How and with what to cover a young first-year apple tree for the winter from frost and parasites, rodents

Why do you need to cover young apple trees for the winter?

In winter, fruit trees enter a period of relative dormancy. Outwardly, they seem devoid of strength, but in fact this is not true - the root system still feeds the trunk and crown, but not as actively as during the growing season.

It is important to cover young apple tree seedlings for the winter, since they are more susceptible to harmful influences, you need to provide them with additional protection. Their productivity and further growth depend on how annual trees survive the cold.

If you wrap the seedlings correctly, this will allow you to:

Protect fruit crops from low temperatures. Cold weather can cause many young plants to die. Those who are partially frozen will develop poorly and also get sick more often.
Prevent cracks and damage to the bark. The seedlings have not yet had time to form the required density of the bark, so it is quite easy to damage it. Due to cracks, the crop becomes deformed, weakens and is not resistant to diseases.
Protect from rodents. In winter, apple trees most often suffer from infestations of mice, hares and rabbits. They feed on the bark, causing the tree to become weak and unable to survive frosts.

There is also danger in strong winds. In winter, they can dry out the bark, and with the beginning of spring, together with the sun, they can cause burns.

Covering time for apple trees

There is no exact date when it is time to move to shelter. It is necessary to begin procedures after the harvest is harvested and the leaves have fallen. They go directly to the shelter when the temperature threshold drops below +10 degrees. And it is necessary to complete the procedures when there are about 14 days left before frost.

This is what apple trees look like covered for the winter.

When to cover apple trees: timing

Due to the fact that Russia is a large country and covers different climatic regions, the weather in each of them is different. Therefore, it is impossible to say exactly when it is necessary to wrap apple trees for the winter.

Attention!
In addition to the timing of the procedure, there are differences in the technology of how to properly organize insulation.

In the middle zone

Despite the fact that in these regions the average winter temperature is about -15⁰C, severe frosts occur quite often. Therefore, it is advisable to take more care in insulating apple tree seedlings.

We are talking about mulching the tree trunk circle and insulating the trunk. You can do work related to organizing proper shelter when the average daily temperature reaches +10⁰C.

In outskirts of Moscow

Due to the fact that most apple trees grow here, it is necessary to properly protect the plantings from frost in the winter between the end of September and mid-October. In this area, the average daily temperature can drop below +10⁰C much faster than in the southern regions, so insulation must be taken care of first.

In the Leningrad region

In the Leningrad region, winters are snowy and mild, but young apple trees still need to be protected. First of all, you need to wrap the trunk with white paper and mulch the tree trunk circle. This should be done from mid-September to early October.

In the Urals

Winters in the Ural and Far East are unpredictable. So, one year there may be a lot of snow, and another year there may be little. Taking into account the fact that frosts can be severe, down to -40⁰C, in order to protect young apple trees from freezing, you need to make reliable shelters. To insulate the roots and trunk, you will need a mound approximately 30 cm high. Peat, straw or manure are suitable for this.

Due to the fact that already at the beginning of November the temperature becomes stably low, it is during this period that we must begin to insulate the plants. In winter, gardeners recommend shoveling snow into them.

In Siberia

You can protect apple trees in Siberia by wrapping the trunk at a height of 1-1.5 m. The covering material can be spruce branches or agrofibre - they are secured with rope, electrical tape or wire.

This should be done in early to mid-September, so that the apple trees are protected before the onset of stable frosts. In November, owners of garden plots for fruit crops pile up as much snow as possible.

Features of sheltering columnar apple trees

The columnar apple tree is a fairly young apple variety that appeared in the 60s of the 20th century in Canada and is currently gaining more and more popularity. People fell in love with this variety for the excellent taste of the fruit, ease of cultivation, compact size, as well as for its unusual and decorative appearance, which fits perfectly into the design of almost any private plot. The columnar apple tree got its name because of its unusual shape, reminiscent of a column. They have practically no side branches, and the entire crop is located directly along the trunk. Also a distinctive feature is dwarf growth.

Covering columnar apple trees has its own characteristics related to their size and crown shape. One of these features is that dwarf apple trees are more susceptible to freezing than their taller relatives. This is explained by the fact that near the ground, or rather, near the snow cover, frosts are more severe than at some height. Therefore, apple trees of this variety require increased attention when cold weather sets in.

