Here you are the owner of a summer cottage! Congratulations! What to plant first? What garden crops to give preference? Of course, there should be trees, even if the site is not very large. And to start gardening your summer cottage or garden plot is to lay a small apple orchard.
When to plant apple seedlings? How to do it right, in order to guarantee a big harvest? Which place to choose for landing? We will answer these and other questions in this article.
So, how to plant an apple tree? In autumn, cold-resistant varieties can be planted a month and a half before the onset of the first frost. For the southern regions, this is October, in the northern regions, the month of September.
Which variety of apples to choose?
First, decide on your preferred varieties. If only one tree is planted, then think about a “neighbor” for it, because apple trees need cross-pollination. And if your neighbors in the country do not have an apple tree growing on their plot, then find a place on your plot and plant at least two seedlings.
Next, if an apple tree is plantedgarden, then buy seedlings of both summer, early, and autumn, and winter varieties.
Preparing landing pits
Prepare the landing pits. The distance between seedlings should be at least 3 meters. For columnar and dwarf varieties, the distance can be reduced to a meter. The depth of the pits should be at least 80 cm, and the width should be about 1 meter.
How to plant an apple tree in autumn? When landing, you must not forget the basic rules. Firstly, seedlings grown in greenhouses cannot be immediately planted in open ground. If young trees have not been hardened off before being sold, then the likelihood of survival is very low. Temperature fluctuations, direct sunlight - all this can lead to disease and death of the seedling.
Next, the right choice of landing site is the key to success. Apple trees do not like high groundwater, and, consequently, wetlands. Choose a sunny, elevated location, preferably sheltered from the wind.
Fertilizers - to be or not to be?
Any experienced gardener can, based on their own experience, tell you how to plant apple trees. In autumn, a month before the onset of cold weather, organic and mineral fertilizers must be applied to previously prepared pits. We recommend mixing the top fertile layer of earth taken out of the pit with two buckets of rotted horse manure, 200 grams of superphosphate and 60 grams of potassium sulfate. Remember that the more fertilizer you apply, the stronger and taller the tree will be. However, this will not affect the number of fruits on it in any way. Moreover, a tree “overfed” with fertilizers bears fruit poorly.
How to plant an apple tree - in autumn or spring, there is no fundamental difference. The main thing is that the young seedling should not be exposed to frost, but should be at rest when planting. In autumn - when he has already “retired”, and in spring - until active vegetation begins.
When planting, do not deepen the neck of the sprout. Be very careful with the root system. The less damage to the roots of the tree, the higher the percentage of plant survival.
So let's summarize. How to plant an apple tree in autumn? The right place, planting dates, cold-resistant apple varieties, and the desire to set up an apple orchard or grow a family apple tree are the key to success!
