 days than to immediately thoughtlessly break off strong tree branches. You can also shape the crown using pruning shears. Here already apply pruning rules for yield so that the formation appearance did not affect the number of fruits expected next year.
Removing tops
If, after pruning the trees, warm weather decided to please us again before winter and made the plants come to life again, expect large quantity tops. In fact, they are not needed at all and should be removed. This can be done with pruning shears or simply by breaking it off with your hands. Try not to cause much harm to the trees, this may affect their wintering. After these operations, treat wounded vegetation with garden varnish (by the way, we recommend using it in every case that involves the removal of tree branches or shoots).
Bark protection
One of important points tree care is the maximum protection of their bark from external influence. In the spring we may discover vertical cracks in the cortex. They are quite deep and cause harm to plants. Cracks occur due to temperature changes that occur in winter. During the day the sun burns and strongly heats the bark, but at night it is affected by severe frost. Cracks can also occur in summer under the influence of the same sun, as well as strong winds and night cold. Plant pests also participate in the formation of cracks.
In order to avoid such injury to trees, they should be provided with proper care in the fall. The trunks are covered with whitewash and special protective fiber. It could even be a rag, the main thing is that the barrel is well protected from direct sun rays.
Also protect tree trunks from insects and rodents. This can be done with the help of special preparations, as well as a protective net, which is placed on the trunk of the plant and is guaranteed to prevent damage by rodents.
Autumn feeding with fertilizers
Feeding plants with fertilizers - important step, which should not be forgotten. It should definitely be carried out after harvesting, which draws a huge amount of juice and strength from the plant. Timely and correct feeding will increase immunity, and therefore the winter hardiness of trees.
In some of our articles we have already described various processes of feeding plants; there is material about enriching the earth with nutrients and autumn period. But we will repeat ourselves, very briefly.
You should not apply nitrogen fertilizers in warm weather, they can only cause harm. Also try not to fertilize the soil superficially; during this period, fertilizers may simply remain on the surface and not bring much results. Try to dilute fertilizers with water and water.
The application of biofertilizers is also required. It can be global, by scattering it over the surface of the earth and digging it up, but it can also be local, more effective. To do this, it is necessary to make several special wells at the boundaries of the tree crown and apply fertilizers to them.
Wells can be made using garden borer. The production technology is quite simple. Remove the layer of turfy soil with a shovel, drill a well about half a meter with a garden drill, apply fertilizer inside and be sure to cover it first removed layer land.
You can also fertilize the tree trunk circles with manure or compost. After laying the fertilizer, it should be covered with a layer of any mulch, even mowed grass.
How and what to fertilize fruit trees correctly (video)
Fruit tree care calendar for autumn
Experienced gardeners They use the advice of even more experienced people, as well as their own observations. They also often pay attention to special calendars, with the help of which their work can be efficiently systematized and scheduled for convenient deadlines. So, here is a short gardener’s calendar for the fall:
- September. In the first month of autumn, which is often not very different from summer, it is necessary to remove fishing belts from trees. Many simply burn them, but some, more economical gardeners, boil and process by special means from pests and preserves next year. This may bring you some cost savings. It is also necessary to remove from the garden all remaining and spoiled fruits on the ground. They can be taken to a landfill or used for household needs. It is also worth removing from the garden supports and special spacers from the forks, which prevented various damage to tree branches. They can also be burned to destroy pests, namely moth caterpillars, which often gather in them;
- October. In October, the plantings should be thoroughly checked for pest infestation. To do this, special census inspections of trees are carried out diagonally or block by block. At the same time, pruning and removal of shoots, tops and branches damaged by pests is carried out. The next step there is a garter of trunks with reeds, sunflower stems, or simply special protective nets from hares and other rodents;
- November. Collect fallen and cut branches and leaves into one large pile and burn. The fire will kill many pests, which could simply overwinter in a heap of leaves and again settle on fruit trees in the spring. You should also dig up the soil around the trees. You shouldn’t go deeper than 10 cm near the trunk, you can damage the roots, but after a meter and a half you can already work in full force. When digging, apply fertilizers - superphosphate - 100 g per tree, potassium and nitrogen (optional) - 50 g per tree and, of course, organic fertilizers, 300-400 kg per hundred square meters. Inspect the trees again, remove possible nests of pests in them and burn them, remove dead bark from the trunks. Prepare young trees for cold weather, insulate them, support them and protect them from snowbreakers.