Also, in columnar apple trees, the apical bud suffers from frost. Affected by low temperatures, it produces two or three branches, which later turn into independent trunks. Thus, the columnar appearance of the apple tree is disrupted. Therefore, in order to protect it and maintain the shape of the column, it is often necessary to cover not only the trunk, but also the entire crown of the tree. To do this, the top of the apple tree is insulated using rags or film, putting covering material on top.

Experienced gardeners cover a columnar apple tree with dense material in order to preserve its original shape.

It is also recommended to tie a support to the apple tree to provide resistance to strong gusts of wind.

To prevent young trees from dying, the space near the roots must first be covered. Fir branches, sawdust or shavings, straw and other materials are suitable. Rodents will be repelled by nylon stockings or old rags. The higher part of the trunk, which rodents can no longer reach, should be wrapped in newspapers or toilet paper. To avoid getting wet and to prevent the wind from tearing it off, make several layers.

Saplings

It is not advisable to plant seedlings of columnar apple trees before winter - such a tree will not have time to take root properly and will not be able to fully develop. The top bud has a high chance of dying off when exposed to frost. It is best to buy and plant such apple trees in the spring. If seedlings are purchased in the fall, they need to be covered in specially dug ditches. This is done in the same way as with seedlings of tall varieties of apple trees.

The seedlings are laid out in a prepared ditch and covered with insulating materials on top. This could be spruce branches, straw, reeds, unnecessary old linoleum, roofing felt, cardboard.

In spring, seedlings must be checked and ventilated so that overheating does not occur and the process of debate does not begin.

How to cover columnar apple trees in different regions?

If you plan to plant a columnar apple tree in the northern regions, which are characterized by large amounts of precipitation, snow should be used as a covering material. The apple tree will easily survive the northern cold if you shovel as much snow as possible towards the trunk.

If planting is planned in areas where winters with little snow are typical, you need to prepare for frost as soon as the trees are planted. To do this, apple trees are located in trenches at a certain angle, focusing on the movement of the sun. The goal is to get the maximum amount of light onto the seedlings.

As a result of proper winter shelter, a columnar apple tree will delight you with its beautiful appearance and juicy, sweet fruits

Video “How to cover an apple tree for the winter”

So, all the necessary work on covering the apple trees has been done. The trees feel good, they are warm under the snow coat and covering materials. In the fall, they will once again delight your family with delicious plump apples. Have a great harvest!

Author: Elena Shikhova
Print

My name is Elena. Hobbies - music, literature, attending concerts, dancing, photography/Photoshop, learning to edit videos, regional studies, history of Europe and North America, history of Catholicism, cycling, writing various stories, sometimes short stories and poems, sometimes modeling from plasticine and polymer clay. Rate this article:

(17 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Where to start preparing fruit trees for winter

Young apple trees will survive the winter well, provided they are properly prepared for frost. All work must be done in advance.

This requires:

Remove fallen leaves, branches and rotten fruit. There is no need to leave them at the roots, because... carrion and leaves may contain pathogens of fungal infections, parasitic larvae, pathogenic microorganisms, etc. They will survive the winter well in such a shelter, and in the spring they will only cause harm.
Treat the bark and soil around the tree with a solution of copper or iron sulfate. Thanks to this, you can get rid of many parasites.
Collect lichens and moss if they appear on the bark. A solution of iron sulfate and a brush with polymer bristles will help remove them.
Whitewash the bottom of the trunk. This procedure will protect the apple tree from cracks due to temperature changes and the consequences of invasion by parasites and rodents.
Make formative pruning of the crown so that the crown is of the correct shape and the tree, in principle, grows better. This must be done at least 20-30 days before the onset of stable frosts.
Loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle, but carefully so as not to touch the roots of the apple tree. This will allow the top layer of soil to freeze, in which parasites can overwinter.
Feed. But this stage can be skipped if fertilizers were added to the ground when planting the seedlings in the spring.
Water thoroughly before the first frost so that the trees have time to soak up moisture before wintering. One tree needs 30 liters of water.

After this preparation, you can begin to cover the plant. At the same time, this rule applies not only to young seedlings, but also to adult crops growing nearby.

Attention!
Some gardeners cover the roots of the tree with mulch, which uses wood debris. This cannot be done, because... they can hide spores of fungi and pests, which will come to life in the spring and harm the crop.

Important autumn procedures

Before covering an apple tree, you need to carry out preparations, which include some important procedures.

