A plan for a garden is like a pattern for sewing a dress. First, let's measure the area or take as a basis the plan issued to you by the BTI. Next, we will transfer the site plan on a scale of 1:100 to a sheet of graph paper, that is, 1 cm on paper will correspond to 1 m of land. The plan should indicate the boundaries of the site, gates and gates, the house and other garden buildings (sauna, shed, gazebo, etc.), those trees and large shrubs that you decided to leave, hedges, if any, doors and windows of the house. We will definitely mark on paper the location of the well, electrical cables, sewer hatch and other necessary things. We will transfer paths and paved areas to the plan, but only those that we intend to leave. Let's outline the functional zones on the plan. Routes for moving around the garden should connect them with the house and with each other, as well as provide access to those places from where we will admire the garden.
Preliminary sketch after site survey
Necessary:
- mask a bad view of neighboring buildings from the windows of the house;
- check the views from the windows onto the garden, make them especially picturesque;
- find a place for a pond and a gazebo near it;
- arrange a small herb garden near the patio;
- plant two apple trees (early and mid-ripening).
The house is the dominant element of any site. It sets the style and scale of the garden, for example: if the house is large, the paths cannot be narrow and the flower beds cannot be small. The garden and the house should look organically together. Trees and shrubs that cover the house when viewed from the gate, as well as decorating its facade with the help of vines, will not only not damage your house, but will also make the overall impression of the garden more interesting, and if the house is very modest, this is the only way to improve it. Ideally, one should strive to ensure that the house does not stick out like a finger, but is as if dissolved in the landscape, forming a worthy duet of architecture and wildlife. It does not at all follow from this that the house should be small, and it does not have to be one-story, even if the plot is tiny.
But it is important to decorate the corners of the building, this can be done with the help of a group of trees and shrubs, it is also necessary to cover the base of the house, plants should not cover the windows of the house, and taller plants can be placed in the walls.
The founder of Muskau Park, the largest English-style landscape park in Central Europe, Hermann von Pückler-Muskau believed that in order for buildings to make a harmonious impression, they should be visually covered by plants by at least a third.
There is another extreme, when the house is completely hidden from view by vegetation. Such a house gives the impression of abandonment; you don’t even want to look inside.
A unified color scheme for the house and the space around it helps to create a particularly cohesive impression of this part of the garden. The white balusters of the terrace, the flowering jasmine bush, the white border of the leaves of the Elegentissima tree, the still greenish but soon whitening caps of the tree hydrangea inflorescences - what a harmonious and elegant garden picture, and the plants are the simplest and most ordinary.
A large, solid house looks very dignified, but does not overwhelm the space around it due to the fact that adult conifers hug it, visually covering a considerable part. The house and its respectable surroundings do not compete with each other, but produce exactly the impression that is required.
You can fit the house into the garden with the help of plants formed like palmettes, as well as with the help of vines.
You need to put on the plan everything that you want to add to it. After the plan has been sketched out, at least roughly, we’ll try to wander around it. A harmonious garden is a series of changing views. It is very important to control which garden pictures open from the gate, from the front door and windows of the house, from the recreation area, etc.
In the garden, you should not plant every square centimeter of space; it is important to ensure alternation and the correct ratio of open and closed spaces. Open space is anything that is below human eye level, such as a lawn, paving, or pond. Closed space is what is above eye level, these are trees, high hedges, etc. There is a rule: in northern countries, including central Russia, the ratio of closed and open spaces should be 1:2 (the area of the house is considered excluded), that is, the area of open spaces should be approximately twice as large as the area of closed spaces.
In a well-planned garden, you want to take a walk, sit in those places from which the most beautiful views open, and look at interesting garden plants.
When starting to plan a garden with your own hands, you need to correctly balance the size of the area adjacent to the house with the ideas you have. The smaller the size of the plot, the more complex the garden layout, since you will have to take care to carry out proper zoning without overloading the area with excesses. Here landscape tricks will come to the rescue; they are simply irreplaceable when planning a garden. And one of them is planning using a scale grid.
How to properly plan a garden on a site (with photo)
Before you can properly plan a garden that pleases you with proportionate proportions and strict cleanliness of lines, you need to carry out functional zoning and thereby make the space suitable and comfortable specifically for your family.
