If you want to plant a fruit shrub, an exotic rose or an apple tree on your plot, not all amateur gardeners pay attention to the climatic zone in which their land is located. Meanwhile, it is of great importance for the normal growth, development, flowering and fruiting of a plant or tree.
If you have to plant an apple tree in the fall in the suburbs, you should carefully prepare. You already know what you want to plant on the site, but you need to thoroughly prepare the soil and choose the right time to plant.
Climate of the Moscow Region
In the Moscow region and Moscow itself, harsh frosts and summer heat rarely occur. Even if they do, they don't last long. The location of the Moscow region is of decisive importance for the climate. And it is located in the very center of the East European Plain.
This allows cold or warm air to move freely. Due to the absence of large reservoirs, a large amplitude of temperature fluctuations is observed. The Gulf Stream, cyclones from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean provide a fairly mild winter.
So whatIs it better to plant autumn varieties of apple trees in the Moscow region? Experts advise those that are designed for zone 4 B. It is also called the frost resistance zone.
In terms of area, the Moscow region can compete with some European states, the climatic conditions of the south and north of the region are strikingly different. Northern gardeners need to take this into account and purchase popular apple varieties for planting in the Moscow region, paying attention to their frost resistance.
The season for planting an apple tree
You can plant young trees in spring and autumn. Each season has its own characteristics. More often, garden work on planting apple trees is carried out in the fall. During this period, the tree manages to restore the root system, strengthen for future growth.
If your choice fell on the spring, then the seedlings are placed in the ground when the ground has not yet thawed. This tree needs regular watering. The lack of moisture can adversely affect the development of the root system and disrupt its proportional development. In any case, planting apple trees in spring and autumn will require prepared soil.
Soil preparation
Planting an apple tree in the fall in the suburbs is done in a hole that is dug out in advance. This is done at least 2 weeks before the start of garden work. A good nutrient medium is needed for the rooting and development of the apple tree for the next few years. The average size of a hole for an ordinary apple tree is 80 x 80 cm. For one vigorous tree, a plot of 5 x 5 m is needed, for dwarf varieties - 3 x 3 m.
It must be filled with the removed top layerfertile soil, compost, peat and humus. It is necessary to introduce rotted manure and about 7 handfuls of mineral fertilizer. Dig everything carefully and create a hill at the landing site, which will rise about 20 cm above the surface. This is done so that over time the soil, compacting, does not sink much. Otherwise, the roots of the apple tree will be subject to freezing.
In the hole it is necessary to lower the apple tree onto a mound, spreading the roots over its surface. Fill with water, dig in and compact the earth. In order for the future tree to take root and grow evenly, it is necessary to tie it to three posts.
Selecting planting material
So, you have a young apple tree available, soil preparation and planting is scheduled for the near future. Did you choose the right seedling?
The bark should not be dry and shriveled, if so, urgently put the tree in the water. Scrape the root with your fingernail, look at the color under the bark. It should be white and wet. The root system must be formed, well developed, at least 30 cm long. Dried, rotten shoots - remove.
You need to buy seedlings in nurseries closest to the tree planting site. Visit them, you will find a huge we alth of apple varieties for the Moscow region. This will guarantee the purchase of quality material, and not the imported "southerner".
Apple varieties for planting in the suburbs
When choosing a variety, please note that all varieties ripen at different times. If you want fragrant fruits to be on the table all the time, then you need toplant summer varieties that bear fruit in July-early September. Autumn bring the harvest, from September to November. Winter varieties of apple trees are harvested in November, and they are stored until the first summer month.
So, summer varieties: Melba, Anniversary, White filling, Orlinka, Medunitsa, Antonovka gold, Dessert Isaeva, Wonderful, Cypress.
And what autumn varieties of apple trees to plant in the suburbs? These are: Bessemyanka, Antonovka, Korean, Orlovskoye striped, Zhiguli, Cinnamon striped, Delight, Scarlet anise, Chosen One, Autumn joy, Lingonberry.
Well, for complete clarity, let's name the winter varieties: Northern Sinap, Red Aport, Babushkino, Bogatyr, Borovinka, Moscow Winter, Rossiyanka, Smuglyanka, Mirnoe, Beauty Moscow, Winter Beauty, Belarusian Raspberry.
