Planting an apple tree in the summer and aftercare for the tree

On many cottages, there are often plantings from apple trees.The popularity of this type of tree is explained by the fact that taking care of it is not difficult, and the harvest gathered at the end of the season allows providing the family with vitamin reserves for the whole winter. Usually, young apple trees are planted in autumn and spring, but sometimes plant growers replenish their garden with new varieties in the summer, using ready-made planting material. Summer planting is not much different from autumn or spring, but is characterized by some features that affect the growth and formation of the tree.

Planting apple trees in the summer, as in any other period, begins with the proper selection and acquisition of seedlings. They should have a strong stem of a light green shade with a closed root system with no signs of damage. To make a check, it is enough to nail the bark a little with a fingernail - if it is wet and elastic, then the tree is healthy. It is not advisable to buy large samples, because their roots are fully formed. Such an apple tree is difficult to take root, it will often hurt, requiring more careful care. In addition, the following criteria should be considered before buying:

1. Place of landing. Often in the market are sold seedlings grown in the southern regions. They have a beautiful appearance, but when landing in the northern or central regions of the country, they will not have to rely on a good harvest. After the first wintering, such samples may die. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire apple trees that grew in the same climatic zone where their transplantation is planned.
2. The period of fruiting. Winter varieties are usually chosen for long-term storage of fruits, autumn ones are ideal for harvesting, and summer ones are planted when apples are planned to be consumed fresh from the tree.
3. Sapling age. It is best to buy apples, whose age does not exceed 1-2 years. Their crown usually consists of only one main trunk; there may be several branches on two-year-old trees.
4. The growth of the apple tree. The higher the tree, the deeper it will have to lower its roots. In the suburban areas, where clay soil prevails, and groundwater flows close by, it is necessary to choose dwarf or medium growth varieties. You can also make a landing on artificial hills.
5. Sample quality. Each seedling should be grafted, and the main root should be small white processes with no signs of decay and drying.

A huge role is also played by the choice of the place where the cultivation of apple trees is planned. Due to the fact that it will be permanent, you should think in advance about the layout of the future garden. It is recommended to give preference to open and sunny areas, located in remoteness from tall trees and buildings, as they will shade the seedlings and hinder their normal development. In addition, the site should be protected from strong winds. You can not plant apples near the garage or the house at a distance of 3 meters, since the roots do not have enough space to form. This also applies to the laid underground utilities - the electrical cable and the pipeline can be damaged by the root system of the tree, therefore they should be retreated 3 meters from them.

When the site already has a garden, and the gardener plans to simply supplement it with apple trees, it is important to maintain a distance of 2 m between plantations. Thus, the trees will not overshadow each other, and they will have enough space for normal growth and fruiting. As for the distance between the apple trees themselves, then, according to GOST, it varies from 2.5 to 5 m. It is also necessary to take into account what level of shading will create new plantings, and whether it will then comfortably grow in the garden other shrubs, berries and flowers.

After choosing a place, the next stage will be the preparatory work on its improvement.

Preparation of pits as follows:

• A month before the planned planting, a rounded recess is dug out, 100 cm in diameter and 70 cm deep. A diameter of 5 cm is driven into the center of the recess. Its length must be such that it protrudes freely from the fossa. The lower part of the peg to protect against rotting is prebaked.
• Then the fertile land is thoroughly mixed with compost, humus and peat. For summer planting it is also necessary to add fertilizers in the form of potassium sulfate, ash and superphosphate. On clay plots, the recess is made more than 70 cm, the soil is mixed with sand and create drainage from layers of rubble and stones. Thanks to the drainage system, the roots of the apple tree can gain access to air and food. Then the earth mixture is poured to the bottom of the fossa, forming a small hill, and plentifully filled with water.
• The final stage in the preparation will be an inspection of the root system of the seedling. If there are sick and damaged processes in it, they are cut off. If the root is dry, then the apple tree should be placed in warm water for several days, and soaked for several hours in front of the direct planting in a special solution prepared from clay and mullein.

Apple seedlings will be planted correctly in the fall, but if there is a unique chance to get quality samples in the summer, they can be planted in June or July. Depending on whether young trees have a closed or open root system, the following types of planting are used:

1. Transshipment This method allows you to put the apple in the fossa without destroying the earthen coma on the roots. At the same time, the seat is completely covered with soil and a small hole is made in it, corresponding to the size of the plant roots. The tree is brought to the pit, gently holding the trunk, then the walls of the container are crushed, and the plantation is placed in the recess. The apple tree is covered with a fertile layer to the level it was previously grown in a container, and the earth is well rammed. At the end of the process, a vertical stake is attached to the stand next to the planting.
2. With open roots. To plant an apple tree using this technology, another step-by-step instruction is used. The seedling the day before the transplant is soaked in a special root solution. If the roots are slightly rotted or dried, they must be pruned. A layer of fertile soil is poured inside the pit and a plant is placed in it, gently straightening the roots. The sapling tree is filled up so that its root neck is 5 cm from the ground. The soil around the seat is compacted and the seedling is tied to a wooden peg.

