When to plant seedlings of fruit trees - in spring or autumn? Opinions of gardeners regarding the timing of the purchase and planting of seedlings differ. Someone argues that it is best to buy seedlings in the fall, since at this time of the year a large selection of plants is provided in nurseries. It is also believed that dug seedlings will be better preserved on the site in autumn. It should also be taken into account the fact that in the spring during the planting period, fruit trees may die due to inconsistent weather. It is not uncommon for May to get too hot and the seedlings suffer from such extreme temperature fluctuations.
However, many experts believe that trees planted in autumn will not get strong enough before winter and will simply freeze in the cold season. Along with frosts, mice and hares can severely damage them. Animals harm not only planted, but also buried seedlings.
Optimal landing period
In what month is it better to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? Planting should be done from April 15 to May 15. Atwish to plant seedlings in autumn, this should be done no later than October 15.
Shrubs are best planted immediately in the place where they will always grow. This is necessary so that the plants have time to take root before the start of the growing season.
Tree planting conditions
In what month is it better to plant seedlings of fruit trees? Planting dates should be limited to the relatively warm season, when the air temperature exceeds 0°C. This is necessary for better survival of plants (the formation of roots through which they receive moisture and essential nutrients). The survival time is from 2 to 2.5 months.
Often, plants planted in autumn and survived the winter die from excess moisture, because they do not have time to get stronger. This happens as a result of long-standing melt and rainwater, which makes it difficult for oxygen to reach fragile roots. This is especially true in clay soils. All this indicates that trees are best planted in the spring. Trees should be transplanted at rest when they have shed their leaves.
Most often it happens that nurseries and gardeners who grow planting material, due to certain circumstances, dig up plants in the fall. Therefore, at this time, a fairly large selection of plants appears on the markets compared to spring.
Purchase of trees
Now that it became clear which month to plantfruit tree seedlings, you can buy plants. Planting material should be chosen carefully, paying attention to their root system. Roots should be strong and well developed. It is best to buy a tree with an earthen clod, and it is important to make sure that it is sufficiently moist. A seedling with a too dry root system may not take root and die. The barrel must not be damaged. It is recommended to ask the seller where the grafting site is at the seedling, as well as the root collar. It is important to get as much information as possible from him about the fruit tree you are buying.
Transportation of fruit plants
How to properly transport purchased seedlings so as not to damage them? This question is especially relevant when buying large trees. The fruit tree must be carefully and carefully packaged, paying particular attention to the root system. Otherwise, when transported on the roof of a car, the plant will be severely damaged, and good kindling for a fire will be delivered to the site instead of planting material.
The process of planting seedlings purchased in late autumn
In what month should fruit tree seedlings be planted in spring if they were purchased in late autumn? Such plants should be planted from about mid-April, when the soil has completely thawed. To save trees until spring, they need to be buried for the winter. This can be done both on the site and in the subfield of the barn. The seedling should be sprinkled with peat, earth, sand and sawdust. Before landing in a permanent placethe tree should not dry out or suffer from excess moisture. Plants should be kept in the shade, covered with boards, so that the early spring rays of the sun do not burn them, and the buds do not begin to bloom before landing in a permanent place.
To dig in a plant, you need to make a hole about 50 cm deep. It is important that the south wall be beveled at an angle of 45°. Seedlings should be laid on it. Then the roots are covered with earth, more earth is sprinkled on top. The branches of the seedlings are tied and wrapped with spruce spruce branches (needles down) to protect them from mice and other rodents. Plain elastic tights are also suitable for this.
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees in the spring, if they were buried for the winter? You have to wait until the ground thaws. It is impossible to remove frozen ground from the dig, because it will not be possible to free the roots of the seedlings from it. When warm weather sets in, the trees can be taken out, treated if desired with special means, such as plant growth regulator, and transplanted to a permanent place.
What happens if you plant a tree incorrectly?
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? The month and day for planting should be chosen, taking into account the recommendations given above, namely: in spring, plants are planted from mid-April to mid-May, and in autumn - from September 15 to October 15. If you plant a seedling at another time, it may die. The further life of the plant depends on the correct planting. For example, if you plant fruit plants earlyautumn, then they most likely will not survive the winter. Why? There may be 2 reasons: either the tree itself is not resistant to frost, or the seedling was planted incorrectly. For example, when planting, the root collar was damaged, and the fruit plant threw all its strength into surviving without having time to adapt to the cold. The degree of fruiting depends on the depth of planting. Often, trees grow well, but do not bear fruit. In this case, you need to look at the root collar. If it is below the soil, the excess soil must be removed by carefully digging the plant and raising it to the required height.
Tips for gardeners
The distance from the tree to the nearest building should be at least 5 m. The planting hole should be made of a large cylindrical shape. So the seedling will develop normally. The bottom of the pit needs to be loosened with a pitchfork. The tree must be planted strictly vertically, for this it is better to do it together. In the center of the landing pit, you can install a stake from a more windy side.
It is recommended to plant trees in tiers so that the sun's rays are better distributed.
Where and when to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? Plants such as apricot, peach, cherry and grape grow best on the south side. If the house is bright, then the trees should be planted closer to its walls. They will additionally reflect heat to the trees. An apple tree can also be planted in the northern part.
In order for the first harvest to ripen faster on the fruit tree, you can bend 1/3 of the length of the shoots at the very beginning of Augustinto a ring at a distance of about 50 cm from each other and tie up. They should be bent to the side where there is good lighting. Next spring, the shoots need to be untied. This method activates the laying of the kidneys and increases the frost resistance of the fruit tree.
Regulations for replanting trees
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees? It is better to transplant plants in rainy or cloudy weather. If during the period of work there is sunny, dry weather, the planted plants must be covered so that they are in the shade. In this case, the success of planting will be ensured: the plant will not get burned and will grow well.
