How to plant and grow an apple tree?

How to plant and grow an apple tree?

Almost everyone loves apples. But in any case, getting their harvest on your own is more pleasant than buying a product of unknown quality in a store. It is only necessary to know exactly the basic techniques and points in order to ensure that errors in this matter are excluded.

Description of culture

An apple tree is a tree or shrub from the Rosaceae family, growing profusely both in temperate latitudes and in the subtropics. Plant height can reach 10 m. At the same time, the apple tree is covered with dark gray bark. Its foliage is green, their length reaches 0.1 m, the geometry of the leaf is close to an oblong egg. Apple blossoms are distinguished by their expressive aroma.

Judging by the description, they are characterized by a pink, white or slightly red tone. Flowers gather in umbrella inflorescences, the diameter of each flower can reach 40 mm. The apple tree blooms in the last month of spring, under favorable conditions the tree can even be completely covered with flowers. The size, tone and geometry of the fruits are largely determined by the variety and type. It is customary to separate the fruit and ornamental types of apple trees.

Their height allows you to enter a classification into:

  • highly developed;
  • weakly growing;
  • partially dwarf;
  • miniature group.

There is a great variety of external crown configurations. It is sprawling and weeping, compressed and in the form of a column.The last type attracts the attention of farmers with its unusualness: there is a main trunk and branches pulling up. The columnar apple tree absorbs a minimum of space in the garden, and its greatest growth is limited to 3 m. But the popularity of such a culture is limited by its susceptibility to freezing: plants beaten by frost, even when they survive, cannot bear fruit.

The so-called domestic apple tree is the collective name of varieties and hybrids grown in gardens. The growing season covers April-November. Berry, it is also a Siberian apple tree, forms a slowly developing tree with a height of 5-10 m. It is characterized by a rounded crown and a high density of foliage. The plant is beautifully flowering, people like it when receiving fruits.

Apples on the Siberian variety of apple trees do not exceed 10 cm in diameter, are painted in yellow or red. The fruits are round in shape, they grow on elongated stalks. Frost resistance is very high, which makes it possible to grow the plant in harsh conditions and use it as a stock in the northern regions of the country. But the plum-leaved apple tree, also known as the “Chinese”, is distinguished not only by its round, but also by its very large crown.

In spring, white or slightly pink flowers begin to form on it, the diameter of which sometimes reaches 30 mm.

The attractiveness of the plant is due to its resistance to:

  • winter conditions;
  • dry periods;
  • many diseases.

"Chinese" suffers little from pruning. Apples on it do not exceed 3 cm, there are fruits with red and yellow peel. But the forest, it is a wild apple tree, stands out for its rapid growth (it can rise up to 15 m). Interestingly, shrubs are occasionally included in this group.On one plant there are either white or pink flowers, they do not grow together. The fruits of wild apple trees are sour, but one of the subspecies, the paradise apple tree, is well suited for grafting onto cultivated dwarf varieties.

The purple hybrid stands out for its charm and reddish leaves. The growth of the tree does not exceed 5 m. Decorative qualities are due to both flowers and fruits. Winter resistance is satisfactory for most regions of Russia.

Nedzvetsky's apple tree will be of interest to those gardeners who want to get a garden that is rapidly developing and is not very susceptible to infections and pest aggression.

Variety selection

Familiarization with the types of apple trees is not enough to make a competent decision. It is also required to correctly assess which variety is needed in a particular area. Until relatively recently, the undisputed leader was "Idared". But even today, when there are both tastier and more practical varieties of apple trees, many summer residents remain committed to it. The taste of fruits is transitional from sour to sweet, there are apples weighing from 0.1 to 0.3 kg; a serious problem is the low resistance to winter.

In terms of keeping quality and transportability, an apple will be an excellent contender for a place in the garden. Berkutovskoe. It is valued on industrial plantations, especially in the southern regions. Winter hardiness is average, but desiccation resistance will please farmers. The sweetness of the fruit and the average growth of the tree itself are noted.

And here is the variety "Bolotovskoye" gives high, up to 10 m, trees, zoned in central Russia. A feature of this variety can be considered an unusual green flesh. Although sour notes are clearly felt in the taste, it can hardly be called unpleasant, since the proportion of acids is small.You can save "Bolotovsky" apples until the end of January.