What are the features of varieties for the Moscow region
The apple tree is a versatile tree that can grow in parks as an ornamental. In gardens, it is a tree that produces magnificent, juicy, fragrant fruits. Proper planting of an apple tree in the fall in the Moscow region will ensure a long life for the seedling and fruiting. It is well developed and growing. If the apple tree is undersized, then it lets out a lot of new young shoots and branches.
The root is well strengthened if there is a lot of free space. It grows over a large area. The roots that feed the tree develop in a one and a half meter surface layer, while others, on the contrary, grow deeper.
Features of varieties:
- Short fruit maturation.
- The climatic zone of the Moscow region allows the apple tree to bear fruit once every two years.
- Summer varieties ripen in late summer. Autumn fruits are taken from the tree in September, and winter fruits at the end of October and November.
General characteristics of varieties
All varieties have different ripening times, and in addition:
- Fruit weight can vary considerably. The smallest - 60g, the largest - over 200g.
- Some of the apple trees consistently produce a crop every year, the other - only after a year.
- Apple flavor: sour, sweet and sour, sweet.
- Different fruit colors.
- Tree sizes from dwarf to powerful and sprawling.
- Susceptibility to disease: high, medium, low.
- Ripening period and shelf life: summer - middle and end of summer, fruits are stored for 1 week; autumn - September-early October, stored for 1-2 months; winter ones are removed from the tree in November, and stored until mid-summer.
Dwarf apple trees
There are no seedlings of dwarf varieties of apple trees. The fact is that for this, an ordinary varietal seedling of an apple tree is taken and grafted onto a dwarf stock. The process is complex and long, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do it on your own site. Therefore, you can only buy dwarf apple trees in a nursery.
Features of dwarf apple trees
- Rootstock inhibits tree growth. mature plantcan reach 2.5 m in height.
- The tree begins to bear fruit early. Already in the second year you can get fruits. They are large and juicy, brightly colored.
- Compact trees can be cultivated in small home gardens.
- The yield per unit area is higher compared to a regular apple tree.
- Care for a bonsai is the same as for a regular size tree.
- Combination of winter hardiness, early maturity, productivity and ease of care.
So what kind of dwarf apple trees are suitable for planting? For the Moscow region, varieties are determined by the following list:
- Bratchud dwarf apple tree. The height of the tree reaches 2.7 m. Fruits weighing 110–150 g. Slightly elongated in shape, with slight ribbing. The skin is smooth, greenish-yellow in color with a reddish blush. Stored up to 4 months. Any processing of fruits is suitable. The tree bears fruit regularly. Harvest per tree up to 120 kg.
- Dwarf apple tree Kovrovoe. The crown of the tree is flat. The fruits are larger than average. The skin of the apple is slightly oily, smooth. The color is greenish with a red dense blush. The yield from the tree is high.
- Apple Snowdrop. A tree with a flat crown. The fruits are medium in size, round. The color of the fruit is green with a pinkish blush, sweet and sour in taste. Yields are high.
- Dwarf apple tree Earthy. Low, flat crown. The fruits are small, round. The color is green with a red blush. The taste of apple is sweet and sour. High yield and winter hardiness.
- Dwarf apple tree Sokolovskoe. The crown is flat. Fruits are larger than averagesize, rounded. The taste is sweet and sour.
- Dwarf apple tree Wonderful. Fruits from 110 to 140 g are rounded with an intense red blush. The taste is sweet and sour. It is stored for a short time, no more than 1 month. The variety is resistant to winter frosts.
Features of planting this type of trees
If your choice is dwarf apple trees for the Moscow region, select varieties taking into account the requirements for the duration of storage of the crop. Of course, do not ignore the taste of fruits.
Planting an apple tree in the fall in the Moscow region on a dwarf stock should be done in a prepared hole. Its depth is 60 cm, diameter is 80 cm. In size, it does not differ much from a hole for an ordinary apple tree. This is due to the weak root system of the dwarf seedling. Landing is best done no later than the end of September, in the spring - in mid-April. The roots must be deepened, but the root neck should be left at least 5 cm above the surface.
For a small tree that produces a rich harvest, additional support is needed. These can be poles to which a tree is tied, or a lattice. Choose a location with plenty of sunshine - at least 6 hours of open sun in summer.