Watering

Autumn moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out after harvesting. Branches saturated with moisture become more elastic, strong and stable. This will guarantee that the shoots will not break off due to the heavy weight of the snow cover.

But crops do not always need to be watered. If autumn is wet and there is a lot of rain, then watering is not carried out. To check the need to add moisture, you need to dig 20 cm into the tree trunk circle and pay attention to the soil. When it is dry, you need to add water.

Watering rates are different and vary depending on the age of the apple tree. For young people, it is enough to add about 30 liters; for adults, this figure already reaches 60-70 liters. Tall apple trees need more water. Usually they check for a sufficient amount of moisture using a bayonet: the soil should be wet by 50 cm.

Digging and fertilizing

Before digging up the soil, you need to clean the tree trunk well. Use a pitchfork to remove all remaining vegetation and fallen leaves. You can dig with a shovel, but it’s better with a pitchfork. Do this carefully so as not to damage the roots of the plant. An important purpose of digging is to disturb pests that can settle in the tree trunk and find shelter there for the winter.

Applying fertilizer to the apple tree.

The apple tree needs to be fed 20-25 days before frost. This is exactly the amount of time needed for the nutrients to be absorbed. The ideal option would be to add organic matter. Humus or compost is poured under the tree; this is often done before digging or after harvesting it is applied with a rake. For an adult apple tree, 2 buckets are enough. You can add 50 grams of superphosphate and 30 grams of potassium chloride.

Whitewash

The trunk is whitewashed to protect the plants from frost damage and cracking of the trunks. The stem is not exposed to the sun and does not get burned.

Whitewashing also helps remove pests that overwinter under the bark. And what is important for young crops that grow in cold regions is that they are not damaged by rodents.

You need to cover the trunks with the solution up to the first fork of the skeletal shoots, catching them a little. Whitewashing should be done on a fine day, at a temperature higher than +3 degrees. You need to choose a warm day so that it doesn’t rain after whitewashing. A mixture of clay and lime is used, with copper sulfate added for better effect.

Removing branches

Sanitary pruning in the fall is necessary in any case. It is carried out in order to clear the crown of debris and old broken branches. You will need to remove those shoots that are diseased and withered, including healthy tissue.

Scheme for autumn pruning of apple trees.

The cut should be made with sharp pruning shears or garden shears to ensure even healing. A large area needs to be covered with garden varnish.

Pest protection

To remove pests, you need to carefully inspect the plant. You can often notice places where the bark is coming off. It is there that harmful insects hide and look for a secluded place for wintering.

In some cases, treatment against harmful insects is carried out in the fall. It is necessary to spray with pesticides if there was a massive accumulation of pests in the summer. In other cases, there is no need for additional spraying.

Irrigation

Some prefer to carry out the irrigation procedure in order to saturate the shoots of apple trees with moisture. This is usually done after harvesting in the southern regions and those where strong gusts of dry wind dry out all living things.

Rodent protection

To prevent the bark of plants, especially young ones, from being influenced by hungry mice and hares, it is wrapped with dense material. Some people prefer to scatter poison in a circle around the tree trunk to poison mice, but this method is not always rational and humane.

Wrapped bark on an apple tree.

Protection against rodents also involves the use of repellents. These could be ribbons stretched in the garden that make an unpleasant sound, or even commercial ultrasonic repellers.

Protection from diseases

To strengthen the immunity of the apple tree, you need to carry out the entire range of procedures. The plant will be maximally protected from diseases if it is reliably covered, fed and pruned.

What materials can be used for shelter

It is necessary to cover not only the root system of the seedlings, but also the trunk. Mulch will help prevent the roots from freezing. But often novice gardeners do not know how to cover a young apple tree. You should choose only natural materials - after the snow melts, they rot and turn into additional feeding.

Most often gardeners use:

Agrofibre. The material retains heat and does not need to be treated with disinfectant antifungal agents. You can wrap it around the trunk and spread it in the circle around the trunk.
Slate or roofing felt. It must be laid so that the insulation layer is not blown away by the wind. But the disadvantage of such insulation is that when it gets warmer, you will have to come to your dacha or garden plot to remove it.
Newspapers - they are used to insulate the lower branches, wrapping them in several layers. It is better to fix it with a cord.
Corn stalks and straw. Mice can live in them, so it is additionally recommended to add poison.
Toilet paper - it should be old and rough. You should start wrapping from the root collar, then the trunk and slightly lower branches. You should get 3-6 layers. Secure the top with twine.
Natural materials. This group includes sawdust (better than coniferous trees), large shavings, manure, peat, spruce branches, and mown grass.