Of the new varieties, it is worth taking a closer look at such an achievement of breeders of the 21st century as a variety "Venyaminovsky"scab resistant. It is this circumstance that in many ways helps him win more and more space.

"Imrus", or “Russian immunity”, is able to survive even the most evil frosts, is distinguished by medium growth and a sweet and sour taste.

You can list certain varieties for hours, but among them a variety stands out "For a long time", which many connoisseurs even consider the world leader in taste. In addition, this apple tree gives powerful harvests and is not too whimsical. Although the variety belongs to the group "Chinese", it was developed in the USA. The fruits ripen in early autumn and attract attention with a strong aroma. A tree hung with apples looks incomparable even against the background of the most decorative species.

Pollination requires the participation of insects. The apple tree is able to lure them on its own, without the efforts of gardeners. But this will require planting plants separately so that bees and other winged birds do not get lost. Moreover, hiding such beauty behind other plantings is simply stupid. Trees reach a height of 4 m, while relatively small in width. Round wide crown with dark green shoots looks attractive from spring to autumn.

The main mass of branches without bends is directed upwards. When the fruit ripening season comes, it is difficult to see the branches themselves under the layer of apples held by shortened stalks. By itself, the leaf is easily confused with the one growing on the plum. The fruits are covered with a smooth skin and are not too large (average weight - 0.02 kg). There are both spherical apples and "cones".

When is the best time to plant?

It should be noted for a start that the winter planting of apple trees in Russia rarely brings good results. It is much more common to encounter freezing plants. Most gardeners do not start work until mid-April. Planting in the spring, if everything is taken into account and done correctly, allows us to hope for a thorough development of the plant by the coming winter.

As for summer planting, it is only permissible, but it is better to avoid such a practice. Risky gardeners are forced to water seedlings abundantly in the heat, and at the same time it is extremely difficult to observe the line beyond which root rotting begins. If, nevertheless, a decision is made to plant in the summer, it is worth selecting only specially designed varieties. Summer planting is sometimes recommended in Siberia to optimize preparations for winter. But such a measure immediately imposes on gardeners the obligation to think through everything and take into account the course of physiological processes.

The optimal moment for landing comes in the fall, or rather, in September and the first part of October. It was then that the bark of apple trees is completely ready for the cold season.

For your information: autumn planting gives the best result in the south. But even there it is recommended to choose areas saturated with black soil. This is even more important in the middle and northern parts of Russia.

Landing

To properly plant an apple tree, you need to dig holes where there is clay soil. Improving substances are added to these pits - peat, humus or washed river sand. The recess is dug approximately 0.8 m deep, its diameter is from 1 m. At the base, the shells left from the walnuts are laid out. But if it is rather problematic to collect so many shells, then it is much easier to find the required number of unnecessary cans.

Such layers should not be mixed, and their goal is the same - to strengthen the pit.

Then it is covered with soil and fed:

  • potassium sulfate;
  • wood ash;
  • superphosphate.

A walkthrough in any specialized publication notes that the middle of the pit must be staked. After its introduction, the notch is ½ in height filled with earth. Only after that the seedlings are planted. The trunks of plants rest on stakes installed in advance. It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to do this work alone, so the involvement of a partner is fully justified.

In all instructions, it is noted that the best planting of apple trees occurs against the background of the natural "sleep" of the seedling. This makes it possible to exclude the beginning of the active development of the vegetative system. In the Moscow region, it is customary to plant apple trees in the autumn months. But regardless of the specific moment, Moscow gardeners must take into account that groundwater, even if it is not too high by local standards, is still 1.5 meters below the surface. Possible negative consequences are stopped by preliminary compaction of the lower layers by backfilling the soil.

In most of Russia, buying seedlings at fairs and exhibition sites is irrational. Most of the seed material is brought there from the southern regions; when winter sets in, they quickly freeze out. It is much more practical to go to a nursery in your area.

But even there it is worth being vigilant: it is very good if the seedling is not just shown, but also dug up immediately in the presence of the buyer.