Proper and high-quality garden care will help not only save trees from winter cold and winds, as well as other misfortunes in the form of snowbreakers and pests, but also prepare them for the next year, in which you will definitely find a huge harvest of juicy and fresh fruits.
Caring for fruit trees in October (video)
Reviews and comments
(8
ratings, average: 3,25
out of 5)
Valery 09/24/2012
When wrapped with rags, damping off is ensured, especially for stone fruit crops.
Vasily 03/10/2017
Preparing for winter of course important stage. Our task is to keep the trees intact until spring and remove as many pests and possible hiding places in winter from the site as possible. I would like to ask you - how do you feel about autumn watering of the site? I don’t mean small, but large - in order to charge the earth with moisture. Should a summer resident do this, especially in southern regions?
Mari28 03/11/2017
Valery, you are not entirely right. Depends on your area of residence. In central and northern Russia you cannot do without winding.
Mari28 03/11/2017
The debate about whether to carry out moisture-replenishing irrigation does not subside and intensifies closer to each autumn. It is believed that moistened soil acquires properties for greater thermal conductivity. This allows the heat from the lower horizons to warm the roots of the plants. I also live in the southern zone and am against such watering. I think it does more harm than good. And all because moisture-charging irrigation requires professionalism, it is difficult to understand when to stop. After all, if the soil is waterlogged, water will displace air from its pores, which will lead to the death of tree roots. This method is more likely for agronomists with extensive experience. Moreover, winters in last years frosty with enough snow. Whether to use this method is up to you!
Selima 08/29/2017
What fertilizer is needed in the fall so that the soil does not fall in the spring?
Mari28 08/30/2017
As I understand it, you wanted to write... the buds have not fallen. In the fall, phosphorus and potassium (superphosphate, potassium magnesium) fertilizers are applied. Nitrogen fertilizers should be excluded, since the tree has enough summer reserves. Lack of feeding affects the tree’s immunity, which leads to fungal diseases. In the fall, you should spray with Bordeaux mixture, this will improve the health of the plant. However, these are not the main causes of bud loss. Their growth is affected weather, perhaps you have an unregistered variety growing. To help the tree, you can spray it with Ovary in the spring. It increases the resistance of the kidneys to cold temperatures, and also stimulates their growth.
Mari28 08/30/2017
What can I say...not a bad way. Expensive indeed. Gardeners usually use improvised material. But if you can afford it, then why not.
Add a commentWhen the fruits are collected, the plants send waste substances into the foliage, thereby cleansing their body. Fruit buds are being laid. Plants reduce the water content of their tissues, significantly reducing sap flow. If in summer time garden plants were in active growth, then in the fall they experience ripening of wood and thickening of the bark on young shoots.
Plants thus prepare for wintering. But what if, suppose, the wind came and tore off the already weakly sitting, but not yet yellowed foliage?
Or the gardener, out of inexperience, carried out formative pruning of the crowns, and it rained all autumn - and the young shoots continued to grow. In addition, the trees were attacked by herbivorous mites, aphids, wasps, butterflies and beetles - always a gardener's headache. As a result, the plants were incorrectly or insufficiently prepared for wintering, or even turned out to be unprepared for it.
And in the spring we will see black branches beaten by frost, cracked bark, frostbites, dried fruit buds, rampant ticks, flies, aphids, moths, butterflies and other uninvited guests.