In regions with a cold climate, low crops must be covered from the stem to the crown, and insulation must be laid out in the form of a hut. It is convenient to build a cone from spruce branches. Coniferous branches will stand on their own; they should not be pressed down with polyethylene.

It is also convenient to lay out the cut and dried grass in the form of a hut. To prevent it from falling to the trunk, it must be pulled with ribbons of fabric or paper.

Attention!
Before using natural materials, they must be dried.

There is another method of insulation, which appeared relatively recently. These are plastic bottles. Initially, the trunk needs to be wrapped in old nylon tights, and then put on a bottle, which must be cut lengthwise in advance. The diameter of the container depends on the thickness of the trunk. With the help of such a shelter you can protect the tree from frost and rodents.

Apple tree pruning

Here it is at the discretion of the summer resident, since opinions on when it is better to do this - in spring or autumn - are diametrically opposed. But if there are dry, diseased branches, then you should definitely remove them. And the formation of the crown is a different question, having only an indirect relation to the topic of preparing an apple tree for winter.

It may be interesting: Pruning fruit trees in summer and winter

If the side branches of the apple tree are quite long, and the winter in the region is characterized by heavy snowfalls, then it is advisable to “pull” them to the trunk and tie them up. Otherwise, there is a risk that the branches will break off under the weight of the crust and high wind load.

Preventive treatment of apple trees

After removing debris from the tree trunk, it is advisable to sprinkle the tree with a solution of vitriol (iron or copper). Many summer residents consider urea to be no less effective and use only it, although these are not the only options for drugs.

Important: Spraying trees in the fall - rules

Sheltering young apple trees for the winter: step-by-step instructions

The method of covering the apple tree depends not only on its age, but also on its height. Young seedlings need more careful insulation. In order for young trees to survive the winter, care must be taken to protect the trunk and roots.

The soil is mulched after loosening the tree trunk circle and watering. For this, gardeners use manure and compost. In the spring, after the snow melts, they will become a good fertilizer for the crop. Rotted sawdust is laid out in a thick layer on top of the organic matter.

On the trunk, the greatest attention should be paid to the root collar - “breathable” material is ideal for wrapping it. There is a certain algorithm for insulating the main part. So, you will need:

Attach agrofibre, burlap or thick paper to the trunk.
Wrap the material around it 5-6 times. It is permissible to lay spruce branches between the layers.
Fasten the free edge securely. For fixation, you can use a cord or wire.

Attention!
It is better to use white material, as it reflects the sun's rays well. Roofing felt and film are not suitable, because they do not allow air to pass through and cause the bark to dry out when the temperature rises.

When the root system and roots are protected, a hill of dry, loose soil 30 cm high should be thrown over the seedling. After snow has fallen in large quantities, it is recommended to throw it to the first year, if possible.

To cover a seedling for the winter you need:

Find a fairly dry place on the site, protected from drafts.
Make a hole in this place 50 cm deep and 35 cm wide.
In the case of a very loose substrate, you will need to add humus to the groove.
Soak the roots in a clay mash.
Plant the seedling in the hole, sprinkle peat and humus on top.
Lay a layer of agrofibre.
After planting, sprinkle the entire area with straw and tie up the branches of the apple tree.

The pre-selected covering material must be treated with a disinfectant composition. Only after this can you wrap the above-ground part of the seedling.

Nuances of insulating apple trees for other regions

If everything is more or less clear with the middle zone and southern regions, then with the regions of the Urals or Siberia everything is somewhat more complicated:

It is almost impossible to predict exactly what winter will be like in the Urals. Sometimes frosts in these areas can reach -40 degrees, so you need to take care of shelter for apple orchards already in mid-September. It is best to lay covering material in the form of a layer cake: one or more types of insulating raw materials are used, straw, peat mixture or manure (in the root zone) is poured on top of it to protect the plant from freezing in the ground.
In most regions of Siberia, apple tree plantings are insulated in the same way as in the Urals, i.e. in early to mid-September. The trunk and branches are usually covered up to a level of 1.5 m. Peat mass or straw should be thrown over the area of the root system. After the snow falls, you need to heat up as thick a layer of snow mass as possible under the apple tree to additionally protect the roots and lower part of the tree from freezing.