Getting acquainted with the advice of experienced gardeners, it is worth noting the following point: where the land is poor (represented by a mixture of sand and gravel, composed of loam or peat), an increased amount of fertilizer must be added. Regardless of the type of soil, a very important point is the careful selection of the distance between individual trees. It necessarily adapts to the climatic conditions of a particular place, to the size of the garden and the seedlings themselves. Bush dwarf apple trees are planted with a gap from one row to another of 4.3 m, with distances between individual plants of 2.7 m. This scheme is used in small gardens, and in larger areas, row planting on trellises with gaps of 4.5 and 2.1 m respectively.

Just bush trees are planted according to how many rows are planned to be made. When one line is formed, at least 1 m of free space should remain between the apple trees, and exactly 3 m of empty land separate the rows. Another option involves planting dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees in the form of "lines" every 2.5 m, while the gaps are filled with other crops. It will be easiest for gardeners who have developed a clear planting plan in advance. But in this case, the greatest allowable convergence between apple trees is 1 m.

Sometimes landing is practiced according to a chess pattern, in which two fragments of the garden parallel to each row are slightly shifted. Such a solution allows you to maximize the full use of the entire available territory. According to professionals, dwarf plants with this method of planting between dwarf apple trees within the same row should remain 1.5 m.For semi-dwarf varieties, this distance already increases to 3-3.75 m, and for large plants - up to 5 m. m.

If it is known in advance that it will be extremely difficult to organize the care of the garden or it will be completely absent for a long time, the chess construction is excluded. It will lead to the accelerated transformation of a pretty site into an ugly chaotic forest.

A single-row system (chain) is practiced:

  • when forming alleys of fruit trees;
  • when creating fruit walls near high fences or natural obstacles;
  • in a small area;
  • to delimit the cottage space into separate segments.

A closed root complex allows you to plant plants in any phase of the growing season, but for apple trees that were under a roof or canopy, immediate planting is detrimental. At least 3-4 days after unloading from the car, they should be left where the sun's rays will touch the foliage for several hours a day. A common mistake is to plant seedlings that previously lived at strictly positive air temperatures in a garden that is still subject to jerks of night and day temperatures. At the initial stage, it is recommended to choose for landing such moments when the sky is shrouded in clouds or when the sun is already low above the horizon, and the shadows are lengthening. And even in this case, it is worth shading the landings.

When the weather is hot, seedlings with an open or closed root system suffer equally. If the heat came suddenly, when the apple tree has already been planted, removing it back into the container is pointless.It is more correct in the early, as well as in the late hours of the day, to spend a few minutes spraying with water. The hole must be kept moist at all times.

Usually, a seedling planted in one way or another develops into a full-fledged tree, which pleases the farmers for the entire set period and showers them with fruits. But sometimes, for some reason, apple trees break. Either the winds cleared up, then what carelessness occurred, and sometimes this happens to plants whose resource is far from being exhausted. You can save the situation if you re-grow an apple tree from a branch.

If it is known in advance that the selected plants are characterized by active growth, it is worth placing them every 6 m. Rows are abandoned in cases where they are able to block the insolation of the entire area or most of it. In addition to the distance between the apple trees themselves, it is necessary to take into account the optimal gaps to other plants. Otherwise, harm is done to all interacting cultures.

Recommended distances (in meters):

  • pear planted on a weakly growing rootstock - 4-5;
  • pear growing intensively - 9;
  • large tree cherry - 6;
  • bush cherry - 3.5;
  • plum with a compacted planting from a dwarf or column apple tree - 3.5 (for all other types of apple trees - 4.5);
  • large-sized plum - 6-8;
  • currant - 1.25-3 m (depending on the growth of the apple tree);
  • coniferous trees - 8-12 m (biological species does not matter).

It happens that an apple tree is found in the same garden with birches. For ordinary plant species, a gap of 4-5 m is left, but for seed plants it is doubled. It is allowed to create an apple orchard, in which potatoes and other vegetables are also present, the distance for them is 100-150 cm. When they try to decorate the site with lilacs, this is always commendable.But for dwarf apple trees, a distance of 4 m is needed, and for large trees, especially if the bush itself is also large, the distance is increased to 6 m.