If this happens to wild trees and bushes, for example, to a wild apple tree, blackthorn, or rowan somewhere outside the site, many will not even pay attention. But on garden plot this is striking and indicates the reluctance or inability of the garden owner to handle his pets. We live in a risky farming zone and therefore are simply obliged to carry out the entire annual cycle of activities to care for our garden.
To survive the cold
A very important issue is reducing the intensity of sap flow in tissues. If the wood is wet, then when the water freezes sub-zero temperatures At night, longitudinal cracks will form on it. Sometimes these cracks can penetrate very far and deep, dooming the trunks to splitting and the plant -to death. If the bark is strong, it prevents the wood from splitting, but the tender cells of the cambium freezing under it with the onset of heat are quickly affected by fungi - wet areas are formed,
shafts, and the bark itself is cracking. Looking ahead, we note that any cracks and frost damage are cleared to healthy tissue, covered with varnish and covered with burlap or matting.
But it's better not to allow this. Potassium (K) helps reduce sap flow. It is applied in the form of potassium fertilizers or stove ash to the root circle, that is, to the surface around the trunk, for most plants limited by the projection of the crown onto
Don't let it dry out
Any living organism, including plants, in the process of vital activity releases so-called dissimilation products, called toxins. In humans and animals, they are constantly excreted and only a small part of them is deposited in the tissues. In plants, almost all dissimilation products with the exception of oxygen and water are waste products. A very small part of them is removed by the root system. And the bulk goes to the aging foliage. Moreover, it has been noted that the loss of chlorophyll, that is, green pigment, by leaves is precisely associated with the accumulation of slag substances in it.
If the foliage has dried out or been damaged by mites, it turns yellow, turns brown and dries out even before the plant sends a current of waste into it. That is, the gardener is faced with the task of preserving until a certain time. green color foliage. This is not difficult to do. Dryness can be removed by regularly irrigating the crown with a fine spray of water. Naturally, they do this in the absence of rain and in evening hours. Regular watering at the root also helps preserve the leaves.
Formative pruning of crowns is carried out after the leaves fall. Autumn pruning is preferable, since the plant does not need to be nourished and prepared for wintering large volume crowns 4-5 fruit buds are left on the branch. Sections larger than 1 cm in diameter are covered with garden varnish, RanNet, and green oil paint or red lead. Normally, the branch is cut approximately 5 mm from the fork - so that the remaining bark will eventually grow over the wound. But when autumn pruning Such a low cut contributes to freezing of unprotected wood. Therefore, in the fall, a stump about 5 cm long is left, and in the spring it is cut off closer to the fork.
Treatment of the garden with drugs
Black, gray or red spots on the foliage indicate fungal infection. If there are only a few such leaves, they are picked by hand. Otherwise, the crown is treated with fungicidal preparations.
The fight against insects and mites is carried out using special pesticides. You just need to remember that insecticides - poisons for fighting insects - do not destroy mites; acaricides should be used to combat them.
On labels, the drug classification is written in small print somewhere near the commercial name or active substance. Important: drugs with different sonorous commercial names may contain the same active ingredient.
If the pesticide is of the insectoacaricide class, then it is simultaneously effective in the fight against both insects and mites. If different insecticidal and acaricidal preparations are used, they should not be mixed. It is better to space their use over 1-2 days.
Plants should be treated in the evening in dry weather. Be sure to add to the working solution green soap or other saponifier that promotes good wetting of surfaces. Treatment should be carried out after harvesting before the first night frosts at intervals of 1 time every 2 weeks.
Don't forget about fruit trees!
I start autumn time in the garden with cleaning leaves under the trees. By doing this, I prevent the pest pupae from overwintering and continuing their destructive actions in my garden.
After all the foliage has been collected and placed in compost, I carefully dig up the soil under the apple trees - this will neutralize most of the pests that have already gathered to hibernate under the tree. They will die at the first frost.
I also remove carrion.
Under no circumstances do I compost it, but bury it away from the garden. After this necessary sanitary treatment, I begin feeding the apple trees.