When planning a garden, the design of which is dominated by clear lines, convenient, logical and comfortable, geometric solutions are especially suitable for small areas, in addition, this is a good way to connect the house with the garden. The smaller the garden area, the more concise its plan should be.
Photo gallery
Look at the photo: the garden layout using simple geometric shapes such as a circle or square is typical not only for the classic regular version, it is also suitable for a completely modern garden.
Before you plan your garden on your property, have a scale grid available. Its pitch can be selected based on the architectural features of the house, if any, often this is the distance between the windows of the house. The size of the grid may vary, but it is always based on the size of the house: if the house is large, then the grid is large, and vice versa. You can take the distance between fence posts as a step.
A garden plot designed using an unreasonably fine grid will be overloaded with details. For small gardens up to 6 acres, its size is 2-3 m.
The grid is just a tool, but an extremely important tool, with its help you can try to create a harmonious and logical garden design, it will tell you where to start designing.
Types of garden layout using a scale grid
There are three types of layout using a scale grid. The most common is the rectangular version, it is the most obvious, often very simple, sometimes almost primitive, but extremely functional.
The grid in the rectangular version always starts from the facade of the house; in this version, all lines of the garden (paths, borders of flower beds, paving, lawns) are parallel or perpendicular to the facade of the house.
Photo gallery
Pay attention to the photo on how to plan a garden using diagonal lines: this type of layout not only allows you to come up with original design solutions, but also helps to visually enlarge the garden space, as if to expand its boundaries, because the diagonal is always larger than the side of the rectangle. In this case, the garden lines are also straight, but located at an angle of 45° to the facade of the house. Plans made using diagonals add lightness and dynamics to garden design; they are always interesting.
The third option for planning a garden is circular. Designing a garden using circles is not easy, but the result is impressive, so it’s worth trying.
When designing your own garden, I advise you not to be lazy, make all three possible options and even their combinations, and then choose the most impressive one.
If you're thinking about how to lay out your garden but don't like straight lines, by designing your garden using a grid, you can easily create smooth lines by rounding the corners.
Shape is the most important part of any object; information about color, texture, size in relation to shape is secondary. Any design work should begin with the choice of form. Of all the existing forms, the circle and the ball are closest to man, because such forms are created by nature itself - let’s remember, for example, an apple, the sun, the full moon, the wheel and the millstone have long been known and familiar. The circle symbolizes enlightenment, perfection, the yin-yang symbols are also enclosed in the circle.
The round shape is suitable for decorating any garden element - a lawn, paved area, flower arrangement, pond. If the recreation area or lawn is shaped like a circle, and the paths are designed in the form of smooth lines, representing parts of circles of different diameters, such a garden looks spacious and cozy.
The round-shaped area looks great against the background of a round-shaped lawn; it is paved with rectangular clinker bricks in a circle, which once again emphasizes its shape. The circle as an element of garden design creates the intimacy and privacy that is so necessary in this place. By the way, there is also a round umbrella, which not only protects the owners of the garden and their guests from the sun, but also follows the shape of the paved area. Paving is not the only option for covering a recreation area; a round wooden deck slightly raised above the ground is also very good.
Pergolas are widely used in modern gardens; most often their pillars are located in a straight line, but this is not the only possible option; pergolas whose bases of pillars are located in a circle look interesting.
A circle is the ideal shape for a lawn. It is this geometric figure that organizes the effect of spaciousness even in a small area. A dense environment of shrubs and herbaceous perennials creates ideal conditions for privacy in such a garden.
Garden layout: landscape design tricks
If you are designing a garden using geometric lines and shapes, they should be clearly legible not only on the plan, but also when taking it out into nature, everything should be checked down to the centimeter, even a little negligence in this case is absolutely inappropriate.
For proper garden planning, a combination of two options is often used. For example, in the case of a rectangular pond with quarter-circle cutouts at the corners, this is a combination of rectangular and circular options. Spectacular cutouts are emphasized by trimmed “hemispheres” of bushes. In our climate zone, they can be made from Thunberg barberry, Japanese spirea, brilliant cotoneaster, alpine Schmidt currant, snowberry, and globular-shaped thuja occidentalis, for example the “Globosa” variety, is also good for this purpose. Almost adjacent to one of the corners of the pond is a recreation area in the shape of a circle with a round table with chairs in the middle.