In a number of gardens, you have to plant an apple tree along with raspberries. With the usual low growth of these crops, the gap is 2-2.5 m, for the remontant variety of shrubs, a distance of 400 cm from tall trees is required. There is no information about the distance to the barberry in the special literature, because this is the primary enemy of the apple tree, therefore, it is necessary to completely exclude such neighborhood. When organizing a full-fledged rose garden, the gap is made at 5-7 m. And when you just need to set up 1-2 bushes to decorate the place, you can reduce the distance to 4 m.

But on the garden plot there are both various plants and "inanimate" details. When planting apple trees, it is worth considering gaps before them.

In doing so, you need to think about things like:

  • the threat of collapse of walls, fences with roots;
  • interference for the repair of pipelines, massive structures;
  • difficulties in extinguishing fires, eliminating other emergencies;
  • objective interests of the owners of neighboring land.

So, if you plant tall trees on the site, then at least 4 m from the fence. But for dwarfs, the distance drops to 1 m. In order for the dwelling to be always cozy and safe and so that the roots do not cling to the foundation, weakening it, you need to move low apple trees by 4 m, high - by all 8 m. But on any city or country The site has not only the main house, but also a small one. The minimum distance in this case is 2 m, and for all containers that are not tight, from 4 to 6 m.

To take care of an apple tree and other plantings, tools and other devices are required that are stored in a barn, a utility workshop.And the safety of such structures is guaranteed by an interval of 1 m for dwarf rocks in the absence of a foundation and 3 m for any plants, if the foundation is organized. Gardeners will make a gross mistake if they decide that this is where all the subtleties of planting end. Strictly observing the prescribed plants, it is important to pay more attention to the peculiarities of cultivating apple trees with a closed root system.

There is nothing supernatural in a closed root complex: if a plant grows in a container or a plastic tank from the first hour of life, it already belongs to this group.

When pulling out a seedling and attaching it to a hole, gardeners do not risk damaging the feeding parts. Unless you try to specifically soak the planting material, of course. But what will have to be abandoned is digging up the plant, because such a step immediately makes all the effort spent meaningless.

But a lot depends on what kind of variety lives in a particular place. The physiology of apple trees is bizarre, agricultural technology can reverse the course of life processes in them only in individual cases. Cuttings from branches throw out only shallowly germinating roots. Therefore, they will have to be planted strictly where other apple trees will not reach. And we must also remember that the growth of roots near the surface increases the risk of exposure to frost and dry summers.

Another point worth mentioning in connection with planting apple trees is how to transplant them. Such manipulation is necessary in a variety of cases. For example, when there is an urgent need to free up space within the crop rotation, and there are no other opportunities to do this. Or when a tree is pinched, it needs more space like air.Responsible gardeners in such an environment firmly forget about their convenience, the main thing for them is to reduce the stress of the transplanted apple tree.

The landing depth at a new location is determined by the general rules. But the recommendations on the time of work are unequivocal, it is best to take it either in the spring, before the dissolution of the kidneys, or when the last leaves fly around.

For your information: the foliage, when an urgent transplant is required, is cut off manually. Then a specific moment within the growing season loses its meaning. As usual, to perform these works, it is recommended to wait for the accumulation of rain clouds in the sky.

Transplanting in spring is definitely preferable to autumn if:

  • the soil is poor in useful substances;
  • the cold came too early;
  • there is no complete confidence in the health of the plant.

When transplanting an apple tree in the fall, you should hurry: it must take root before the onset of cold weather. A new site is chosen in illuminated open spaces and be sure to ensure that interference is excluded. The distances are the same as always. But the landing recess should be 50% larger than the root complex. Excess acidity is corrected by adding slaked lime.

Care

In order for an apple orchard to give only serene happiness and pleasure, it is not enough just to plant apple trees properly. You will have to put in a lot of effort in the future. And yet, it is possible to grow and make any fruit tree bear fruit with “little blood”, if you pay attention to the accumulated experience.

Standard points when caring for apple plantations will be:

  • maintaining decent land quality;
  • moisturizing;
  • cutting off excess and diseased parts;
  • prevention of frost destruction of branches;
  • repel attacks of rodents;
  • weed suppression;
  • resistance to insects;
  • suppression of infections.

