Content
Planting fruit trees in autumn less traumatic for trees than traditional spring transplantation. Many gardeners may disagree with this statement based on their own experience. But often this experience is associated with planting the plant too early or too late. And, perhaps, with improper planting. It’s difficult to get to the truth here; a lot is also connected with the soil in which the tree will be planted. Therefore, the dispute will be eternal, and each gardener will have to solve it for himself.
When to plant fruit trees: autumn or spring
In spring, all the flora begins to grow, and it seems that spring is the best time for planting. If we are talking about seeds, then yes. Although there are some nuances here too. But it is better to plant young trees in the fall. The advantage of planting fruit trees in autumn is that the plant wakes up in a new place. The roots begin to grow in the soil undisturbed by anyone.If one season is lost when planting in the spring, then when planting in the fall the tree will have time to get comfortable in the soil and will quickly grow in the spring.
The main argument of opponents of planting in autumn is that the seedling will freeze in winter. This can actually happen if;
- landing was carried out incorrectly;
- a southern variety of tree was planted before winter in the northern region;
- the tree was planted before the onset of the dormant period;
- in an open root system, the roots are frozen or dry.
But similar arguments can be made against planting in the spring. The planting time this season is very short: you need to catch the moment between the soil thawing and the start of sap flow. And it is unlikely that the plant will have time to recover from the change of residence before the start of the active growing season.
When planting in spring, the roots of plants are often dry, but few gardeners pay attention to this. And against winter freezing, supporters of planting in the fall have little tricks.
Dates for planting fruit trees in autumn
If in the spring you need to catch the interval between the soil thawing and the beginning of sap flow, then when planting in the fall you will need to choose the period of time between the seedling falling asleep and the beginning of frost. The timing of planting fruit tree seedlings in the fall depends on the region and long-term weather forecast. In autumn, the interval between the plant going into hibernation and frost is slightly longer than in the spring. The tree should be planted in such a way that there are still 2-3 weeks left before lasting frosts. These days will allow the plant to get used to its new location a little.
Timing of autumn planting of fruit trees in different regions
Considering that planting dates in autumn are tied to frost, they differ greatly in different regions. In central Russia and the Moscow region this is the middle or end of October. And sometimes later. In the Urals or Siberia - September. However, with today's weather disasters, it is impossible to predict where frosts will come first. Therefore, you will have to rely on the weather forecast. It must be remembered that planting a tree too early in the fall will also have a very negative impact on it.
The main mistake of summer residents is the desire to buy a seedling in early autumn, while there is a choice and the days are warm. But buying and planting a tree before it goes dormant leads to the plant dying in the winter.
In the northern regions, it is not recommended to plant heat-loving varieties of fruit crops in winter. If a tree requires complete wrapping in insulating materials in winter, it is really better to wait until spring to plant it. But all of the above applies only to seedlings with an open root system, which will endure any transplant very difficult.
How to plant fruit trees on a plot: diagram
The spring and autumn planting patterns do not differ from each other, since trees grow in this place for many years. But when planting one- and two-year-old “twigs,” gardeners have a desire to save space and plant fruit trees closer to each other. In this case, we must remember that small seedlings will very quickly turn into large fruit trees, grow and begin to compete for a place in the sun.
To prevent this from happening, several factors are taken into account when planting trees:
- What rootstock was the grafted on? vigorous or weak;
- how tall each type of fruit tree grows;
- whether the trees in the garden will be planted in lines, in a checkerboard pattern, or wherever there is space.
The distance between fruit trees when planting is determined based on the tallness of the rootstocks:
Rootstock | Distance between rows, m | Distance between plants, m |
| Apple trees |
|
High | 6-8 | 4-6 |
Average | 5-7 | 3-4 |
Short | 4-5 | 1,5-2 |
| Pears |
|
High | 6-8 | 4-5 |
| Plums and cherries |
|
High | 4-5 | 3 |
Short | 4 | 2 |
You can get an idea of what small, medium and tall trees look like from the picture below.
If fruit trees are planted in a personal garden for yourself, then take into account the area that the root system of an adult plant will occupy:
- apple trees – 72 m²;
- pears – 45 m²;
- plums – 30 m²;
- cherries – 24 m²;
- cherries – 20 m².
In real life, plant roots intertwine and the areas of root systems overlap each other. Therefore, fruit trees will take up less space. But when planting, it is necessary to take into account not only the size of the root system, but also the compatibility of fruit trees with each other. The table below shows the degrees of tree compatibility.
How to plant fruit trees in autumn
When planting fruit trees, not only their compatibility and distances are taken into account, but also the shade and moisture-loving properties of each tree species. When growing southern species in northern regions, one must also focus on the heat-loving nature of the plant.
Site selection and soil preparation
The planting site is chosen so that later overgrown trees do not interfere with each other. It is desirable that the site be level, but if it is located on a slope, you will also have to take into account the height of the trees. It is recommended to plant fruit trees in the direction of the sun's movement so that tall varieties do not obscure short ones.When there is not much to choose from, they are guided by the shadow of a tall object and calculate how to plant trees so that later they do not obscure each other.