To apply dry fertilizers, I first remove upper layer soil in the tree trunk circle (1-2 cm), distribute the fertilizer and return the soil to its place. For 1 sq. m of soil I add 5-6 kg of humus and wood ash.
I usually combine this type of fertilizing with moisture-recharging watering, which is essential for every garden to winter frosts did not draw all the moisture out of the trees. This watering is called moisture-charging because it requires a lot of water. You need to wet the soil by 1-1.5 m. The degree of moisture can be determined as follows: dig a hole 30 centimeters deep among the trees and take a lump of earth from its bottom. Squeeze it in your palm and see how it behaves. If, when compressed, you get a dense lump that leaves a wet mark on the paper, there is no need to water it. If the lump is dense but does not leave a mark, reduce the watering rate by 30%. If the soil is dry and does not hold together in a lump, get ready to water it to the fullest extent.
Water by digging furrows around the circumference of the crown. The irrigation rate, subject to the full program, is 10-15 buckets of water per 1 square meter. m. For young trees, this norm is 3 buckets. So, with a little work, you will save fruit trees until spring and you can expect an excellent harvest from them!
There is still a lot of work in the garden in autumn. What do gardeners need to take care of so that trees survive the winter safely?
Garden care in the autumn consists of a set of works that must be carried out on time and in accordance with all the rules.
Caring for fruit trees October consists of carefully checking the plants, pruning and removing shoots and tops, as well as whitewashing the trunks.
In November It is necessary to collect and burn fallen or cut branches and leaves. This month it is also recommended to dig up the soil around the trees. When digging, you can feed the plants - add superphosphate (100 g per tree), potassium and nitrogen fertilizers (50 g per tree).
Fruit tree pruning
In autumn they spend time in the garden sanitary pruning. It consists of removing all weak and crossing shoots from trees, as well as broken and dried branches. This must be done because pests or pathogens may well be hiding on such branches.
It is very convenient to prune apple trees, pears, plums and other fruit trees in the fall, after harvesting the fruits. Trees can usually be pruned before the first frost. In November there is no need to disturb the plants: it is already cold enough for this.
To do everything correctly, carefully inspect the trees, make sure that the branches of each grow correctly and do not create obstacles to each other. Anything that interferes must be removed. You can form the crown of a tree using pruning shears (cuts branches with a diameter of up to 26 mm) and a lopper (cuts branches with a diameter of up to 40 mm).
Removing tops on trees
Tops are strong, fattening shoots with large leaves and underdeveloped kidneys. Most often they form on old skeletal branches. Typically, tops grow from dormant buds and begin to actively develop. Why are tops so dangerous? They take away the tree's strength, thicken its crown, and they never bear fruit.
Tops grow young fruit crop after the tree has been damaged. For example, you cut a large branch or it broke on its own. In old fruit trees, fattening shoots may appear after pruning. Excessive fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer and abundant watering can also provoke the growth of tops.
Red arrows show tops
You can get rid of tops by pruning. Its goal in this case is not only to thin out and lighten the crown of the tree, but also to form new young shoots and direct them along a trajectory so that they do not thicken the crown. Fattening branches inside the crown should be removed in a ring. After cutting the tops, the wounds on the tree should be treated with garden varnish.
Protecting the bark of fruit trees
Sudden changes in temperature when the weather changes often lead to cracks (frost holes) appearing on the bark of fruit trees. These faults are quite deep and cause significant damage to plants. In addition, cracks can occur under the influence of active sun ( sunburn), strong winds or cold nights. Pests of fruit crops can also cause cracks in the bark.
To protect trees, trunks should be covered with whitewash or special protective fiber in the fall. This is necessary in order to protect the trunk from direct sunlight. You can prepare whitewash yourself. To do this, dilute 2.5 kg of lime in 10 liters of water, 0.5 kg copper sulfate for disinfection and 0.1 kg of wood glue for stronger “adhesion” to the bark.