They begin to take care of a young tree in the first year of cultivation, taking care of its early withdrawal from hibernation. In summer, after flowering, it is time to feed, keeping the plants in good shape. This is the only way to keep the largest number of ovaries. When the shortening of daylight hours is complemented by a decrease in the average daily temperature, they begin to prepare for wintering. There are obvious differences when working on old apple plantings.

"Old age" is not counted by decrepitude; for the convenience of gardeners, this group includes all plants that are already grateful for their previous efforts with fruits.

At this stage, there are three main areas of work:

  • maintaining the growth of young shoots;
  • maintaining the regularity of the harvest;
  • ensuring a decent level of harvested fruits.

Apple trees are allowed to be fed with both organic and mineral fertilizers, microbiological compositions are also recommended. When abundant fruiting occurs, the natural forces of trees are not enough to hold the load. Then the timely and complete preparation of props depends on the farmers. In the event of a break in the branch, without which the normal proportion in the crown will be preserved, a “ring” cut is made with the area cleaned, carefully leveled and painted over. Thick branches, the absence of which will adversely affect the tree, are applied back and try to engraft.

Given the constant danger of winter frosts, before the start of the cold planting season, it is supposed to be saturated with moisture. You should also have time to heal any small wounds at this time, and even more so hollows. Another important aspect is precise cutting.

As for mechanical defects, the requirement is always the same - they must be eliminated as soon as possible.Having accidentally torn off the bark on an apple tree (or seeing that hares did it, for example), responsible gardeners immediately rush to cook and apply garden pitch. This prescription is even more relevant when a serious deformation is noticed, reaching the deeper layers of the tree. Imagine a similar injury on yourself personally, and it will immediately become clear why speed is so important. Microorganisms are extremely tenacious creatures, and if they are given a convenient entrance, it will be immediately used.

To strengthen the immune system, as well as reduce the risk of most disorders, the use of special drinks helps. But as with any kind of potent means, you need to behave carefully and carefully. Active drugs are often given after a meal to reduce their irritant effect. Similarly, mixtures containing nitrogen must be diluted in a significant volume of water. Nothing bad will happen if you do the same with other fertilizers (but without deviating from the instructions).

If the land on the site contains a significant proportion of sand, nitrogen will be valuable. Another thing is black soil. As part of this chemical element, it is already in excess. The more intensive watering (within reason), the more fertilizer can be invested. Rainy weather will also help here. If it is firmly established, farmers can simply spread the desired composition around the trunk and not worry.

While they are spudding other beds, doing some other work, resting after righteous labors, or driving back from their dacha, the rain stream itself will deliver the fertilizer to the goal. But we must also remember about feeding the plant outside the root. Such processing is performed only at those moments when the solar disk is not visible.

Attention: all fertilizers applied to the trunk and leaves must be weakened (dilute). Otherwise, you will have to deal with burns.

The very first time fertilizer is introduced in the spring, as soon as early leaves are found. This is just the moment when nitrogen will have to be injected for the future apple crop. Top dressing is combined with digging and is done strictly along the perimeter of the crown. Even the smallest area should not be left unattended.

The recommended cost per apple tree is:

  • 40-50 kg of humus;
  • 0.5-0.6 kg of urea;
  • or 0.03-0.04 kg of a combination of ammonium nitrate with nitroammophos.

When the time of the first leaves has passed and the tree has blossomed, and this moment coincided with dry days, only liquid mixtures are used (diluted with 10 liters of water):

  • chicken droppings - 1.5-2 kg;
  • urea - 0.25-0.3 kg;
  • slurry - 5 kg;
  • a mixture of 0.1 kg of superphosphate with 0.06 kg of potassium sulfate.

There is also a third period when the apple tree yearns to be nourished. It comes when the flowers have already fallen off and flown around, and the fruits are pouring and ripening. Green top dressing is already recommended here. It is prepared by insisting the green parts of field herbs in water for 20-25 days. In summer, nitrogen alone is not enough; potassium and phosphorus should come to its aid.

Although it is necessary to treat apple trees repeatedly during the hot period, it is worth pausing from 10 to 15 days. Top dressing for the fruit tree should begin in mid-June. The only remedy is urea applied to the leaves. If the first summer month is damp, it is advisable to use root feeding instead of foliar feeding. As the apple tree grows, the saturation of the solution is increased annually.

