When to Plant Fruit Trees: All about Rules and Timing

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Margarita Merkusheva 05/24/2019

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Planting fruit crops does not bypass anyone, neither the owners of empty land, nor the owners of luxury plots. Some are making their dreams of a beautiful garden come true, others are rejuvenating the existing one. For all necessary work, there are rules that determine the best time to plant fruit trees.

It's the right time

Planting time depends on the region and type of tree

The following points influence the landing season:

What type of plant is the plant being planted?
How favorable is the weather of the selected season?
From the region where cultivation will take place
From soil type

Fruit crops are divided into types:

stone fruit
pomaceae

Favorable time for planting fruit trees by region:

Fruit trees

Cherry, plum, apricot, cherry plum, sweet cherry are plants that love warmth. They belong to the stone type. In areas of the middle zone, this species cannot take root in the autumn before the winter cold sets in. Therefore, the best time to plant it for these regions is spring (from the 2nd half of March to mid-April).

The most popular representatives of the pome type are pear and apple trees. They are not demanding in taking care of themselves and are more resistant to cold weather. In middle latitudes they are planted in the fall before frost (1-1.5 months). If early frosts occur or autumn precipitation continues for a long time, then planting is postponed to the spring season.

Seed-type planting is carried out in spring and in areas with short summer and autumn seasons (northern regions and risky farming zones). During these periods, all types of plantings do not take root well here.

Autumn tree planting

In the southern regions, all types of fruit trees are planted in the fall , because... cooling here occurs in November or even in mid-December. And with the onset of heat, this is not the best period for rooting small trees due to dry weather conditions that occur very early.

If heavy soil predominates in the garden area, the planting of seed-type crops is postponed to the spring , and in the fall planting holes are prepared to adjust the soil structure.

Adviсe:

During periods of prolonged rains, prolonged drought and during recurrent spring frosts, it is not recommended to work with planting material
autumn planting is carried out before the winter cold sets in (at least a month in advance)
heavy soil is not suitable for arranging a garden plot, so planting seedlings should be postponed until the spring

We do not exclude the summer period

A seedling with a closed root system can be planted in summer without harm

Modern gardeners do not always follow the rules. This also applies to the arrangement of the garden plot, namely planting fruit plants in the summer season. Moreover, today this can be done without harming small trees.

Heat is not a favorable condition for normal rooting. This is detrimental to bare-rooted planting material. He will feel more comfortable if the temperature around him is low and the soil is well saturated with moisture.

Today, plant growing establishments sell seedlings in containers. The root system of such a tree is in a soil mixture that is good for it, which protects it and prevents it from drying out. Therefore, it does not matter what the temperature will be during disembarkation.

The installed automatic watering system on the site makes the summer period (namely June) the preferred time for planting seedlings. The specific day is selected according to the lunar calendar. The most favorable period is the 2nd and 3rd quarter of the Moon's activity.

Soil temperature also matters. It should not exceed 250C. If the weather is hot, planting work is carried out early in the morning (before 8.00) or late in the evening (before sunset). This way it will be possible to prevent the roots from burning and create conditions for better adaptation of the tree.

Planting a pear

Benefits of summer planting:

leisurely opportunity to select a seedling, because in summer, nurseries do not have a large influx of visitors
The growing season is the best moment to evaluate all the advantages of the purchased planting material
trees planted in the summer have a better chance of taking root before the cold weather sets in than their counterparts planted in the autumn season

During the summer planting period, all ovaries on the seedling are removed. This will make it stronger, which will allow it to endure the winter more steadfastly.

Planting fruit tree seedlings with your own hands - tips

Useful recommendations for gardeners:

How to plant an apple tree?

Early-fruiting varieties of some apple trees can bloom in the first spring. But they are not yet developed enough to form a full-fledged harvest in the fall. Therefore, for good survival, the buds are cut off before they bloom. In the second year (provided that the plant develops without problems), a couple of dozen flowers are left on the tree.

Among the most easily adaptable varieties of apple trees are: “Grushovka Moskovskaya”, “Antonovka ordinary”, “Summer striped”, “Brusnichnoe”, “Dessert Isaeva”, “Gift to Grafsky”, “Cinnamon new”. Good varieties: “China Kerr”, “Arkadik”, “Ovalnoe”, “Lungwort” and “Candy”.

How to plant a pear?

Most types of pears known to summer residents do not have special requirements for exposure and soil composition. But pear trees take root and grow better in humus-rich, loose soils and well-lit areas. Young plants do not tolerate drought. In the first years they need to be watered abundantly and often. Pears begin to bear fruit at the age of 3-8 years.