Another illustration of the theme of a successful combination of rectangular and circular layouts. The paved area is shaped like a rectangle combined with an adjacent semicircle. Adjacent to it is a reservoir consisting of two symmetrical parts, each also using straight lines and quarter circles. The “roundness” of the composition is emphasized by boxwood balls in ceramic pots; in our climate, the same effect can be achieved by pruning the dwarf Japanese spirea of the Little Princes variety, the leaves of which are as small as boxwood leaves.
Whether we realize it or not, our eye identifies geometric shapes in the garden; they are good for harmonizing space; the repetition of such elements can make any design more stylish and calm.
When purchasing a plot of land, the owner has to deal with zoning of the territory. Now there are many specialists in this field who can create beauty with the help of professional techniques. Garden planning can be done independently if you become familiar with the features of this work. After all, on the site you can plant not only trees, but also shrubs and vegetables. More details about the design of the territory are described in the article.
Preparation
The garden should be located in the open sun in an area with high groundwater. You should not lay it in a lowland, where cold air and water will flow during spring floods.
After an external inspection of the territory, the following work must be planned:
- Clearing the area of old stumps, wild bushes, stones, and other debris.
- The area needs to be plowed deeply.
- It is necessary to water for weed seedlings. After germination, you need to perform deep cultivation and level the area.
- At the same time, you need to send the soil to the laboratory to determine the physical state and type of soil, and chemical composition. This is required for further care: the use of fertilizers, irrigation, and other agrotechnical procedures.
- Based on the results of the analysis, it is necessary to apply the necessary doses of fertilizers and other reclamation components for autumn treatment. Without this data, it is undesirable to carry out fertilization.
What is important to consider before planning?
Before you plan your garden, you need to consider some nuances:
- What area can be allocated for an orchard? Trees with spreading crowns need a distance of 4 square meters. m.
- Terrain. A flat area or a gentle slope is suitable for an orchard; the pits contain cold air and a lot of moisture; these areas are unfavorable for fruit trees.
- Analysis of soils of the territory. Fruit crops have a powerful root system; fertile soils are required to ensure good nutrition. Rocky, clayey, sandy soil is not suitable for garden areas. The proximity of groundwater has a negative effect on tree growth.
- Availability of light and heat. Fruit trees need the necessary amount of light and heat, since their growth slows down in the shade. An area with strong winds will not be entirely suitable as it interferes with proper pollination, dries out the soil, damages crops and breaks branches. Partial protection from it is a high fence or green spaces.
Layout features
Garden planning begins with paper diagrams. If there is a house on the territory, the planning should be carried out from there. A diagram of the site, the contours of the object and other buildings, as well as places where there are trees, are applied to the paper. This area is protected by trees planted around it.
If the land is not developed, a plot for the construction of a house is marked on the diagram. The layout of the garden assumes the presence of a front garden. The housing should face the street, with part of the land for the front garden located in front of it. Its size is determined by the area of the territory.
On a small front garden you need to plant flowers, berry bushes, on a large one - decorative and fruit trees, flowers. It is advisable to plant large fruit plants - apple trees, pears - in the north-eastern part. There should be cherries and plums between them.
Plan
In order to have the correct layout of the garden and vegetable garden, you need to create sketches of the site. The plan must indicate buildings and the approximate location of other objects. It is necessary to mark holes for planting bushes and trees. They should be planted at a distance so that they are not shaded as they grow.
Closely located bushes and trees grow poorly, and this also leads to diseases of garden crops. Fruit trees have a powerful root system; it should develop freely. If there are wild bushes or stumps on the territory that need to be uprooted, all work must be completed and the woody debris must be burned. The ash should be left in a dry place; it will be needed to obtain fertile beds.
The layout of the garden on the site should be such that trees do not shade neighboring areas. Today, beds of original shape are fashionable, for example, a pizza garden. In this case, from the round bed in the center, the rest are located in rays. Raspberries, blackberries, and berry bushes that bear fruit and shade are planted near the boundaries of the site.
Which crops to choose?
When planning an orchard, you need to decide on the types of plants. It is necessary to select trees and shrubs that grow well and bear fruit in the area. For the middle zone, pears, apple trees, plums, cherry plums, and cherries are selected. Cherries and apricots grow better in warm regions.
Among the berry bushes you can choose currants, gooseberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Planning a garden on 10 acres is much easier than planning a large area. For a small area, it is preferable to place shrubs around the perimeter. In vegetable beds it is necessary to plant crops growing close to each other: cabbage, cucumbers, peas.