In July, you need to spray the crown, be sure to take care of a uniform concentration on all parts.Complete nutrition must be provided using some nitrogen. The interval between the introduction of mineral and nitrogen mixtures is 7-14 days.

In autumn, trees without roots should not be fed, because this impairs preparation for winter weather. But feeding through the root with the help of ready-made mixtures in accordance with the instructions is very good. Dwarf apple trees are fed with a 25-30% reduced amount of fertilizer.

The formation of holes that reach a depth of 0.3 m helps to increase the absorption of feed liquids. The problem is that such holes are unacceptable for a column of apple trees of any variety; they are fed dry or by watering near the root.

A small amount of nitrogen leads to pallor and shredding of foliage. It also becomes smaller with a weak intake of boron, but here twisting and yellowing of the sheets are already characteristic. If there is an acute lack of iron, the leaf becomes yellow, and soon colorless, dies off, starting from the edge, new branches develop slowly.

Without calcium, the leaves become whitish and curl from top to bottom. The lack of magnesium creates a "short-term beauty": the leaf will be yellow, red or even purple, and will retain a green tone around the perimeter and on the veins. Copper starvation manifests itself in pallor and the appearance of brown patches on the foliage. Soon it becomes variegated, but this variegation is a harbinger of death.

A lack of phosphorus is recognized by a dull crown, in the color of which you can catch a bronze tint. An additional symptom is redness or the appearance of purple tones in the foliage. But the absence of zinc reveals itself by crushing the leaves, by their wrinkling.In addition to mineral components, competent watering is of great importance for the full development of the culture. It is carried out so that the soil is saturated with water 0.8 m deep.

Three irrigations are carried out consecutively:

  • against the background of flowering;
  • in the first days of July (when the fruits are actively ripening);
  • in October (to prepare the plant for frost).

If the weather is dry, the frequency of watering can be slightly increased, and with heavy rainfall they are reduced. Water for irrigation should not be colder than 18 and hotter than 25 degrees. In the first and second year of life, apple trees are watered with 40-50 liters of water at a time. When fruiting begins, it is required to use already 70-100 liters. The frequency of watering rapidly growing apple trees in the first years of life is 4-5 times per season.

It is required to pour water strictly under the neck of the root. This significantly accelerates its penetration and reduces the wasted consumption for evaporation, for seepage into the depths. In the first two years, watering through the holes is more practical than other methods. But at an older age, it is recommended to use furrows reaching a depth of 0.5-0.6 m. When 48 to 72 hours pass after irrigation, it is worth loosening the soil and mulching.

Working with garden shears also has its own characteristics. Picking up pruners in the spring is worth to form a crown, and the best time for this is March and April (before the leaves from the buds hatch). But in the summer, only the removal of branches that block the main vegetative parts is allowed. You can also remove the processes growing along the body of the main axes.

Harvest and storage

Experienced farmers advise picking fruits only with cotton gloves. A coarser fabric breaks, rips off even the seemingly strong peel.

The second immutable law of apple picking is “what fell is gone” (for stocks). No, an apple that has fallen to the ground can be used, but only in two ways: either wash it and eat it right away, or process it.

It is recommended to leave the stalk on the fruit, it reduces the risk of premature decomposition. Natural wax coating is also useful. Those who seek to erase it are doing great stupidity. They think that hundreds of millions of years of evolution have been wasted, and that without this armor, fruits can lie for a long time. Meanwhile, nature acted much smarter - she created a remedy for drying out.

Fruit picking is recommended when it is dry, ideally in the afternoon. Summer varieties after full ripening are stored very little, they are recommended to be collected in August. The output is harvesting 14-20 days before final maturity. You can store the collected up to 1 month, if you provide a room temperature of 0-3 degrees. The fruits of autumn varieties are harvested at the end of August and in the first days of September, after which they are placed in storage for 2 or 3 weeks for ripening.

Winter apples are removed from the branches in the second month of autumn. Fresh collection of them is characterized by some rigidity and sourness. It will take 2-3 months for the fruits to reach full condition. But it will be possible to put them both on the New Year's and on the April table. Removing apples, they are cooled to 4 degrees and moved to a prepared storage.