Protecting trees from rodents

Agrofibre provides protection for young apple trees not only from frost, but also from rodents: hares, mice, and rabbits who love young bark. Plastic bottles also cope with the same task. The trunk and chain-link mesh or plastic film wrapped on top of the insulating layer will be preserved. It is better to place newspapers under the film. The paper will absorb condensation that forms during warming. But in the spring the protection will need to be removed.

The trunk must be wrapped in material to a height of 100 cm from the ground. Insulation can be supplemented by treating with a mixture with a strong odor that can repel rodents. This can be naphthalene, peppermint oil, creolin, etc.

Attention!
It is better to build a shaft of earth around the seedlings. It will help hold the snow.

It wouldn’t hurt to hang dark colored polyethylene ribbons on the branches. When there is wind, they will rustle and thus scare away uninvited guests.

Rodents also do not disdain the root system of a young apple tree, so it is necessary to protect them too. Any metal or plastic fence must be dug to a depth of 30 cm around the perimeter of the circle around the trunk. The distance from the trunk should be 25-30 cm.

If you have the opportunity to visit the garden in winter, then you need to compact the snow around the plantings from time to time. Due to the dense layer, rodents will also not be able to get to the roots.

Reasons for hiding

In winter, fruit trees are in a dormant stage. But at this time, nutrition continues through the root system and crown. Young seedlings need additional protection, as they are more vulnerable.

Insulation for an apple tree is necessary not only as protection from severe frosts. There are other dangers:

Rodents. The covering material will not allow mice, hares and rabbits to get to the bark. This way, the tree will not be damaged and will withstand frost.
Damage and cracking of the bark. This is especially true for young trees whose bark is not yet sufficiently strengthened and formed. Its cracking will lead to damage to the plant, its weakening and disease.
Read also: Why do tomato leaves dry out and turn yellow in a greenhouse: determine the reasons
Strong winds. In winter, it dries out the bark, and in the spring, together with the sun, it can burn the bark.

On a note!
The duration of covering depends on the variety. Frost-resistant varieties stop covering at the 6th year, while the columnar variety is covered constantly. In Siberia, this procedure is carried out on all trees every year. Depending on how well and tightly the plant is covered, the quality of the harvest and the timing of fruiting depend.

Common mistakes gardeners make

Experienced gardeners know how to properly prepare and wrap an apple tree, especially a young one, so that it survives the winter well. Beginners in this business often encounter difficulties while performing these procedures. As a result, plants die due to rodent infestation or improper shelter.

The most common mistakes of novice gardeners:

pruning was carried out at the wrong time, which reduces the winter hardiness of crops;
plant remains with parasite larvae were left in the tree trunk circle;
improper watering, which will only do harm instead of benefit;
untimely covering of the tree - the procedure must be carried out at +10°C.

Another mistake can be attributed to the fact that gardeners do not remove shelters in time. With the onset of warm weather, the roots and root collar of the crop begin to dry out. Old mulch should be removed immediately after the snow melts.

There is nothing complicated about covering a young apple tree. The main thing is to choose the right material, determine the timing, and also study the features of such manipulation. For beginner gardeners, there are training videos and instructions with step-by-step photos.

How to cover apple trees in winter

It is simply necessary to cover apple trees, especially their seedlings, in winter. This simple procedure will save your trees from frost and rodents. Mice and hares love to feast on the tender bark of seedlings in winter.

There are many ways to wrap a barrel: • nylon stockings • several layers of newspaper • plastic (flour) bags • roofing felt • old rags • cellophane (the same as with roofing felt, it is necessary to remove it at the first spring thaw, otherwise the barrel will burn) • straw, reeds, spruce, etc.

I will offer another interesting, and most importantly fast and aesthetic way of covering apple tree trunks for the winter. For this purpose, thermal insulation for pipes made of foamed polyethylene is used. It is produced in various diameters (internal diameter from 16 to 110 mm), the length of the whip is 2 meters (enough for 4-6 trees, if you cover them at 0.4-0.5 meters), the price for 2 meters 25 mm in diameter is only 30 rubles

There is a weld on the pipe, by tearing the insulation along which you can put on the trunk of your favorite apple tree, like a fur coat. For reliability, you can wrap it with tape or twine.

Both heat and rodents do not like this material, and it is easy to handle, inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing. By removing the insulation in the spring, you can use it to cover apple trees next year.