Popular types of layouts
The garden layout project will allow you to create an original plot. There are currently 4 known design options:
- Straightforward. This option is not only beautiful, but also simple. This arrangement allows you to restore order on the site. This type of design allows you to get the effect of reducing space.
- Circular arrangement. To get it, you need skills in landscape design. This design will allow you to create an orchard and flower beds, but it is more difficult to use for a vegetable garden.
- Diagonal. In this way you can design a garden plot of 15 acres or more. Using a diagonal orientation, visual volume is obtained. It allows you to arrange the location of different areas.
- Creative option. There are no specific rules here. Usually it contains elements of other types. Used for areas with a special configuration.
Each layout option is original in its own way. Before implementing the project, you need to draw it on paper. If you have acquired land with some buildings and plantings that you do not want to remove, then they must be marked first.
Communications
The layout of a personal plot, garden, or vegetable garden is not complete without communications equipment. The systems facilitate the operation and maintenance of the territory and improve functionality. They will create additional conditions.
To organize a garden plot, drainage systems, sewerage, organization of a gas pipeline and water supply are required. A well, septic tank or borehole is also required. These engineering facilities must be located at a sufficient distance from each other. There must be a street lighting system. Electrical wiring must be carried out at a depth of 70 cm. Installation should be carried out before planting plants and arranging garden paths.
Recreation area
If the territory has been divided into an orchard, it is necessary to determine a place for rest. Even in a small area you can place a modest but harmoniously integrated gazebo. It should be beautiful and comfortable. In large areas it will be possible to create a summer kitchen, a swimming pool, an observation deck, etc.
The list of ideas is limited only by the capabilities of the area and the desire of the owner. But in any case, the rest area should be in a comfortable place and not interfere with other areas. It is preferable to remove it from utility blocks and communications.
Preparing the planting hole
The layout of a small garden and a large plot requires proper planting. Moreover, this must be done according to certain rules. The garden should be started in the fall. You need to dig a planting hole according to the diagram and prepare fertilizers for the soil.
The hole will be of approximate dimensions, since the final version is determined by the size of the root system, which depends on the age of the seedling. The approximate size of the hole is 60x60 if the seedlings are 2-year-old, and for 3-year-old seedlings it can be increased to 70x80 cm.
Soil preparation
Near each hole you should mix the top layer of soil with humus and peat. In the spring, before planting, 1 cup of wood ash and slaked lime and 200 g of nitrophoska are added to the mixture. Everything should be mixed thoroughly. Seedlings must be purchased from trusted producers.
Purchase and preparation of seedlings
Planting must be done in the spring. During the growing season, the seedlings grow stronger. During the warm period, young trees get used to their new location. You should not purchase seedlings from unfamiliar sellers. It is advisable to do this on farms that grow them. Then it is more likely that a zoned variety will be purchased. You need to inspect the purchased seedling. You should not take it if it has dry roots, a crooked trunk, or cracks in the bark.
Landing
There are rules for planting seedlings. 1-2 days before this, they should be soaked in horse meat or another growth stimulant. Then you need to prepare a container of clay mash with root, planriz or phytosporin. Other biofungicides used for tank mixtures are also suitable.
2-3 weeks before planting, you need to pour part of the soil mixture in a cone into the hole. During this time, the cone will settle and the seedling will be correctly placed in the hole. It must be dipped into the mash, inserted into the hole, and the root straightened so that there are no creases. 2/3 of the hole is filled with soil mixture.
You need to fill a bucket of water. After absorption, you need to fill in the rest of the soil mixture or soil. You should drive a stake and fix the seedling with a figure eight to the support. A loose seedling will have small roots torn off.
Subtleties of landing
During planting, you need to check the correct depth of the root collar. With deepening, the tree dries out after 5-10 years. In light sandy loam soils, it is advisable to deepen the root collar slightly into the soil - 10 cm. For seedlings that form roots or shoots, deepening will not interfere with the proper development of the plant. Such crops quickly rebuild their root system.
In self-rooted seedlings, the root collar should be in the area of the planting hole or 2-3 cm higher. And in grafted people, the grafting site is 4-8 cm above the root collar. Beginning gardeners often confuse these places. It is necessary to be careful when planting, because if mistakes are made, the tree will quickly die.
