Apple tree - Will bear fruit for many years
When planning to plant a fruit tree in the garden, it is important to remember that the varieties of the "apple tree" culture, planting and caring for which have many common qualities, nevertheless, have significant differences between species, varieties and clones. They must be taken into account for the successful cultivation of each tree for many years to come.
Content:
- Choosing the best place in the garden
- Preparation of a landing pit on different natural soils
- Preparing a planting hole for tall trees
- Features of modern hybrids and clones
- How to properly plant columnar apple trees "Moscow Necklace", "Currency", "President"
- Where to place dwarf hybrids "Welsea", "Melba" on the site, and how to care for them
- A typical representative of semi-dwarfs - "Ural Bulk"
- What are standard apple trees, and how do they differ from traditional varieties
- Why do we need trellis hybrids, features of their formation
Read also: Projects of country houses for 6-10 acres: 120 photos, description and requirements | The most interesting ideas
Choosing the best place in the garden
To plant a vigorous apple variety, it is necessary to provide a sufficient area for each tree, the crown of which grows up to 6 - 8 m in diameter. The root system is formed of the same size. In addition to free space, the tree needs to provide optimal conditions for successful growth and a bountiful harvest.
Vigorous varieties of apple trees grow up to 6 - 8 m in diameter
In order for the apple tree to grow with maximum benefit, it is necessary to choose the right plot in the garden long before planting.
Environmental conditions
apple plantation
Criteria for choosing the best place for an apple tree in the garden:
Dangerous and useful plant neighbors
Unfortunately, it is impossible to grow a healthy apple tree without protection from diseases and pests. But it is possible to minimize infection if you do not plant nearby plants that have common pathogens with fruit trees. These are representatives of the Rosaceae family, which include all species and rose varieties, hawthorn, mountain ash, irga.
Marigolds rejected - biological defenders of the apple tree from pests
It is undesirable to have such conifers nearby:
They are intermediate hosts in the spread and maturation of the fungal infection. It is better to use a number of plants - helpers that emit a specific smell that repels insects - pests.
The likelihood of damage and infection of the apple tree will decrease if you plant nearby:
- Marigolds rejected
- Calendula officinalis
- Wormwood
- Feverfew officinalis
- Yarrow small-leaved
- Tansy multileaf
Read also: Veranda attached to the house - expanding the living space: projects, tips on how to create your own hands (200 original photo ideas) Preparation of a landing pit on different natural soils
The process of feeding a young tree
Areas with fertile land are extremely rare. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the soil that the owner got. Based on the structure and composition of the existing soil, the set of improving additives is different.
Improving sandy, poor soil
For planting an apple tree, the composition of the soil must be brought to a light loam
Mineral and organic fertilizers are applied to increase fertility.
The following standards are recommended:
| Name | These standards are recommended |
|---|---|
| Clay or black soil | 20 – 30 kg/m2 |
| Manure (or rotted compost) | 5 – 6 kg/m2 |
If the indicators are less, then you need to add one of the calcium-containing substances:
- slaked lime
- chalk
- Dolomite flour
- limestone powder
- wood ash
All additional components are evenly mixed with natural soil and fill the planting pit.
Adding additives to clay soil
clay soil
Read also: Cherry: description, planting and care - all you need to know about it in order to get generous harvests | (25 Photos & Videos) +Reviews
Preparing a planting hole for tall trees
Landing and care
For better survival of the apple tree, you need to prepare a planting hole in advance. Its size should provide nutrition in the first years of growth, until the tree is completely strong. The size of the pit is the greater, the less fertile soil on the site.
For example, for vigorous trees, a seat is prepared with a depth of 50 - 70 cm, a diameter of 0.5 m. They dig out all the soil, then mix it with improving additives and return it back. The mixture must settle for compaction.
Ideally, if the pit is prepared in the fall, and planting is carried out in the spring
During the winter, under the snow, the earth will be evenly filled with nutrients and will become as ready as possible for the seedling. If it is not possible to fill the hole in advance in the fall, then this should be done in the spring no later than two weeks before planting. Work is carried out as soon as the earth dries out after the snow melts.
The apple tree must be planted before the buds open., for early varieties, spring terms are shorter than for late hybrids. The timing of planting and care depends on the time of flowering and fruiting of the apple tree. Consider popular varieties.
Features of care on the example of varieties "White pouring", "Bogatyr"
One of the frequently encountered and beloved among the people, "White filling" grows in almost every area. But, not everyone knows that he needs a pollinator, that is, an apple tree that blooms simultaneously with this variety.