After the fruits are collected, the trees begin to actively accumulate nutrients. At this time, rapid growth of suction roots occurs. Therefore, within two weeks after harvesting the fruits, it is necessary to feed the apple trees with organic and mineral fertilizers. If some of the small roots are damaged during digging, they will recover very quickly during this period. Do not delay digging the soil and applying fertilizers, otherwise the end of the growing season will be delayed, which will negatively affect the winter hardiness of apple trees. It is necessary that at the beginning of autumn the shoots of the current year stop growing and ripen, which is very important for a favorable overwintering.

To stop the growth of shoots, the tree trunk circles should be freed from mulch and potassium and phosphorus fertilizers should be applied to the zone of the active root system. Those apple trees that only receive full mineral fertilizer only in early spring, and then, only in the second half of summer - potassium and phosphorus, will survive the winter better. We should not forget that with a lack of potassium, frost resistance is significantly reduced, just as when nitrogen is added in the second half of summer. Nitrogen stimulates shoot growth and negatively affects the frost resistance of the bark and cambium, which is especially important for young specimens. The condition of apple trees in winter depends largely on how saturated their tissues are with water. As a rule, those trees that do not lack moisture during the growing season feel better during the cold period. However, waterlogging is also an unfavorable factor that reduces the winter hardiness of apple trees. For young gardens, a dangerous phenomenon is the summer cessation of growth, which occurs prematurely due to lack of proper care. This is often followed by secondary growth, and the tissues do not have time to mature by winter. To prevent these unfavorable phenomena, plants must be provided with moisture throughout the growing season.

Practice shows that wintering of apple trees and other fruit trees is more favorable provided that the soil is sufficiently moistened in the autumn-winter period. In this case, the last growing season watering is of great importance, which for autumn-winter varieties is carried out at the end of fruit formation, and for summer varieties - after harvesting. It is also recommended to protect the bark of apple trees from mice and other rodents during the winter, as they weaken the tree, thereby reducing its winter hardiness. To do this, tree trunks are wrapped with roofing felt, mulch paper, roofing felt and other suitable materials. You can cover the trunk with cut spruce branches, sunflower stems, reeds, blackberries, raspberries or wormwood. It is important that these materials fit tightly to the bark of the trunks. Tying is carried out in late autumn, since this procedure, if carried out too early, delays the growing season of trees and reduces the winter hardiness of plants. When preparing for winter, special attention should be paid to protecting apple trees from diseases and pests. After leaf fall, you can treat the trees with a solution of iron sulfate, urea or other preparations.

Diseased branches need to be cut down and burned. The fungus Fusicladium dendriticum, the causative agent of scab, one of the most common diseases of apple and pear trees, overwinters on fallen leaves, as well as the flower beetle and many other pests and fungi. Therefore, an important step in preparing apple trees for winter is cleaning and destroying fallen leaves.

The soil around the trees is dug up to destroy flower beetles, codling moth caterpillars and other insects that are dangerous pests of apple trees. In the fall, the carrion is also removed, in which the codling moth caterpillars also remain. It is recommended to bury fallen apples to a depth of at least half a meter, or burn them. If hunting belts were hung on tree trunks in summer, they are removed and burned before wintering, after releasing ladybugs and other beneficial insects.

In the fall, you need to remove the wintering nests of goldentail and hawthorn from the branches and burn them, as well as remove mummified fruits, which often serve as sources of the spread of diseases, especially fruit rot. You can hang a feeder on a tree and feed tits and other birds that will destroy pests. The ancient tradition of whitening the trunks of fruit trees for the winter also makes sense. Lime mortar is a good way to prevent frost holes that appear during sudden temperature changes. In addition, it is a good protection against early spring and winter sunburn. And adding a fungicide and insecticide to the solution will also help to destroy diseases and stem pests that remain overwintering under the bark and in its crevices.

Young trees are whitened without preparation, and the trunks of adult trees must first be cleared of dead bark, lichens and mosses. Before this procedure, you need to place a film or tarpaulin on the soil under the tree, onto which the old bark and other organic residues will be poured, which should then be burned. The right time for this work is when the autumn rains stop and the air temperature drops to 2 - 3 °C. The weather should be dry and windless.

It is recommended to pay special attention to young apple trees, and, first of all, to those weakened by transplantation.

If frosts occur before snow falls, they are hilled to a height of 30–40 cm or the tree trunk circles are mulched with a 5 cm layer of peat. This work will help protect tree roots from freezing.