If the root collar is correctly identified and the seedling is planted so that it is 4-5 cm above the soil, then the tree is planted correctly. It is necessary to compact the bud near planting. At a distance from the trunk with a radius of 30-50 cm, you need to make a roller 5-7 cm high and fill in 2-3 buckets of water.
The root collar should be 2-3 cm higher than the soil. If necessary, you can add soil after watering and mulch with a layer of fine mulch. If live seedlings are purchased and planting is carried out correctly, then after 2-3 weeks the first leaves will appear.
Determination of the root collar
- For a young seedling, use a damp cloth to wipe the lower area of the trunk and the root. The root collar can be identified by the transition from greenish to light brown.
- For mature seedlings (3-4 years), you need to wipe the lower area of the trunk with a wet cloth and, after drying, scrape off the bark with a knife. If in the area of expansion the shade of the subcortical layer is green, then this is the stem, and if it is yellowish, then the root part. The place where the color transitions is considered the root collar.
- In some seedlings, the place where the upper lateral roots originate from the trunk is clearly visible. This will be the root collar.
What is prohibited to do when landing?
- Use semi-rotted manure, only humus with soil.
- Water frequently with a small amount of water. This dries out the soil.
- Use cold water for irrigation.
- In the first year, fertilize the plants.
- After planting, mulch the tree trunk area.
What do you need to do when landing?
- Seedlings should be whitened using a solution of chalk with clay, biological products against diseases and pests.
- Insulate the gate with burlap, paper, lutrasil.
- The trunk will be protected from rodents by a chain-link mesh.
- After a snowfall, trample the snow around the trunk.
Thus, the layout of the garden requires proper zoning of the territory. It should have trees, shrubs, and an area for recreation. Proper planting of plants in compliance with all standards is also necessary. Then you will get a beautiful garden, created according to the rules of landscape design.
What should you do to reap a rich harvest from your plot every year? Is there enough fertile land, timely application of fertilizers and treatment of plants against pests? It would seem that here they are - the treasured acres, just plant them and reap the results. But it's not that simple. Conflicts exist not only among people, but also among plants.
But we are not trees, we can move away from our opponent, but plants do not have this opportunity. Therefore, before you start planting, you should develop a planting plan. And in order to draw up a plan correctly, you need to have knowledge of what crops grew in the previous few years in each plot, how fertile each plot is, which plants can be planted together, and which are best kept away from each other, and other factors.
Planning a vegetable garden
To arrange a vegetable garden, you need to choose an open area, since all vegetables love sunlight. Onions can be planted in an area near a house, fence and other structures in partial shade; they are the only ones capable of growing in shade. But you shouldn’t count on a big harvest.
Be sure to take into account the compatibility of vegetables. The celery family and the onion family are family friends. Cabbage, as well as potatoes, dill and lettuce, will be a good neighbor for them.
Potatoes alone go well with beans, corn, horseradish, onions and cabbage.
Radishes acquire improved taste and become larger when adjacent to bush beans.
Tomatoes are combined with greens, cabbage, asparagus and beans.
Carrots are, in principle, peaceful and can be combined with almost all crops, including peas.
In addition to carrots, peas are friends with cucumbers, potatoes, corn and radishes. And radish, in principle, has a good disposition, positively influencing other vegetables.
But cabbage, tomatoes and beans cannot boast of good neighborly relations.
Cucumber is not compatible with potatoes, potatoes with tomato and pumpkin, tomato with fennel.
You should not plant peas and beans next to onions and garlic, or radishes next to hyssop.
Planning a garden
When planting garden trees, you have to use analytical thinking as much as possible, in particular the ability to plan for several years in advance. After all, a tree is not a potato; you can’t replant it next year. Not only do you need to choose the right planting location for each tree. It is also necessary to calculate the planting of vegetables, flowers, and bushes relative to trees.
Vegetables and shrubs should never be planted near young trees. This may seem like a good solution at first, since this arrangement saves space. But in a few years the trees will grow, and garden crops and berries will be in the shade.
Of course, vegetables can be planted in a new place every year, but that’s if there is one. And not all shrubs will be happy about a quick change of place of residence. In general, when planning a garden, you should either immediately allocate space for each crop, or understand where it can be allocated in a few years.