As a result of hybridization of species, specialists in the field of breeding have developed a huge number of interesting varieties. Among the popular ones: “Pear Favorite Klappa”, “Pear Lada”, “Pear Nectar”, “Cathedral”, “Allegro”, “Dibrovskaya”, “Beauty Chernenko”.

How to plant cherries?

The fruiting of cherries largely depends on the planting location on the site. Wrong choice leads to poor growth and poor yields. The cherry root system, located close to the surface, is sensitive to drought. Therefore, loosening after watering is done extremely carefully.

In the gardens of our country, local, winter-hardy varieties predominate: “Octava”, “Bagryannaya”, “Kentskaya”, “Shubinka”, “Rossoshanskaya Chernaya”, “Rusinka”, “Polevka”, “Molodezhnaya”, “Malinovka”, “Prima” , “Turgenevka”, “Lyubskaya”, “Zhukovskaya”, “Generous”.

Planting a tree with your own hands - video

Location

Rational use of territory

Often gardeners are overly concerned about the quality of the soil and do not think through the plan according to which trees will be planted. By doing this they are making a big mistake, because... Soil type can be adjusted as planting holes are formed.

But how the plantings will be illuminated and how well ventilated is of great importance .

In order for the trees to be well nourished and receive sufficient moisture, they should not be planted close to each other.

Shading of plantings by the crown of an adult plant increases the risk of developing various infections (fungi, viruses) in the area and complicates the pollination stage during flowering. All this will affect the volume of the harvest and the size of the fruit.

If you follow the planting plan, this will make it easier to care for trees in the future, trim them, and spray them. Before forming planting holes, a diagram must be drawn on paper calculating the density of future plantings.

When planting crops in a single copy, special attention is paid to their distance from any garden buildings and equipped paths.

Planting seedlings

The interval between planting fruit seedlings among themselves and from outbuildings:

To rationally use the territory, berry crops (strawberries, currants) are placed between the fruit trees.

The solar illumination of the garden where the plantings will be arranged should be at least half of the daytime . During the first years, young seedlings are afraid of drafts, and their roots need unhindered access to moisture.

Crops that produce fruit consume moisture in large quantities. It is advisable to locate them in places where the groundwater level is high.

Selection of planting material

Fruit tree seedlings

The best place to purchase fruit seedlings is nurseries. Here, trees are grown following all the rules of agricultural technology, and consultants will explain in detail how to plant and how to care for a particular variety.

The risk that the purchased seedling is infected with pests and infections in such institutions is reduced to zero.

Sapling with bare root system

Open root system

When purchasing planting material whose roots are exposed, it is important to keep an eye on the following points:

1to ensure a high probability of tree survival, varieties suitable for a given region are selected

2 the healthy condition of the material is indicated by roots with an abundance of shoots; a sign of the disease is a brown tint of the rhizome and layers on it

3The length of the rhizome should be at least 25-30 cm, and the stem should not have any defects

4 it is necessary to preserve the seedling in a damp cloth with which its roots are wrapped (if the rhizome dries out, it is soaked in settled water for 1-2 days with the addition of a drug to stimulate development or to resuscitate the weakened plant)

5By purchasing planting material with exposed rhizomes, you can not only save money, but also consider more carefully what you buy in detail. Although its survival rate may be worse when compared with the material in a lump of soil mixture.

Sapling in a container

Buying a tree in a container means there is a greater chance that the plant will take root. But checking the viability of the material is necessary:

All external parts of the seedling (bark, branches) are carefully inspected. The vegetative mass (if any) should have rich and uniform color
The pot is turned over and the bottom is inspected for the presence of strong roots that grow through the drainage holes
The tree is carefully lifted by the root part of the stem . Free release from the container indicates that it was transplanted a long time ago and that the root system has been well developed during this time. During recent transplantation of seedlings in places for growing plants, the roots are cut so that they fit into the transport pot

Preparing planting holes

We prepare the planting hole in advance in compliance with the required dimensions

The most optimal solution is when the holes for planting are prepared in advance, i.e. if planting is planned in the spring, the hole is prepared in the fall; for autumn planting, preparations begin in the spring season.

If the deadlines are missed, the formation of holes is possible half a month before planting. During this time, the soil will subside and all empty spaces that could cause root rot will disappear.