"White pouring" - the most common vigorous summer variety
It may be another hybrid or clone, but it must be early flowering and summer fruiting. If there is no place in the garden for two identical trees, it does not matter, it is quite enough if the neighbor has the right tree.
Pollinators for "White filling" are:
- peach summer
- Rosemary
- Renet Simirenko
- Golden Grime
- Antonovka
- Lungwort
- Grushovka Moscow
- Mantet
- Aroma
For planting choose strong seedlings, 1.2 - 1.5 m high, with fibrous roots. There should be no creases and abrasions on the trunk and roots.
The work is carried out in this order:
- In a pre-prepared planting hole, a recess is prepared of such a size that the root collar rises 2 cm above the edge. After compaction of the earth, it will sink to the right place.
- A peg is driven in from the southwest side, to which the stem of the seedling will be tied. The support should not touch the lower branch of the tree; it can be damaged by gusts of wind. In the afternoon, at the highest temperature, the shadow from the peg, directed to the northeast, will protect the stem from sunburn.
- A young apple tree is placed in a hole so that all the roots lie freely. Then they are sprinkled with soil mixed with phosphate fertilizer or wood ash.
- The soil is compacted with the foot, turning the toe of the shoe towards the trunk.
- After planting, a near-trunk circle is formed around the seedling, pouring a roller of earth 10–15 cm high.
- 2 - 3 buckets of water - 20 - 30 liters are poured into the resulting hole. Such a volume completely wets the roots of the seedling and the soil around them.
The first feeding is carried out after the full survival of the apple tree, when two or three young leaves open. Apply nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate.
If the soil in the planting pit was prepared with organic fertilizers, then top dressing will not be needed in the next 2 to 3 years. Organics, slowly dissolving in the soil, will provide good nutrition for the apple tree for a long period.
Apple tree branch bends under a lot of fruit
In the first summer, the seedling is only watered. In autumn, preventive measures are taken to protect against diseases and pests, and they also prepare the plant for winter.
Another vigorous representative of "Bogatyr" found in domestic gardens no less than "White pouring". The winter variety attracts attention with its unpretentious care, generous harvest and long-term storage of fruits. Obtained as a result of crossing Antonovka and Renent Landsberg. It is these varieties that are the best pollinators for Bogatyr.
Variety of apples "Bogatyr"
The apple tree is distinguished by a large-scale harvest, a ten-year-old tree produces about 50 kg of fruit, at the age of 15 years, you can get 70-90 kg per plant.
"Antonovka Dessert"
Planting a variety is the same as for any other vigorous apple tree. Due to late flowering, the planting period lasts from March to May.
In care, it is important to consider such features:
Formative pruning is carried out, in young trees up to 5 years.At the age of fruiting, it is necessary to shorten the crown and remove the branches directed inward.
- Mid April
Treatment of the ground part of the apple tree and the soil under it with means of protection against diseases and pests. The first spraying is carried out before bud break, the next session will be needed at the end of flowering before the formation of the ovary.
Also, in the spring trees are fed with complex mineral fertilizer or infusion of bird droppings 1:15.
![[Instruction] Do-it-yourself laminate on a wooden floor: a complete description of the process. Laying schemes, what materials should be used (Photo & Video) + Reviews](https://iherb.bedbugus.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/laminat-300x200.jpg)
Read also: [Instruction] Do-it-yourself laminate on a wooden floor: a complete description of the process. Laying schemes, what materials should be used (Photo & Video) + Reviews Features of modern hybrids and clones
Not all gardeners can plant a vigorous garden, due to the small size of the site. Then modern selection comes to the rescue. Specialists have created many varieties of fruit trees that take up little space.
Among them are representatives of such groups:
| Columnar | Trees, 2 - 2.5 m high with a strongly shortened crown. Flowers and fruits on short petioles, actually located on the trunk. Differ in high precocity. |
| Dwarf | They have a shape exactly the same as vigorous apple trees, but do not grow more than three meters. Limited growth is determined by grafting onto special clonal rootstocks that limit the size of an adult plant. |
| Semi-dwarf | They differ from dwarf varieties in size, their maximum height is 3-4 m. |
| Standard | They are created not only for the harvest, but also for the decorative effect of the crown, which is evenly formed around the trunk (stem) for beauty. |
| Tapestry | The method of forming an apple tree by fixing branches on a horizontally stretched trellis. As a result, fruit plantings are formed, according to the type of vertical gardening. |
How to properly plant columnar apple trees "Moscow Necklace", "Currency", "President"
In 1964, Canadian breeders discovered a spontaneous mutation on a Mackintosh apple tree. The characteristic branching was completely absent on the shoot, and the fruits were placed on short internodes, close to each other. This feature formed the basis of hybridization, as a result of which a columnar group appeared.
