When to plant fruit trees and shrubs in spring

Content

1 Arguments in favor of spring planting
2 Planting shrubs
3 Fruit trees
4 Features of spring planting of trees and shrubs
5 Conclusion

There are many tricks and secrets in gardening: in order to grow a decent harvest, you need to know and be able to do a lot. The first problem that a novice gardener will face is the timing of planting fruit trees. There is debate about when it is better to plant fruit tree seedlings: in spring or in autumn, have not subsided for decades. There is still no definite answer: some farmers believe that it is correct to plant trees and shrubs in the spring, others argue that only autumn planting guarantees rapid growth and early fruiting. In fact, the truth is somewhere in the middle, because both autumn and spring planting of fruit trees have a right to exist.

This article will talk about the benefits of planting trees in the spring, when it is beneficial, and when you should wait until the fall. From here you can find out which fruit trees are best to plant in the spring and how to do it correctly.

Arguments in favor of spring planting

As soon as the snow melts from the site and the ground has thawed to a sufficient depth, gardeners can begin planting fruit trees and berry bushes. At this time, the soil is well saturated with moisture, so the roots of the plant quickly take root, and the tree itself grows.

Attention! The biggest danger of planting in autumn is the threat of freezing of their roots.

Planting seedlings in spring is justified in the following cases:

The culture belongs to a heat-loving, not winter-hardy variety.
You need to plant a seedling of a stone fruit crop, such as a cherry, cherries, plum, peach or apricot.
We purchased a pear tree of a non-winter-hardy variety.
The soil in the area is dense and heavy, highly saturated with moisture.
Spring in the region is long and moderately warm (the plant will have time to take root before the summer heat).

Important! The further you go north, the more justified the spring planting of trees and shrubs.

In all other cases, autumn planting of trees and shrubs is preferable. It is believed that in the climate of most regions of Russia, autumn is the most suitable time for planting fruit and berry crops. But even in the spring, the gardener will have something to do, because there are exceptions to this rule.

Planting shrubs

Most berry bushes are recommended to be planted in autumn. If you managed to buy seedlings in the spring, then it is recommended to dig them in and plant them in a permanent place in September-October.

For example, in late autumn and early spring, raspberries form replacement buds on two-year-old shoots, which are very easy to damage, thereby disrupting the development of the bush. Most raspberry varieties should be planted in early autumn - in September.

Crops such as currants, sea buckthorn, gooseberries have their own peculiarity - the buds of these plants wake up very early. Therefore, it is very rare to plant shrubs in the spring, because the soil has not yet thawed, and the buds have already sprouted on the shoots - the plant will not take root.

Advice! If, nevertheless, the gardener needs to plant a shrub in the spring, then planting is carried out as early as possible. Usually, by the beginning of April the snow has completely melted and the ground has thawed - you can start planting shrubs. Starting in May, it is recommended to shade the seedlings and water them regularly.

Fruit trees

Each plant is unique, therefore the methods of planting fruit trees may differ depending on the type and variety of the crop. Next we will talk about how to plant heat-loving stone fruit crops in order to quickly get a good harvest.

Cherries

For normal development, cherries require sandy loam soil with good drainage and a high potassium content. The root system of a cherry seedling does not tolerate either excessive moisture or excessive dryness, so the gardener will have to think carefully about choosing a suitable site.

Before planting a seedling in the spring, wood ash and fertilizers (mineral or organic) should be added to a previously prepared hole.

Attention! For one seedling you will need about 15 kg of humus and 500 grams of wood ash (can be replaced with 50-60 grams of potassium sulfate). It would be nice to add 300 grams of superphosphate.

Cherry planting

Cherry trees are not as capricious as cherries - their seedlings take root well on both loamy and sandy loam soils. Also, Cherries can grow even in a lack of moisture - the tree normally tolerates periods of drought.

But cherry seedlings are afraid of the proximity of groundwater, so the site is chosen taking into account that the water lies at a depth of more than two meters from the surface.

Before planting cherries, 15-20 kg of humus or compost, 150 grams of superphosphate and 50 grams of potassium sulfate (or two glasses of wood ash) should be added to the hole.

plum tree

Even the most winter-hardy varieties of plums will not be able to take root in most regions of the country if they are planted in the fall. The roots of heat-loving plums often freeze, so spring planting is more appropriate for this crop.