In order for the seedling to settle down faster in the summer, at a distance of 80 cm from its trunk it is necessary to form a mound 15 cm high and gradually pour three buckets of water. Between irrigation, subsidence of the soil should be expected. When it ceases to “wake up”, watering is stopped and the near-stem circle is covered with a small layer of humus, compost or biohumus. Mulching is considered the main component of the summer planting of young apple trees.

Fruit trees planted in summer require more maintenance than seedlings planted in spring or autumn. They need to have time to settle down and get used to the climatic conditions. For additional protection of trees from cold weather and rodents, they are instilled in the winter for them and laid out near the seats of a branch of blackberry or wild rose.In addition, the apple trees must be cut in time, otherwise they will lose their shape and begin to grow in breadth and height. After that, the fruits and leaves will prevail in the upper periphery of the crown, and the central part will be smaller, and the tree will become bare in time. Excessive shading will also appear on the uncut seedlings, which causes a slowdown in photosynthesis, which will adversely affect future harvest.

The best indicators for the crown of an apple tree are considered to be up to 4 m in height and 2.5 m wide. Performing pruning, unproductive and puny branchings are removed. This should be done correctly, trying not to inflict deep wounds on the plant. All places of cuts need to be painted over, protecting from an infection.

Before and after flowering, seedlings often suffer from a lack of nutrients, so they must be cared for with particular responsibility, feeding fertilizers. On this will depend not only the healthy state of the tree, but also its fecundity. As a rule, apple trees are fed several times a year: in spring when they bloom, during the ripening of apples and after harvest. But since in this case the planting material is planted in the summer, it should be fertilized as much as possible immediately after planting and in the fall. To do this, first determine the area of ​​feeding, it is usually selected around the circumference of the pit at a distance of 70 cm from the trunk.

The first feeding is carried out with the help of folk humus. It is scattered around the plantations. Urea can also be used, consuming 400-500 g of solution per apple tree. For greater effect 2 tbsp. Spoons of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water and sprayed with it the trunk, branches and leaves. A similar procedure is recommended to repeat after 20 days. The following feeding is performed with a special composition of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate, while urea can be replaced by bird droppings. The prepared mineral mixture is well stirred and applied under the tree, abundantly pouring it with water, both before and after fertilizer.

Subsequent feeding is carried out using solutions from nitrophoska, sodium humate and nitrogen-phosphorus additives. It is worth noting that All nutrients need not only to fall asleep in the ground, but also to spray them on the seedling. This increases the viability of the apple tree and its resistance to disease. The last feeding required seedlings at the end of autumn. Then the most important thing is to keep the seat clean and regularly update the layer of mulching material.

As for watering, the apple seedlings especially need moisture in the summer. A young tree will need at least two buckets of water for one watering, while this regime must be observed during the first 2 months after planting. In hot weather, seedlings are recommended to be watered often, but in small portions. Water consumption per 1 m2 is usually 4 buckets. It is necessary to pour all the soil under the tree, observing the interval of 15-20 days.

Improving the moistening of the root system will help loosen the soil around the trunk. It is advisable to do before watering. A three-year-old apple does not require intensive hydration, as its yield may decrease. It is enough for it to carry out “water procedures” once a month, in this case no more than 40 liters are spent per tree. If the summer is dry and hot, then the rate of watering increases, and with frequent rains, you can do without it. To find out whether the seedling is sufficiently moist, you need to make a small hole in the layer of mulch. Dry soil below it indicates that you need watering.

Summing up, it should be noted that apple trees can be planted both in autumn and spring, and in summer. At the same time, summer plantings require special care, as they adapt and grow more slowly.But if you make every effort, then a young tree with time will thank the gardener not only with fast vegetation, but also with many useful fruits.

The garden of apple trees is considered to be an obligatory component of the land plot - in the spring it pleases with violent color, provides shade in summer, and in the autumn gives aromatic apples. To grow healthy and fertile trees, you need to work hard. The following recommendations of experienced gardeners will help the novice gardeners.

First of all, planting material must be purchased in specialized nurseries. Thus, you can be confident in the "purity" of the variety and that the future apple tree is grafted.

It is also advisable to prepare in advance the landing hole. Due to this, its bottom and side walls will be well moistened, and the soil will consolidate before planting. The dimensions of the recesses are selected depending on the dimensions of the root system. For tall varieties, they dig a pit with a depth of 100 × 120 cm, for dwarf and undersized 100 × 50 cm.

It is important to bear in mind that a great role in the care of seedlings is their protection from rodents. Young trees over 4 years old whiten with lime mortar. Their rough bark will not be damaged during processing. To do this, 6 kg of slaked lime and 2 kg of white clay is diluted in 20 liters of water. For greater effect, you can also add wood glue and copper sulfate to the mixture. For very young summer apple trees, it is best to whitewash with a solution of chalk and water.

Sometimes with strong gusts of wind saplings "bend" or direct their trunk to the side. Many gardeners think that this situation is incorrigible, in fact it is not. The tree can again be made even by hammering a stake on the opposite side of the trunk that “led”. To him gently pull and tie the apple tree. You can also additionally put a wooden support, which cannot be removed for three years, since the alignment process is complicated and does not cost one day.

On how to care for apple seedlings, see the following video.