To protect trees from damage caused by insects or rodents, it is necessary to use special protective nets that are wrapped around the trunk.
Autumn feeding of fruit trees
Autumn feeding of trees is carried out after harvesting. It is performed to improve the soil, which has become depleted over the season. In autumn, fruit trees need to be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, preferably without nitrogen (Diammofoska, Nitrophos, Superphosphate).
Fertilizers are applied to tree trunk circles - under the roots of trees. Foliar feeding useless at this time of year. Depending on what fertilizers you choose (liquid or dry), the principle of their application depends.
- Liquid fertilizers are applied into special grooves made in the tree trunk circle around the tree. The more grooves, the better the effect.
- To apply dry fertilizers, you first need to remove the top layer of soil in the tree trunk circle (1-2 cm), distribute the fertilizers evenly and return the soil back.
In the fall, it is best to use the second fertilizing option, since this way the fertilizers will be absorbed by the plants gradually, reaching the roots along with the melted snow. Liquid formulations more effective in spring and summer.
As dry fertilizer, you can add superphosphate at the rate of 100 g per 1 sq.m of tree trunk circle and potassium fertilizers at the rate of 50 g per 1 sq.m. After fertilizing, the soil in the tree trunk circle should be covered with a layer of mown grass - it will act as mulch.
Caring for fruit trees in the fall is not that difficult. The main thing is to know what time certain events are held, and do everything according to this schedule.
Young trees need regular care and watering to make it easier for them to take root in open ground and develop correctly.
We hasten to warn you that for trees recently planted in the ground you need special care, different from that used for already rooted and fruit-bearing trees. Of course, there are similar procedures, however, the frequency and intensity of their implementation will differ.
In the aisles of a young garden they cultivate vegetable crops, strawberries and potatoes. It is not advisable to plant bushes of currants, gooseberries, raspberries and other crops under the crown of fruit trees.
Fruit tree care
In young gardens, it is necessary to achieve an annual growth of shoots of at least 40-50 cm, and in plantings that have entered fruiting - 30-35 cm. Taking this into account, the doses of organic and mineral fertilizers used are established:
- If the growth is weak, then the plants are not sufficiently provided with nutrients. In autumn, manure, compost, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied to a tree-trunk area with a circle diameter of 2-2.5 m.
- Then the soil is dug up directly under the tree crowns to a depth of 10-12 cm, and behind the projection of the branches - to 18-20 cm (taking into account the depth of the roots).
- Usually in young gardens, per one tree trunk area (with a circle diameter of 2-2.5 m), 25-30 kg of manure or 40-45 g of a.m. are added every year. phosphorus and 50-60 g a.v. potash fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers - 40-50 g.a. Apply annually in two doses - in early spring (50%) and at the beginning of increased shoot growth (50%).
The best results are achieved by those who use slurry diluted with water (1:3), mullein solution (1:8), (1:15) or ammonium nitrate as fertilizer for fruit trees in early spring and 10-15 days after flowering (30-35 g per 10 liters of water). After the June shedding of the ovaries, the trees are fed with a complex of mineral fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). When feeding apple trees, fertilizers are applied not close to the tree trunk, but in ring-shaped grooves dug along the periphery of the crown. Immediately after fertilizing, the trees are watered warm water.
Feeding fruit trees in areas with sandy soil
Manure, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied annually, and nitrogen fertilizers - in early spring and during active growth shoots. Fruit trees respond positively to spraying with a weak urea solution (50 g of urea per 10 liters of water) immediately after the leaves bloom and two weeks after flowering. Before leaf fall, but still after green leaves trees are sprayed with a more concentrated urea solution (350-400 g of urea per 10 liters of water). These measures improve the supply of nutrients to plants and suppress the development of fungal diseases.
Fruit trees are most demanding of water in spring and the first half of summer.