The classic storage method is a wooden box, but the weakness of this option is due to its susceptibility to decay. It is allowed to use plastic containers, which should be washed and disinfected in advance. Improving the keeping quality of apples is helped by filling sawdust from hardwood into the tanks.Coniferous sawdust is distinguished by a resinous aroma, which the fruits will also perceive. Straw is bad with a high probability of mold formation.

Selected wood shavings have a moisture limit of 20% (preferably 15%). A good result is the shifting of apples with oak (maple) leaves, peat chips, dried moss. These components are distinguished by antibacterial characteristics.

Most active ripening occurs in large fruits. For bookmarking, it is worth selecting containers with small products. Disinfection is carried out with bleach, after which thorough drying is required. The bottoms of the boxes are covered with clean white paper and sawdust. Sawdust is taken so much that the first tier of fruits is completely covered.

It is recommended to separate the fruits by wrapping in paper. The final layer is also covered with paper and sawdust. The storage containers are sealed. Instead of these materials, cardboard spacers or synthetic substances may be used to separate the layers. Careful separation is especially important when transporting over long distances.

Diseases and pests

No matter how hard gardeners try to provide the trees with everything they need, in order for the efforts made to end up with a tasty, abundant harvest, you will have to fight against infections and pests. Powdery mildew is a disease that readily attacks a variety of crops. It strikes all the vital parts of the trees and begins to manifest itself as a whitish coating.

When the infection gets stronger, it will undermine the tone of the plant. Winter is not terrible for the fungus; when the heat returns, it will be able to continue its work. The fight against the disease, as well as its prevention, should be carried out as soon as possible. Specialized preparations are used in the spring, trying to get ahead of the full deployment of the leaves.At the end of flowering, apple trees are protected by using copper oxychloride and other compounds.

It is necessary to continue to suppress powdery mildew even after removing the apples. Then you will need a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulphate, diluted with liquid soap.

Scab is a no less serious disease, it deprives the apple tree of leaves and prevents fruit from pouring. Adult and young trees are equally processed in the spring with the help of "Topaz". The recommended proportion is 2 g per 10 liters of water.

The top three among fungal infections of the apple tree is closed by cytosporosis. It attacks single areas on the cortex, which does not make the disease safer. Gradually, the affected areas increase, the bark dries out along with the branches. With an unfavorable development of events, the death of the tree occurs quickly. Again, copper oxychloride preparations come to the rescue of gardeners, which are used at the time of bud swelling and immediately before flowering, as well as after it.

If we move from microscopic enemies to quite visible insects, the main enemy of the owner of an apple orchard will be a green apple aphid. It is present in all regions where there is a forage base for it. Natural biological protection - ladybug. But when it is not there, karbofos helps. From improvised means, a decoction of tobacco mixed with soap will be able to replace it.

The red tick is known for its tenacity: sometimes it parasitizes the same tree for several years in a row, depleting it. Wintering of the insect occurs in the bends of the bark. First of all, you can notice the pest at the ends of the shoots and foliage.

It is recommended to clean out all the old bark and not be limited to removing it, but to burn it.It is even better to take it outside the boundaries of the site in a plastic bag, from where the tick cannot crawl out, and send it to the fire immediately.

The apple sucker also has another name - leaf blotch. It is painted in a yellow-green tone and endures even the most ferocious winter without loss of livestock. When the buds swell and blossom, it will become extremely difficult to identify the enemy in the green thicket. Then it remains to fumigate the plants with tobacco smoke or coat them with dissolved karbofos.

Apple moth is another enemy of any apple orchard. She also adapted to the climate of the Russian regions. She settles on the leaves and eats them. The key means of control are chlorophos and zolon. The leaf roller is a worthy competitor to the apple moth in terms of distribution; it bypasses a rare garden with its attention.

Like other insects, the leafworm should be suppressed as early as possible. It is best to treat the plants before she has mastered the fresh foliage. First, apple trees are treated with nitrofen. Then, as soon as the buds open, use chlorophos. The fight against the flower beetle means for the most part its mechanical shaking off from the affected areas; chemical support is provided by chlorophos or karbofos.

How to plant an apple tree, see the next video.

no comments
The information is provided for reference purposes. Do not self-medicate. For health issues, always consult a specialist.

Fruit

Berries

nuts