How to plant an apple tree

The apple tree belongs to a rather unpretentious crop. Before planting an apple tree, you need to pick up young seedlings and adhere to some rules related to their planting. The healthy growth of the tree and the amount of harvest depends on this. Of course, we shouldn't forget about the minimal maintenance of the crop.

Is it possible to plant an apple tree

You can buy a good and proven seedling in special nurseries, or ordinary gardeners who have sufficient experience in growing an apple tree. Before making a purchase, you need to find out what kind of variety you are going to purchase, what kind of soil it needs, how to care for the variety. For planting, it is best to opt for annual and biennial trees. A biennial plant is easily distinguished by the presence of side branches. they are best accustomed to new growing conditions, but unlike them, biennials will begin to yield crops 1 year faster.

When choosing seedlings that are ready for sale, it is important to pay attention to the roots of the seedlings. They should have triple branching, each of which should be about 30 cm long. Pay attention to the fact that there are a large number of fibrous roots. Thanks to them, the tree can collect moisture and nutrients from the soil. Keep the root system of the tree moist. In this case, the cuts at the ends should have a white color. If the slices are brown, this may mean that the tips of the roots have been dried or frostbitten. Therefore, before planting seedlings, the roots must be cut a few centimeters to reach living tissue.

In order for the roots of the seedlings to be protected from drying out during their transportation, they must be wrapped in a damp cloth. Before planting, many summer residents advise to carry out traditional processing - to dip the roots into a mixture that includes water, clay and cow dung. After that, the roots must be dried a little. This will help keep the roots from drying out. Also, such a mixture can act as fertilizer for the first time after the plant is planted.

How to plant an apple tree correctly

It is better to choose a time to transplant a tree associated with sap flow: When it has already stopped (mid-autumn). This process has not yet begun (before the buds bloom and immediately after the snow thaws).

If you are going to plant a tree in the autumn, then you need to start preparing the hole 1 month before planting. If you are going to plant a tree in the spring, then you need to do the preparation of the hole in the fall. If you suddenly wanted to plant an apple tree in spring, then it is best to start preparing the pit at least 2-3 weeks before planting.

In order to properly plant a tree, you need to choose a well-lit place. the soil can be absolutely any, but not rocky or swampy. If there is little organic matter in the soil, then you will need to apply top dressing a little more often. If the gurnt is clay, then you need to take care of the drainage in advance. In sandy soil, it will be necessary to think over a clay layer at the very bottom of the pit, which will help in retaining moisture. If the place you choose is not very well blown by the wind, this will help the insects to pollinate the tree well, which will lead to an increase in the yield. It is also important for the apple crop that the groundwater level is not higher than 1.5-2 m to the soil level.If with its roots the tree can reach groundwater, then the development of the apple tree may stop, it will begin to undergo various diseases, the quantity and quality of the crop will also decrease. For this reason, it is best to monitor the condition and location of groundwater.

How to plant an apple tree seedling

If you are not going to plant an apple tree alone, but several trees, then it is necessary to maintain a distance of 3 m between trees, and between rows of 6 m. This will favorably affect the development of the crown. The pit should have a round shape with a diameter of 1 m and a depth of 0.7 m. The walls of the pit should be vertical. During the preparation of the pit, fold the fertile layer of earth to one side, and the lower layer to the other. If the soil is clay, then the depth must be deeper to lay drainage, which will include: stones, wood trimmings, empty cans. If the soil is sandy, then a layer of oily clay should be added to the bottom of the pit, and then tamped. In the center of the pit, it is necessary to install a stake, the diameter of which will not be more than 5 cm. The lower part of the stake must be burned in advance at the stake. This will help keep it from rotting. The stake should be about 40-50 cm higher than the pit. The topsoil should be mixed with the addition of humus, compost and organic fertilizers or peat should be added.

If the soil is clayey, it is important to add sand. The soil mixture must be added to the prepared hole, to form a small hill. The thing is that over time, the soil can shrink a lot. From the lower soil layer, it is necessary to construct a curb around the circumference of the planting pit. And what remains needs to be added between the rows. A month later or in spring, a seedling can be planted in the meow. when to plant a tree depends on the weather conditions of the particular climate.

If you planted a seedling in the autumn, then the tree should have time to adapt to the new conditions before the onset of the first frost. In the springtime, you need to have time to plant before the buds bloom. As we said earlier, a stake should be placed in the center of the pit, but there should be a slight shift to the south. What size the hole will have depends on the size of the tree roots. Also, black soil must be added to the bottom of the pit, which will save the root system from direct contact with the fertilizers being applied.

It is better to plant a tree for 2 people. One should set the tree strictly in the center of the pit, while holding the tree in such a way that the root collar is 5 cm above the surface of the pit. If you set the seedling too deep or, on the contrary, very high, then the tree will not grow well and the fruiting time will shift. The second person is engaged in straightening the roots and carefully sprinkle them with fertile soil. It is necessary to compact the soil as carefully as possible, paying special attention to the edge of the pit. When you cover the roots with earth, shake the seedlings slightly. This is necessary so that the soil fits tightly, without any voids, to the roots. This will help keep the root system from drying out.

We take care of the seedlings

After you plant the seedlings, you need to tie it to the peg using a nylon cord. You need to fix it with a free eight in 2 places. If you want the crown to be correctly formed, you need to prune the crown of the one-year-old seedlings at a height of 65-70 cm.As for the two-year-old seedlings, then they need to trim the side branches. After planting, you need to pour 2-3 buckets of water. Watering should be small so that moisture can be absorbed into the soil. then it is necessary to mulch the trunk circle. To do this, take the remaining soil, needles and sawdust.

If the planting was in the spring, then the mulching layer is made larger. This will protect the soil from drying out. Spring planting needs to be watered once every 7 days, if the weather is dry, then the amount of watering is increased.2-3 times it is necessary to use warm water for irrigation. Then you can water it with plain water. Finish watering in mid-August. In the first year after you plant the seedlings, fertilizing is not recommended. The minerals introduced during planting will be sufficient.