Those who plan to grow strawberries, berry bushes, cherries and plums in the garden should know that each of these plants has its own ideal time to bear fruit in one place, and over time they will have to be replanted.
It's a little easier with berry bushes. With good care, they are capable of bearing fruit for a very long time in one place. With regular pruning and spraying, plants can produce a good harvest within 10 - 15 years without changing their place of residence.
But strawberries should not be grown in one place for more than 3 years. Therefore, one of its beds should be cleared every year for vegetables, and a vegetable bed for strawberries. In this case, it is immediately clear that it is more convenient to take the strawberries to the garden, so that it is easier to change the beds. In addition, it is better to plant strawberries in places where snow lingers well in winter.
When planting shrubs, it is necessary to take into account their preferences. Gooseberries and red currants like dry, well-lit areas, while black currants prefer wetter areas. Raspberries produce many root branches, while sea buckthorn has long roots. These plants interfere with the development of others, so they are planted separately.
Tall trees and shrubs planted close to the boundary can shade neighboring areas; this, of course, is unacceptable. Only by respecting the rights of your neighbors can you demand the same respect for yourself. Vigorous trees should be planted at a distance of two meters from the border, and medium-sized trees at least a meter away. The distance between the border and the trees can be filled with currant, raspberry and gooseberry bushes.
To ensure that the house receives enough light, tall trees should be planted deep into the site. And plant flowers, vegetables, herbs, strawberries, and shrubs next to your home.
To take into account all the nuances when planting and replanting plants, you need to know data about which plants grew in each plot over the previous 3-4 years. It would be useful to predict exactly how plants will be replanted not only in the current year, but also in the next few years.
In this regard, a computer makes life much easier. With the help of special programs, you can recreate a site plan and note in which year and where certain crops grew.
For those for whom this method is not suitable, you can redraw the plan every year with a simple pencil and store all the plans for the previous few years. True, this is not very convenient; you constantly have to erase the drawings and apply them again.
To simplify this process, you can draw and cut out identical rectangles from a blank sheet of paper, each of which will indicate a specific crop that the summer resident is going to plant, and try to assemble a “puzzle” for future planting on last year’s site plan.
The method is convenient because you don’t have to constantly erase and redraw missing details, and you can easily correct omissions by simply moving the rectangle to a new location.
Orchard you need to plan slowly, having thought everything through carefully, since the future harvest will depend, among other things, on the right location. For an orchard, you need to select a bright, open area. It is undesirable to plant an orchard in a lowland, where water will accumulate after bad weather or spring melting of snow.
Start bookmark orchard it is necessary with inspection and preparatory work, which includes cleaning the site from old stumps, stones and other debris, digging up all the earth on the site and soil analysis. A soil test will tell you what fertilizers you should apply in the future. If you spill all the soil in the area with water, this will provoke the growth of weeds for their subsequent removal.
The next stage is planning the garden plot.
The location of the orchard may be influenced by the following data:
- Location relative to the house (in front of the house, behind the house, on the side of the house)
- Regarding cardinal directions
- The presence of other garden areas on your site - flower beds, beds, ponds, lawn, etc.
Before you break orchard, you also need to decide what breeds and varieties will grow in it. Many trees reach maturity only after 7-10 years. In this case, you will have to wait a long time for the harvest. In case you don’t want to wait and want to get a harvest next year, you can plant large-sized trees.
Large sizes - these are mature trees, aged from 4 to 7 years, around the root system of which an earthen ball is formed. When transplanting such trees, special equipment is usually used.
When choosing tree species, you must remember that many species do not like proximity and suppress each other’s growth. In addition, different trees in an orchard have completely different preferences for light and soil. It is advisable to consult a specialist or study the relevant literature.
Moreover, each crop has its own structural features of the root system. For example, in an apple tree, the roots can grow in width up to 10 m, and in depth up to 6 m. The root system of a pear, on the contrary, grows more in depth - up to 10 m, and in width - up to 6 m.
If the soil in your garden is heavy, the tree will not be able to take deep roots. Such a tree will most likely be weak.
Of course, it is difficult to find ideal conditions in our orchards for each tree. But still, the basic rules for planting trees will help you create a healthy orchard that will delight you with its harvest. In order for a tree not only to grow, but to bear fruit and be strong, it is necessary to provide it with an optimal layer of fertile soil, which will be the source of the necessary moisture and nutrition.