All types of fruit crops and fruit and berry bushes begin to vary in size with age (2-3 years). For this reason, the size of the prepared holes for each type is different:

In order for the seedling to begin to bear fruit faster, the hole for it must be wide and shallow.

Planting fruit trees

Holes about 1 m wide and 60-80 cm deep are made in areas where the soil is heavy, because nutrients (the main part of them) are located in the surface layer, the most fertile . If the roots are too deep, the tree will not be able to feed and adapt normally.

The process of digging a hole:

1 A peg is driven into the central part of the proposed hole, onto which a cord with a metal rod is tied. They will draw the required circle

2Digging a hole

3The excavated soil is laid out on different sides: in the 1st - the upper dark fertile layer, in the 2nd - the lower lighter layer

4If necessary, the surface layer is adjusted: to heavy soil - add 1 bucket (partial) of sand, to light soil - chernozem or soil from the garden, diluted in equal proportions with peat

5Acidic soil, 10-15 days. Before planting the tree, it is limed with dolomite flour or chalk. Fertilizer is applied when planting

How to choose an apple tree variety for planting in the Moscow region?

First you need to decide when you want to harvest from them.

Summer varieties of apples.

According to the ripening period, all varieties of apple trees are divided into:

Summer varieties ripen at the beginning of August, and especially early varieties at the end of July. Do not store longer than 2 weeks.
Autumn. They ripen in September and can be stored for 1-2 months.
Winter apple varieties ripen in October. They are stored for a long time, from 3 months to six months.

Advice! The optimal number in the garden would be 1 summer apple tree, 1-2 autumn ones and 2-3 winter ones if you are growing them for storage.

For the Moscow region, it is better to choose winter-hardy varieties - they better tolerate our cold and not always snowy winters.

Summer varieties of apple trees

Melba;
Mantent;
Candy;
Moscow pear;
Lungwort;
Padding;
Pink is excellent.

Autumn varieties

Brown striped;
Zhigulevskoe;
Spartacus;
Anise;
Zhigulevskoe;
Rossoshansky striped;
Antonovka;
Glory to the winners.

Winter varieties

Northern synapse;
Kutuzovets;
Golden;
Kuibyshevskoe;
Star;
Saffron;
Moscow winter;
Richard.

Disembarkation rules

Feeding with ash

Mineral-organic mixtures or chemical additives are added to the planting material, but organic matter is not added. When using organics, nitrogen agrochemicals are not used.

For seed types, several types of fertilizers are applied into a hole with a diameter of 1 m and a depth of 60 cm, which differ in composition:

1 Rotted compost – 4 buckets (10 l each) / simple superphosphate – 400 g (double – 200 g) / potassium sulfate – 200 g

2 Humus – 3 buckets / bone meal – 1 kg / simple superphosphate – 200 g / potassium sulfate – 200 g

In the cold season, potassium sulfate can be replaced with potassium chloride if desired. Instead of chemicals, ash is used for environmentally friendly cultivation in the following proportions: 1 hole / 1 liter of ash.

For stone fruit types, fertilizing is introduced into a hole up to 80 cm in diameter and 40 cm deep, reduced in volume by 2 times.

Cherry planting

The process of planting a seedling with a bare rhizome:

1The bottom of the pit is filled with a nutrient mixture, which is prepared from half the amount of the fertilizer mixture and part of the soil from the upper layer. A cone-shaped mound is formed from the mixture

2 Planting material is placed on the mound. Its roots are evenly placed in a circle

3The second half of the fertilizer is poured onto the roots. The seedling is gently shaken to prevent possible empty space between the roots.

4Water is poured at the rate of: 1 hole / 2-4 buckets (depending on the age of the tree)

5The recess is filled with the remainder of the soil from the upper layer to the level of the root collar. The root fossa is formed from the lower layer along the edges of the trunk circle

6The tree is watered, with the stream directed into the root hole

7Using leaves, straw, and mown grass, the tree trunk circle is mulched. Chips and sawdust are used as a mulch covering on alkaline soils.

If you deepen the root collar, the tree will not begin to bear fruit soon. The best option would be not to close the neck, but to correct the defect by simply adding fertile soil.

Saplings with bare rhizomes

The process of planting a plant with a hidden root system is simpler compared to the previous option:

1Initially, half of the feeding mixture is also mixed with ½ part of the fertile layer of soil. All this is placed at the bottom of the prepared recess.

2The plant is placed in the hole along with a lump of soil in which the root system has already been formed.

3The remaining fertilizer is distributed along the edges and watered well

4The hole is filled with soil remaining from the top fertile layer

5Everything is watered again

6Trunk circle is covered with mulch

How to plant an apple tree in autumn and spring?

