In order for trees to grow quickly, be strong and tall, they need care. This applies to both ornamental and fruit species. If earlier trunk circles around trees were left in the form of open areas of soil, which were dug up and fertilized in autumn and spring or covered with mulch, now more and more summer residents plant flowers, spices and vegetables or sow lawns on them.
This not only beautifies the garden and benefits the trees themselves, but also saves land area in favor of other types of plants.
To dig or not to dig?
For many gardeners, the vital question is how to properly care for fruit trees and when to dig around them, whether to do it at all, or is it better to sow this area with grass. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantagesdigging can be distinguished as follows:
- Pests will decrease or disappear altogether.
- Since the trunk circle of fruit trees expands as they grow, this makes it possible to use this land for good, for example, to set up a flower garden.
Since there are more disadvantages to digging up the earth around trees, many summer residents have abandoned this practice. This is caused by:
- When digging up the soil in autumn, not only pests are destroyed, but also beneficial microorganisms. For example, aerobic bacteria living on the surface require oxygen. When digging, the top layer of soil turns over and they are underground. Deprived of oxygen, they die, and since it is aerobic bacteria that supply the main nutrients to plants, trees are thereby deprived of vital elements.
- When digging, there is always a risk of damage to the roots. This is especially true for those that are closer to the surface and receive the necessary nutrition from it.
- Autumn digging reduces the frost resistance of trees, as the ground becomes open to the cold.
Every summer resident decides for himself how to take care of his garden, but more and more people are inclined to believe that the soil around the trees is an area that can be used properly and for the benefit of both the plant and for themselves.
Flower beds and beds around trees
In light of the above, gardeners prefer to use trunk circles and sow them eitherherbs, or flowers, or he althy vegetables and spices. This comes with its own benefits:
- Gradually untouched soil is enriched by plants growing on it, which, having outlived their time, become a natural top dressing for the tree.
- It is especially useful to sow near-stem circles for additional warming of the root system. The roots of the "neighbors" create a kind of pillow that prevents frost from penetrating into the ground.
- In summer, a lawn or flower garden protects the roots from the sun, and the tree needs less water.
- Tree circles filled with vegetation do not need digging and special weeding, which not only saves you from unnecessary work, but also helps to preserve the fertile layer of the earth.
With all the benefits, more gardeners are using the soil around trees to plant beautiful or useful plants.
Important to know: Plants don't always go together. Before you plant something, you need to make sure that the "neighborhood" will be mutually beneficial. This is especially important for fruit trees, as their yield can be significantly reduced by satellites that will depress them.
Types of trunk circles and their care
Decoration and care of the soil around the tree begins with its planting. So, when he is 2-3 years old, he is 2 m, by the age of six he reaches 3 m, and by 10-12 - 3.5-4 m.change.
Soil care depends on how the soil looks around the seedling:
- If the land remains under black fallow, then it needs regular weeding and light loosening after each rain or watering. In the presence of heavy soil, autumn digging should be carried out annually, while on loam this can be done every 2-3 years.
- Mulching, although the best way to conserve moisture, improve soil quality and protect against cold, is nevertheless considered by many gardeners a waste of land. Mulching methods are described below.
Decorated tree trunks are becoming more and more popular as they make them easier to care for and allow you to create beautiful flower beds, lawns or mini-gardens
It is important to know: if you plant plants around a tree, you should take into account that its trunk should already be quite high (from 75 cm), and the branches should be raised above the ground.
Materials for decoration of tree circles
The days when the design of the near-trunk circle of a tree consisted only of mulching or “bare” soil have long gone. Today, landscape designers use natural and artificial materials, flower and herb seeds for this.
Summer residents keep up with them and ennoble their gardens:
- decorative stone;
- gravel and pebbles;
- glass;
- synthetic fiber fabrics such as agril;
- lawns;
- spice beds;
- healingherbs.
Important to know: The soil around trees is a usable area when used properly. What is permissible on large landscaped lawns does not make sense on a plot of 6 acres, where every meter of land counts.
Stone decoration
The use of small pebbles or gravel to decorate tree trunks is especially popular with summer residents who cannot devote much time to their garden. These "helpers" are capable of:
- keep moisture;
- protect roots from hot sun rays and hard frosts;
- keep weeds from growing;
- keep pests away.
This decor of the trunk circle frees the gardener from weeding, loosening and digging the earth. Stones are a natural material that is durable, does not fly apart from gusts of wind and looks spectacular.
Mulching
In regions where rain is rare and frost is not, summer residents use dry manure, straw, peat or leaves with reeds as mulch. There are reasons for this:
- this is a natural fertilizer that is dug up in the spring to give the roots extra nourishment;
- this mulch warms the soil;
- retains moisture well.
It is important to know: such mulching should be done not only 10-15 cm from the trunk, as many gardeners do, but all over the trunk circle.
However, in warmer regions, an increasing number of summer residents prefer not just to mulch the near-stem circle of fruittrees, but also decorate it. Pine cones, for example, are perfect for this. They look beautiful, keep heat well, pass and retain moisture, are not blown away by the wind and do not give weeds a chance to grow through such a barrier.
In any case, the choice of which natural material to use for mulching is up to the gardener, based on weather conditions and the needs of the tree itself.
Lawn around trees
A beautifully manicured lawn always looks spectacular. It is no exception when it covers the trunk circle of an apple tree, for example, or other fruit trees. Such a luxury can afford the owners of large plots. As the grass grows, it is cut with a lawn mower and removed. As practice has shown, the lawn in the near-stem circles is a beautiful decoration that provides the tree with additional care:
- protects from the sun;
- protects from the cold;
- retains moisture well;
- grass roots themselves loosen the soil, and it breathes.
Important to know: the lawn requires constant care, otherwise the garden will look overgrown and abandoned. Trees also need regular spring top dressing, which is best applied directly under the roots.
Tilling near-stem circles with forbs
The lawn is not suitable for the owners of the cherished six acres, so the best way out is to create a cultural turf, for which grass seeds are used. It is better to sow perennial grasses, for example, a cereal mixture of meadow fescue (up to 60%) and meadow grass(40%).
As the grass grows, it needs to be mowed and stacked under the trees, as it is the best natural fertilizer that frees the gardener from additional organic top dressing. Such turfing serves as a natural "carpet" that protects the roots of trees from the scorching sun, severe frosts and drought.
Flower garden
Before you start creating a flower garden, beds with spices or medicinal herbs, you should find out which plants of the near-stem circles will bring the maximum benefit to the tree. For example, the following flowers are combined with an apple tree:
- daisies;
- daffodils;
- lungwort;
- pansies;
- forget-me-nots;
- bells;
- nasturtium;
- periwinkle.
They will not only decorate the near-trunk circle, but also have a beneficial effect on the productivity of the tree. Among spices and vegetable crops, the apple tree gets along well with:
- dill;
- radish;
- feather bow;
- salad;
- sorrel;
- basil.
Today, the cultivation of near-stem circles of trees is a widespread practice, not a tribute to fashion. When the land can not only be properly used, ennobled and decorated, but also without much effort to improve its composition, this is a chance to make your site perfect.