When planting large trees, your dream of turning your plot into a blooming orchard quickly turns into reality. In addition, the root system of such trees has already practically formed, and they can be replanted without fear.
Modern technology makes it possible to replant mature trees ( large fruit trees) without any problems.
Trees prepared for transplantation must naturally be healthy and free of damage. Trees that have a hollow are not suitable for replanting.
The crown of a large fruit tree must be significantly thinned out (remove some skeletal branches by about 1/3 of their length) to avoid moisture evaporation. Cover the wounds formed after pruning with garden varnish.
The soil ball should be cubic or cylindrical in shape.
The pit is prepared in advance (1-2 weeks in advance). Its dimensions should exceed the earthen lump (twice in height and three times in width).
The bottom is prepared - a mixture of expanded clay is poured, then humus, sand, peat and black soil. The percentage composition of this mixture depends on the type of wood.
After planting a large tree, all free space in the hole is covered with good fertile soil. Then, it is slightly compacted.
And, of course, they water well. Moreover, an irrigation system is provided (aeration pipe or root irrigation).
Additional reinforcement with guy wires will help give the transplanted tree a more stable position.
It is necessary to choose young plants (1-2 years). This way they get along better. The root system of older seedlings is easier to damage.
Seedlings for the orchard usually planted in autumn or spring in a dormant state (when vegetative processes are slowed down).
When planting seedlings, a hole (approximately 80x80 cm) is dug in advance and filled with fertile soil. The soil from the depths of the hole can be distributed around the tree trunk circle. If the seedling is planted immediately after digging a hole, the soil at the bottom must be compacted - compacted with feet and watered with 1-2 buckets of water.
Also, organic fertilizers (compost, manure) and mineral fertilizers are added to the planting hole. The amount of fertilizer for each tree species is different. It is better not to add mineral fertilizers directly to the roots of the plant. Only the soil from the top layer.
Upon landing seedlings for orchard broken branches must be removed. The roots are pruned (to the healthy part) only if they are damaged.
A healthy seedling should have a well-branched root system. If the roots dry out along the way, they can be placed in water for about 12-24 hours. Immediately before planting, it is advisable to dip the roots in a clay mash.
If planting is not possible within several days, the seedling should be wrapped in a damp cloth and several layers of newspaper.
To avoid moisture evaporation, it is better to carefully remove the leaves.
When planting, it is advisable to take into account the position of the seedling relative to the cardinal points. Over the 1-2 years while they were growing in the nursery, they adapted to certain light conditions. The southern side of the seedling trunk can be distinguished by its darker brown color. The lighter side is the northern one.
Do not bury the root collar! It should be at ground level. After planting, the soil near the tree trunk is mulched, and the seedling itself is tied to a peg (not tightly, in a figure eight).
Basic seedlings for orchard- these are pears, cherries and plums.
It is rare that the owner of a private house prefers not to plant fruit trees on his property. Everyone usually wants to have an orchard - in the spring, trees delight with beautiful blooms and aroma, and fruits and berries from your own garden always seem much tastier than those bought in a store or at the market, and besides, you know that these are environmentally friendly products. In the art of Feng Shui, the image of a blooming orchard is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Planning a garden is a responsible matter; their growth and ability to bear fruit will depend on how correctly you plant the trees, so this task must be treated with great attention.
If you also want to grow vegetables in your garden, the layout of the garden and vegetable garden should be considered together. It is better to allocate space for the beds at the southern border, from north to south, this is better for crops growing in the middle zone. Some gardeners recommend placing beds from east to west. Behind the vegetable and strawberry (strawberry) beds there are fruit bushes - currants, gooseberries. Trees are planted behind the bushes; light shade from trees will not harm berry bushes, and vegetable beds should be in the sun.
An example of the design of vegetable beds - they do not have to be square or rectangular in shape, the original beds resemble flower beds
What do you need to know before you start planning?
Before you start planning your garden, you need to take into account the following important factors:
- What size is the area Can be allocated for an orchard. For trees with spreading crowns, a distance of 4 sq.m. will be required.
- Terrain. For an orchard, flat terrain or a gentle slope would be ideal; cold air and excess moisture are retained in the depressions; these areas are unfavorable for fruit trees.
- Soil analysis of your site. Fruit crops have a powerful root system; the soil must be fertile to provide it with good nutrition. Rocky, clayey, sandy soil is not suitable for a garden. The proximity of groundwater has a negative effect on tree growth.