Decide on a landing site. One of the common mistakes when choosing a location is close proximity to other trees.

Apple trees on a dwarf rootstock.
For an apple tree grown on a semi-dwarf rootstock (and this is basically all modern seedlings), the distance from other trees should be at least 3 meters. Tall varieties are planted no closer than 5 meters from other trees.
IMPORTANT! It is better to choose a sunny place, protected from strong winds, with a groundwater level of at least 3 meters.
Prepare the planting hole . It is better to do this in advance, 2-3 weeks before disembarkation. To do this, dig a hole 70-80 cm deep and wide. The bottom of the hole is loosened with a shovel so that the earth is more actively saturated with oxygen and it is easier for the roots of the plant to make their way to the moist soil at depth.
Prepare the seedling for planting. The purchased apple tree must be soaked in water for 4-6 hours in any root formation stimulator (preparations "Epin", "Kornevin", "Heteroauxin", "Kornerost"). Soaking in water will nourish the dried roots, and the use of a stimulant will increase the survival rate of the seedling. Suitable for opponents of industrial drugs folk remedies to accelerate the growth of roots:
Yeast solution 100 grams (small packet) per bucket of water.
Assess the composition of your soil: is it clay or sandy. The first year the seedling takes root in the planting hole. It is not yet strong enough, and it needs to create optimal conditions for growing. Once established, the apple tree grows on any type of soil, except swampy. If the soil is poor and sandy, add black soil to it. If the soil is heavy, with a high clay content, or simply “packed” virgin soil that has not been cultivated for a long time, add sand to it, 2-3 buckets for the entire planting hole.
Plant a seedling, following simple rules:
estimate the depth of planting of the seedling. The grafting site should rise 5-8 centimeters above the ground.
Pour soil into a heap at the bottom of the hole and place a seedling in the center. Spread the roots of the apple tree in different directions and downwards so that they are not located in one bunch. Fill the hole with prepared soil, lightly pressing it down with your hands.
water the plant with 3-4 buckets of water.
tie to the peg in 2 places: top and bottom.

ATTENTION! Before winter, at the first frost, young apple trees are wrapped with covering material - white, translucent material. This needs to be done for the first 3-4 years, until the plant has fully grown.

The planting process in autumn and spring is the same, differing only in the choice of fertilizers applied.

Rules of care

The first couple of seasons require sufficient and systematic watering.

For the first couple of seasons, all types of fruit trees require sufficient and systematic watering, even if the seedlings were planted in the fall. Watering stops only when cold weather sets in.

The inflorescences of the first flowering are removed. The fruit tree will spend a lot of energy on inflorescences and fruit formation, and the development of the root system and crown will stop.

During the first 3 years, formative pruning of the trunk will be required, as well as regular spraying with special preparations that protect the young seedling from pests and diseases.

In winter, the tree trunk circle is mulched to protect young roots from frost. The trunk also needs to be wrapped with a special covering material that will protect it from frostbite and rodents.

Whitewashing will protect against sunburn and will prevent garden pests

With the onset of spring, the trunk becomes white. This will protect it from sunburn and will prevent garden pests.

Growing a garden that will bear fruit abundantly requires a lot of effort and patience. Each stage of fruit crop development requires careful care.

To begin with, take care to determine the optimal time for planting, purchase a healthy seedling and properly prepare the planting hole. Only if all conditions are met can you get a wonderful harvest.

How the moon affects plants

During its movement in the sky, the earth's satellite goes through four phases:
The duration of the lunar month is 29.5 days. The development and growth of plants depends on the state of the visible moon. Gardeners and gardeners are guided by the instructions of the lunar calendar when carrying out all agricultural work. This helps them grow a good harvest of ripe and healthy fruits and vegetables.

Work that should be carried out during the waxing moon

During the waxing moon, the movement of juices is directed from the roots upward to the ground parts of the plants.
the growth of all vegetation is activated. It is during this period of time that it is recommended to carry out all types of work: The waxing moon determines the activation of all processes aimed at the growth and formation of fruits. The period lasts from new moon to full moon.

Work on the waning moon

The period of the waning (detrimental) moon begins after the full moon and continues until the next new moon.
At this time, the movement of sap in trees and plants is directed from the tops to the roots. On the days of the waning moon, they recommend: You can root seedlings on the waning moon (but only in the first half of the period). Then they will form a strong root system, they will better absorb mineral and organic substances that are in the ground.