Although the crown of clones is narrow and compact, the root system is powerful, so the planting hole is prepared in the same way as vigorous varieties.
The difference is in the distance between the trees. Columnar are planted at intervals of 70 - 80 cm.
Trees are arranged so that they do not touch each other and the fence. Each apple tree needs access from all sides for easy care.
Distance in a row between columnar apple trees 50 - 70 cm
Columnar apple trees are planted in the same way as vigorous varieties, preparing a planting pit filled with fertile neutral reaction soil in advance. Most of the hybrids in this group are sold with a clod of earth. This means that landing can be carried out at any time of the year.
The plant almost does not feel stress when placed in a new place. Recently, planting a flowering tree in the spring has often been practiced, and in the summer it is really possible to harvest the first crop.
Among the owners of small plots, Moscow Necklace, the original name of the X-2 variety, is a success., it is also used for sale, like the second option.
Apple-tree Kolonovidnaya "Moscow Necklace"
Gardeners fell in love with the variety for almost 100% survival rate and unpretentiousness in care. Planting pattern - 50 - 70 cm between trees in a row and 1.2 m between rows. The rows are directed from south to north. With the exception of pruning, care for columnar apple trees is carried out in the same way as for vigorous winter varieties.
Harvest is in October. In the first year, they receive several pieces - 5-6. An adult tree can bear 4 - 7 kg.
Another popular representative of apple trees with a compact crown is the winter hybrid "Currency". It is famous for its long shelf life. When ripe in October, apples remain fresh and juicy until March, April.
Hybrid variety "Currency"
- The variety is planted as seedlings, and with a lump.
- Young plants with open roots are transferred to open ground in April, May, autumn after leaf fall, but no later than 2 weeks before the onset of stable frosts.
- The average tree height is 2 m, with a crown diameter of 20 cm.
- The first crop ripens in the fifth year.
- The maximum number of apples from one mature tree is 6 kg.
An important advantage of the variety is high resistance to a dangerous disease - scab.. Also, it resists many pests well.
"Currency", as a typical columnar representative, has a superficial root system.
Thin hair-like roots are located close to the surface of the earth and are prone to drying out. To avoid frequent watering, trunk circles or ordinary strips are covered with a thick layer of mulch to prevent evaporation.
For protection and as an MDU (slow acting fertilizer) use:
- Dried grass
- Straw
- chips
- shallow bark
The material is evenly distributed around the trees, with a layer of 7 - 10 cm. From time to time, the mulch should be checked so that it does not rot from overcompaction. Many gardeners successfully use EM preparations. Means of organic farming activate the growth of beneficial microflora that synthesizes humus in the soil.
Such care creates a triple benefit. Mulch retains moisture and protects against weeds, EM preparations provide nutrition for the apple tree. The variety needs shelter for the winter in the first years of life. An adult tree is highly frost-resistant and does not need protection from the cold.
The world-famous "President" was obtained by domestic specialists by crossing the varieties "Vazhak" and "Abundant". Refers to autumn varieties. The fruits are saved until the New Year.
Botanical features:
- A powerful trunk grows up to two meters.
- The crown in width does not exceed 25 cm.
- Fruits and annelids are densely arranged along the trunk.
The columnar hybrid is unpretentious to the soil, grows safely on sandy loamy soil and medium loam. Reaches the best harvest on rich, light loam. Care is typical for representatives of this category of apple trees.
Where to place dwarf hybrids "Welsea", "Melba" on the site, and how to care for them
Often dwarf apple trees are called new species. This is not true! Low-growing hybrids are obtained by grafting the desired variety onto a small clonal stock, which is divided into dwarf and semi-dwarf. Low-growing varieties of apple trees, specially used as a rootstock, are called dusen.
Apple tree "Welsea"
Type III is the most common; dwarf varieties are grafted onto it, the height of which does not exceed 4 m.. The crown exactly resembles vigorous apple trees, but its average diameter is 3 m.
Trees propagated by budding on low-growing apple trees have a superficial root system prone to windfall.. Therefore, when grown, they are attached to a powerful support that accompanies them throughout their lives.
Another drawback is low frost resistance, due to which dwarf varieties are grown in the southern regions. But, there are exceptions for colder climatic zones, for example, the hybrid of American origin "Welsea". It is popular due to its high yield - up to 200 kg per tree, and long-term preservation of fruits. The fruits are harvested at the end of September, eaten from October to February.