In the selected area, the height of the groundwater is assessed so that in the fall or spring the roots of the seedling do not end up in icy water. If the water is high, drain the area. Drainage ditches must be at least a meter deep.
Pit preparation
The pit for seedlings begins to be prepared 2 months before planting. The size of the hole is 60-70 cm, the diameter is about 1.5 m. When digging a hole, the soil must be removed in layers, putting the fertile part of the soil in one direction and the rest in the other. Stones from the soil must be selected.
Usually this is a fairly thin layer of soil, under which lies sand or clay.
3 buckets of humus are poured into the bottom of the dug hole, leaving them to lie in a mound and be compressed under the influence of external factors.
The roots of the tree are distributed over this mound. The technology for planting plants with closed roots is different and is discussed below.
Regarding the addition of fresh manure, opinions are diametrically opposed. From “no way” to “in winter, rotting manure will warm the roots of the tree and protect it from freezing.”
In spring, fresh manure is indeed strictly contraindicated. When planting in the fall, you need to rely on the experience of gardeners in the region. Only one thing can be said with confidence: only cow or horse manure can be used fresh, and in no case pig or bird manure. The latter are “cold” and very caustic. They do not emit heat when overheated and can even poison the plant.
Soil preparation
When the hole is ready, shortly before autumn planting, they begin mixing the soil with fertilizers. Stir the fertile layer taken out of the pit. They try to use the lower soil minimally. If the soil on the site is sandy, it is recommended to add clay to it. And vice versa: sand into clay soil. The soil prepared for planting is mixed with fertilizers. There are 2 equivalent options:
- Bucket of ash (½ bucket for stone fruits) + 1-2 buckets of humus + 2-3 buckets of compost;
- 1.5 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. potassium salt instead of a bucket of ash, the rest is the same as the first option.
Superphosphate and salt are mixed with a small amount of soil and poured into the bottom of the hole.
For a tree with ACS, humus and compost are not needed; they are already lying in a mound in the hole.
Plant pit with ZKS
The bottom of the hole is loosened to a depth of 20-30 cm, a peg is driven in and the hole is filled to the brim with the prepared soil mixture. Water with 2 buckets of water. After the soil settles, add more soil until the edges of the pit are leveled. They leave him to wait for the tree.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
What to look for when buying a seedling:
- Availability of vaccination. Unscrupulous sellers sometimes sell wild animals. A wild bird can be identified by a straight trunk without a stump or bend at the grafting site.
- The tree should be no more than 2 years old. This is especially true for apple trees, which by the age of 3 develop a powerful root system. When digging up a 3-year-old apple tree, you will have to cut down the roots, which will worsen the survival rate of the fruit tree.
- For a seedling with ZKS, the roots should tightly hold the clod of earth, but not entwine it.
- The seedling should not be easily removed from the pot (this is evidence that the tree was put into the pot only before sale and its root system is open).
- You cannot take a seedling from ACS if a significant part of its roots is damaged, frozen/withered or rotted.
- The shoots should have well-developed buds and be woody along their entire length.
- The bark should be smooth, without cracks or other damage.
If the roots of a seedling with ACS have dried out, it can be placed in water for a day. Before planting, all damaged parts are removed.
Algorithm for planting fruit trees
The trees are ready, and so is the hole. You can start planting. Planting plants with ZKS in the fall is the most gentle of all. Often the tree does not even notice that it has been transplanted to another place.
In the finished hole, dig a hole the size of an earthen clod. Place the tree there so that the root collar is at ground level. And the vaccination site is much higher. They trample and tie to a peg.
Two important points:
- if the fruit tree already has a branch, the height of the peg should not reach it and damage it in the future;
- The plant is tied to the peg using an 8-shaped loop and the center of the 8 should be between the tree and the peg.
After this, the pit is watered and the plant is left alone.
A tree with ACS must be planted as quickly as possible. The roots of the tree are spread over the same prepared mound. If the hole is too deep, soil is added to it. A tree is planted according to the same rules as a plant with a PCL.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend leaving a traditional “bowl” for water around the trunk. The soil in the hole will subside and the “bowl” will deepen. As a result, water will accumulate in the hole. Especially in the spring after the snow melts.Water will damage not only the root collar, but also the grafting site. Therefore, it is better to make the hole level with the surface of the earth. To ensure that water is well absorbed, it is enough to mulch the root circle with peat or compost.
If there is clay under the fertile layer, a hole is dug so that the tree can grow roots in the fertile layer. Otherwise, it will die due to water accumulated in the clay pit.
Caring for seedlings after planting
When planting in the fall, the tree is usually not pruned. But not in all cases. If the tree is older than 2 years, it may already require corrective pruning to further develop the crown. But even this procedure is better postponed until spring.
To protect the new tree from frost, in November it is covered with insulating material. At 1-2 years old, fruit trees are still small enough to be covered completely along with the branches.
Conclusion
Planting fruit trees in the fall not only promotes good survival of young plants, but also allows you not to limit yourself in choice. In the fall, significantly more seedlings go on sale than in the spring. And their prices are lower.