There is no need to rush into hilling, and in the spring it must be removed in a timely manner, since otherwise the lower part of the trunk may be supported, which will cause weakening of the tree and may even lead to its death.

In regions with snowy winters, crowns may break under the weight of snow. They can be prevented by pulling the side branches towards the central conductor and tying them with twine in several places. All these numerous procedures for preparing apple trees for winter will help keep the trees healthy and strong, and get a good harvest next season.

Deadlines

It is necessary to cover apple trees for the winter in the gardens of Siberia not only correctly, but also on time. This is the most crucial moment that influences the future fate of the tree. If you hurry, the trees will continue to grow - they will send out young shoots.

When to start covering apple trees:

sap flow has completely stopped;
the temperature settled at minus 10°C;
the tree is fully prepared for shelter - cut, cleaned, painted, etc.;
the leaves have completely fallen off;
The approximate dates for covering trees in Siberia and the north are November 15-30.

Necessary materials

To protect young fruit trees in winter, it is imperative to prepare covering materials and ensure the safety of the plant from insects and rodents. Simply wrapping the trunk in a plastic cocoon is not enough. If rats, hares and mice appear on the site, there is a risk of damage to the thin bark of young trees. For normal protection, it is recommended to prepare the following materials:

heat insulator - spruce branches, agrofibre, or other insulation;
fabric for tying - wire, tape, polyethylene, rope;
fence - plastic or metal solid mesh;
insecticides and pesticides - to kill pests and repel them.

On a note!

Bordeaux mixture can be used as a complex solution that is completely harmless to the plant. It is used to treat covering materials and soil in the tree trunk circle.

What trees cover

Often novice gardeners are interested in what apple trees are covered for the winter. First of all, it is worth emphasizing that only those fruit trees that are under seven years old need winter insulation.

Well, as for crops older than this age, they only need the construction of a protective frame from winter attacks of rodents and treatment of the tree trunk from parasites and defects.

The most demanding for such manipulation are seedlings that were planted in the fall of the current year. The fact is that they have not yet grown strong, and if they are not prepared for the coming winter, then there is a high probability of the trees dying.

Therefore, if you are making new plantings in your front garden, then you will need to learn in more detail about how to prepare the planted apple trees for the upcoming frosts, so that in a few years you can enjoy sweet and juicy apples from your front garden.

How to care for apple trees after sheltering for the winter

Winter care is necessary for all apple trees. But each climate zone has its own nuances. Winter care:

checking the integrity of the covering material;
throwing snow on a tree trunk;
checking the tree for damage from rodents.

Winter pruning of trees is good only for the southern part and central Russia, where frosts are not so severe. Carrying out this operation with trees in Siberia is extremely dangerous.

Sheltering pear seedlings for the winter. Preparing seedlings for winter

The branches of a young pear can be carefully tied to the trunk of the tree so that strong winter winds and wet sticking snow cannot break them. We tie the tree itself to a peg driven near the trunk. Some gardeners recommend tying branches of young pears to pegs with twine (each branch to a separate peg). Just like mature trees, we water the seedlings thoroughly before frost. We cover the tree trunk circles with mulch (sawdust, peat) with a layer of up to 30 cm. We shovel more snow onto the roots. But we make sure that this snow does not become covered with a crust of ice after the thaw. If this happens, you need to loosen it so that air can pass to the trunks of the seedlings.

We wrap the stems with spruce branches and tie them with twine (from rodents).

It is better to transplant seedlings in the spring, since unrooted plants may freeze or will be sick for a long time until they can recover.

Few novice gardeners know that failure to comply with the technology of preparing fruit crops for wintering has a negative impact on the fruiting of plants. Today we will share tips on how to insulate a pear for the winter in order to improve the harvest of the next growing season.

In early September, potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to the soil. It is better to save nitrogen-containing preparations until spring. Around mid-autumn, water-recharging watering of fruit trees is carried out. However, if the autumn turns out to be rich in precipitation, you can refuse watering or reduce the amount of water several times. The soil should be saturated to 1 m. After the water is absorbed, the soil in the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, sawdust, straw, pine branches or dry opal leaves. Make sure there are no harmful insects in the foliage. A layer of mulch protects the pear from cooling during a period of unexpected thaw and sharp further cooling.

One of the stages of preparing a pear for winter is sanitary pruning of the crown. Every autumn, the branches of fruit trees need to be pruned, removing old, dried, injured and disease- and insect-damaged shoots.