Dwarf apple trees grow up to 3 - 4 m in diameter
For semi-dwarf varieties, resistance to low temperatures is relatively high up to minus 25 C. According to the international gradation USDA belongs to the fifth climatic zone.
Planting is no different from methods for vigorous varieties. However, care requires specific attention. The structure of the crown differs from the shape of a typical apple tree. The branches of "Welsea" grow at an acute angle to the trunk and go up.
Without intervention, a wide-pyramidal crown is formed. Therefore, from the first years of life, while the shoots are flexible, they are bent and fixed with pegs and a cord in a horizontal position.
Another feature is the tendency to excessive fruiting, which has to be regulated. Otherwise, the fruits will be small and sour. Branches break from excess harvest. To prevent overload, the excess ovary is removed.
Special attention deserves the dwarf apple tree "Melba", obtained as a result of free pollination of the Canadian variety "Mekintosh". Belongs to the autumn group, ripens in late August, early September. Apples keep well until March next year.
For planting, an open, sunny place, well protected from strong winds and seasonal drafts, is suitable. The variety requires strong support throughout its life. Due to the shallow root system, mature trees are subject to windfall.
A planting pit is prepared for seedlings, as for vigorous apple trees, with a diameter of 1 m and 70 cm deep. If there are several trees, then the distance between them in a row is 3 - 4 m, in the aisle - 5 m. The shape of the crown is rounded in the lower part, and elongated at the top. Pruning and shaping of branches is not as intense as, for example, in the Wales variety.
Further care:
- Systematic watering - weekly in spring, from mid-summer - once every 10 - 15 days, water-charging watering in autumn - 70 - 80 l.
- Top dressing is preferable with organic fertilizers - leaf humus or rotted manure.
- In the spring, they are sprayed with protective agents before flowering and immediately after it. Autumn processing is carried out after leaf fall.
When choosing dwarf varieties, it is worth comparing the positive and negative properties of apple trees of this type.
A typical representative of semi-dwarfs - "Ural Bulk"
The middle niche between the dwarf and vigorous group is occupied by a variety measuring 4–5 m in height and 3–4 m in the crown.. One of the favorites of the semi-dwarf category "Ural bulk". The variety was bred by crossing "Papirovka" and "Red Ranetki". The shape and color of apples exactly repeats the "Paper".
Fruits of the apple tree "Ural Bulk"
Starts growing in spring and blooms earlier than other apple trees. In this connection, autumn planting in pre-filled pits is recommended.
- When leaving, not only pruning is used, but also the bending of young branches. What is even more important, to prevent creases with a bountiful harvest.
- It is valued for its high frost resistance, there have been cases of successful wintering at minus 570.
- Generous fruiting is more than 100 kg from one adult tree.
- The average harvest age is 30 years or more with proper care.
What are standard apple trees, and how do they differ from traditional varieties
The part of the trunk from the root neck to the first skeletal branch is called a bole.. Often the crown is formed more for beauty than for harvest. At the same time, branches are removed to the desired height or kerbovka is carried out, stimulating the growth of dormant buds.
Standard apple trees are formed for decoration and convenience.
The method is used to obtain decorative forms, for example, weeping. To do this, the trunk is grown to the desired height, the skeletal branches are cut short and cuttings are grafted onto them, directing them to the bottom. The method is more often used in ornamental gardening, but recently it has been successfully used on low-growing varieties of apple trees.
The result is a spectacular crown that looks unusual at any time of the year. When leaving, you need to make sure that straight shoots of the stock do not grow. They are removed if the processes appear below the graft node.
Read also: Do-it-yourself furniture and other wood products: drawings of benches, tables, swings, birdhouses and other household items (85+ Photos & Videos)
Why do we need trellis hybrids, features of their formation
The most undersized varieties of apple trees used for rootstock are called paradiski. Of all the categories, these are the most fragile and vulnerable trees. They are heat-loving and poorly resist the wind. That is why they need special support in the form of horizontally stretched strings.
Trellised apple trees are tied to horizontal supports, like grapes.
Starting from the first year, each branch is guided and attached. As it grows, the growth is again tied to the spacer, not allowing it to stretch upward. As a result of many years of correction, a flat crown is obtained, evenly distributed in the lateral direction.
If several trees are planted in a row, a cordon is formed that resembles grape plantations. When choosing an apple tree variety for a garden plot, it is important to consider the size that an adult tree will occupy. Provide him with optimal growth conditions and protection from adverse factors.
100% seedling survival rate
How to plant an apple tree and take care of it so that it bears fruit for many years: tips and tricks (Photo & Video) + Reviews
The article is written very competently, in a catchy language, it is felt that the author missed this information from contemplation to philosophical comprehension.