- Availability of heat and light. For most fruit trees, it is important to have plenty of light and heat; in the shade they grow and bear fruit much worse. It should also be said about areas with constant strong wind - the wind interferes with normal pollination, dries out the soil, often damages crops and breaks tree branches. A high fence or green spaces can partially protect you from the winds.
Planning begins with a diagram on paper. If there is already a house on the site, you need to start planning from there. A scale diagram of the site, the contours of the house and other buildings, as well as places where trees already grow, are drawn on paper.
This area is protected from the wind by trees planted around it, which have already grown enough to provide protection
If the site has not yet been developed, the location for building a house is marked on the diagram. The layout of the garden on the site assumes the presence of a front garden. The house should face the street, leaving a strip of land in front of it for the front garden. Its size depends on the area of the plot - for some it is only a meter, for others it is 6-8 meters. In a small front garden, flowers, raspberries and berry bushes are usually planted, in a large one - ornamental trees, flowers or several fruit trees at the discretion of the owners.
For large fruit trees - apple trees, pears, allocate a place in the north-eastern side of the site, between them and fruit and berry bushes - a place for smaller trees - cherries, plums.
An example of the layout of a garden and vegetable garden - the plot is divided into two parts. In the first half there is a house surrounded by a front garden and vegetable beds, the second half is an orchard with trees planted in rows
In general, it will be convenient to draw a plan of the site, mark on it all the existing buildings, the expected location of the garden and vegetable garden. On the site you need to mark holes for planting trees. Try to plant trees at a distance so that as they grow they do not shade each other. Clumped bushes and trees in the garden do not grow well; in addition, conditions are created for diseases of garden crops. Fruit trees have a powerful root system and must develop freely.
Advice. If your site is overgrown with wild bushes, there are stumps on it that need to be uprooted, do the necessary work and burn the woody debris. Collect the ash in a dry place; it will be useful when creating fertile beds.
Usually, the layout of an orchard involves planting trees in such a way that they do not shade the neighbors’ plots, but there are often cases when a tree grows right next to the fence, providing fruit to both the owners and neighbors, and no one has any complaints.
Today it is fashionable to give the beds an original shape, for example, a pizza garden. The highlight is that from the round bed in the center the rest ray out like slices of pizza, forming a circle
Raspberries, blackberries or berry bushes are usually planted at the borders of the site, which bear fruit well even in the shade.
Landscape and regular planning
Below we give examples of garden layouts for those who like order and clarity of form and for those who like it when the plants in the orchard are planted according to the same pattern, but create the impression of natural areas.
Landscape planning involves the arrangement of trees and other crops in a free order, close to natural. In such a garden, in addition to fruit crops, decorative crops are also widely used.
An example of a free garden layout - vegetable beds on the left and top, fruit trees planted in groups in the center and on the right
With regular planning, trees and shrubs, as well as vegetables in the garden, are planted in strict rows at the same distance. The planting pattern also has a strict geometric shape - a square for areas whose length and width are almost equal, and a rectangle for areas whose length is much greater than the width.
An example of a regular layout of a garden with a vegetable garden - clear geometry, the area is divided into regular squares, rectangles, plants are planted in rows
Where are the best crops to plant?
These are trees and shrubs that grow well and bear fruit in your latitudes. For the middle zone, these are pears, apple trees (it is advisable to plant several trees of different varieties), different varieties of plums and cherry plums, and cherries. Cherries and apricots will ripen in warm latitudes. Berry bushes - all varieties of currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries. If the area of the plot is small, it is convenient to place shrubs around the perimeter.
If you plant several apple trees, including summer, autumn and winter apple trees, the fruits will delight you at different times of the year
An example of an interesting layout of a vegetable garden - paths diverge from a square of slabs in the center, between which there are beds, with different crops planted on each of the beds. Feel free to approach any of them
In vegetable beds nearby, you need to plant crops that grow well in close proximity to each other:
- cabbage, cucumbers, peas;
- white cabbage, dill, potatoes, onions, lettuce, celery;
- tomatoes, peas, carrots;
- horseradish, potatoes, beans, onions, cabbage.
When you draw a diagram, decide which plants to plant and in what quantity, you can begin marking the garden on the ground, buy seedlings and prepare the soil.