For plums, it is recommended to choose areas with heavy soil; soil with a clay composition is good. The big advantage of this fruit tree is its ability to tolerate excessive soil moisture.

Advice! Before planting a plum seedling, the soil must be limed. For these purposes, lime and wood ash are added, after which the soil is fertilized with mullein and dug up.

In the spring, immediately before planting plums, add 10 kg of compost or rotted manure, 300 grams of superphosphate and 70 grams of potassium sulfate.

Planting pears

Not all pears need to be planted in the spring: heat-loving varieties of medium and low winter hardiness are more suitable for these purposes. Spring planting is optimal for the varieties Russian Beauty, Michurinskaya, Elena, Moskvichka, Svetlyanka, Marble.

For pear seedlings, a warm and dry area with heavy but well-fertilized soil that is sufficiently permeable to moisture is most suitable. A couple of weeks before planting, about three buckets of humus are poured into the hole, and on the day the tree is planted, a kilogram of ash and a glass of superphosphate are added.

Apricot tree

Of all the stone fruit crops popular in Russia, apricots and peaches are considered the most heat-loving. These trees are definitely best planted in the spring, when the soil is well warmed to a sufficient depth.

Apricots will develop well and bear fruit for a long time only in a place suitable for them, so sufficient attention should be paid to choosing a site.The soil is preferably sandy loam or loamy, light and loose.

Attention! The optimal place for planting apricots is a gentle slope located on the western side of the garden.

Loves the apricot tree and nutrients. Before planting in the hole add:

500 grams of superphosphate;
150 grams of ammonium nitrate;
100 grams of potassium salt;
1 kilogram of lime;
2 kilograms of ash.

Advice! In addition to the crops listed here, spring planting is preferable for almonds, walnuts, and peaches.

Features of spring planting of trees and shrubs

When starting to plant, a novice gardener must know at what distance to plant trees and shrubs, what is the best way to fertilize them, and a lot of other nuances.

Many planting rules depend on the type of tree, but there are several important recommendations suitable for all fruit and berry crops:

Pits for fruit seedlings or shrubs are prepared in advance: in the fall or at least a couple of weeks before planting.
The fertile layer of soil extracted from the pit must be mixed with fertilizers (mineral and organic), and the top layer of soil must simply be removed.
Trees and shrubs should be planted when the air temperature is above zero.
There should be no lumps of frozen soil or fertilizers in the planting hole - the soil must thaw completely.
At the time of planting, the seedlings should not have swollen buds. If the plant has already “woke up” and the juices have begun to flow in it, the seedling will not take root well.
The optimal age of trees at the time of planting is 1-2 years. Older seedlings take root more slowly, often bleat, and bear fruit a couple of years later.
The height of a stone fruit tree should be 120-140 cm; for pome fruit seedlings, the optimal height is 80-100 cm.
The roots of a fruit seedling or berry bush must be healthy and moist. If frozen or damaged roots are found, they are trimmed to a healthy root. The dry root system is soaked in water or a growth stimulator for a couple of hours.
It is recommended to water fruit trees for two years after planting. To better absorb water into the ground, it is recommended to build an earthen bank with a diameter of about 80-120 cm around the trunk. The amount of water and the regularity of watering depend on climatic conditions.
In the first 2-3 years after planting, it is recommended to remove all inflorescences that appear on fruit trees - the plant is not yet ready to bear fruit.

By following simple rules, you can grow a real orchard, the fruits of which will be enough for both family needs and commercial purposes.

Conclusion

Not all fruit trees and berry bushes can be planted in the spring. Spring planting of seedlings is justified for heat-loving crops, and it is also recommended for residents of the northern regions. You should not postpone planting stone fruit trees or pears with poor winter hardiness until autumn. But it is better to plant berry bushes and pome fruit crops in the fall, so they have a better chance of taking root.

There is no clear answer to the question: “When is the best time to plant fruit trees and shrubs?” The gardener must take into account the characteristics of the variety chosen for planting, the climate in his region and the weather conditions of a particular season. The rules for planting seedlings will also help, guaranteeing a good and quick harvest.