During the dry season, they are watered more often and more abundantly. Watering is usually done at the beginning of flowering, a week after flowering and after harvesting. In practice, it is enough to water fruit trees once every two to three weeks (depending on soil moisture). Frequent and excessively abundant watering is harmful both to the soil (nutrients are washed out) and to the roots (oxygen starvation occurs). In the second half of summer, feeding of trees is stopped, watering is limited so as not to cause prolonged growth of shoots and a decrease in the winter hardiness of trees.
On flat areas, sodding of the soil between the rows of the garden is carried out only after the trees have entered the time of full fruiting. Before sodding in the fall, organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to the site in increased doses, embedding them into deeper layers of soil. In the spring, the surface of the area is leveled with a rake, and a grass mixture is sown per 1 square meter. m area 3 g of fescue, 2 g of meadow grass, the soil is rolled and mulched with peat and humus. Then irrigation is carried out by sprinkling. The green mass of herbs is mowed at least 5-6 times during the growing season and left in place as a quality.
Grasses remove many nutrients from the soil. Taking this into account, when sodding the soil, fertilizing with slurry after flowering is mandatory, after two weeks - mineral fertilizers(80 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium salt and 50 g of urea per 10 liters of water). After fertilizing, water thoroughly. In the fall, once every 2-3 years, two ring-shaped grooves are dug under the crown of a fruit tree, where they are added at the rate of 1 linear meter 10 kg of rotted manure, 150 superphosphate and 100 g of potassium chloride and the soil are dug up.
Autumn and winter care for apple and pear trees
In autumn (October), the trunks and bases of skeletal branches of old trees are cleared of dead bark and whitened lime mortar(2.5 kg of lime, 0.5 kg of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water). Young trees are whitewashed chalk solution. For the winter, the trunks and bases of the skeletal branches of apple and pear trees are tightly tied against rodents with raspberry stems, young branches of cherry, hazel, and willow. For these purposes, you can use roofing felt, roofing felt and wire mesh, having previously tied the tree trunks with matting or burlap. Roofing felt and roofing felt are whitened on top with lime (chalk) mortar. Used nylon stockings and fiberglass are also used to tie tree trunks for the winter.
In winter, the trunks and bases of skeletal branches are covered with snow. On the warmest days, the snow around the trunk is compacted with foot so that mice cannot get through. After every heavy snowfall, the trees are covered with snow. In the spring, make sure that the heavy snow crust does not break the branches.
Some gardeners mistakenly believe that by covering the snow at the end of winter under the crowns of fruit trees with a thick layer of sawdust, straw, peat or manure, the onset of flowering can be delayed by more late dates and avoid frost damage to flowers. This technique does not bring the desired results, since it only delays the thawing of the soil, and not flowering. The buds in the crown of an apple tree bloom at an average daily air temperature in the garden of 8-9 degrees Celsius, regardless of the soil temperature in the area where the roots are located. At average daily air temperatures of 10-12 degrees Celsius, the flowering period begins. Covering the snow under the tree crowns with a thick layer of peat, sawdust, and manure disrupts the supply of water and nutrients to the branches.
Some gardeners place containers (tub, barrel) with warm water under low-growing trees in advance, and in the evening before frost, cover the tree and container with water with synthetic film. During the warmest hours of the day, the film is removed so that the flowers are pollinated by bees.
At the end of May, trapping belts (made of paper, burlap) are placed on the trunks and bases of the skeletal branches of fruit-bearing apple trees, into which they are taken. They are periodically destroyed.
Harvest
It is very important to correctly determine the ripeness of the fruit. At this time, the growth of apples in volume stops, summer varieties acquire a characteristic color and taste, and are easily separated from the fruit. The fruits of summer pear varieties are harvested a little earlier before they acquire a bright color, in order to prevent them from overripening. To harvest the fruits, garden ladders, columnar baskets lined with burlap inside, boxes and packaging material are prepared in advance ( wood shavings). The fruits are removed in the morning after the dew has dried, sorted, stored in fruit storage, cellars, basements, where the temperature is maintained from 0 to 3 degrees Celsius, air humidity -85-90%.