Planting an apple tree in the fall: terms and rules for planting a seedling in open ground

Since time immemorial, the apple tree has been valued for its unpretentious care, endurance to dry conditions, winter hardiness, high yields and excellent fruit quality. In order for the culture to take root better, grow well and ultimately bear fruit well, of course, it must be properly planted.

Our article will tell you about when it is optimal to plant an apple tree seedling in the open ground, how to choose a suitable place, prepare a planting hole and fill it with a nutritious substrate, and also avoid typical mistakes.

When to plant an apple tree in autumn, in what month: optimal timing

The main rule when determining the optimal dates for the autumn planting of any crop (including apple trees) is to calculate when they will come resistant frost, and land 3-4 weeks before them, i.e. you should have a little less than a month in stock. The fact is that the seedlings shouldsing well to take root before the onset of cold weather and successfully prepare for winter, and this will take time.

However!If, God forbid, you are late, and frosts are expected within 1-2 weeks, then it is better to play it safe and postpone planting the apple tree until spring (you can save the seedling by digging it in the garden and covering it or planting it in a container and putting it in the basement where the temperature is kept not higher than +3 degrees).

When is it better to plant - in autumn or spring

Many agronomists and gardeners agree that fruit trees, including an apple tree, are best planted in autumnsince during this period, the young seedling will to build up the underground part in an enhanced manner, i.e. your root system (which is primarily necessary), and not aboveground, in other words, it certainly will not vegetate.

However, it is believed that in the southern regions it is better to plant all crops in the fall, and in the northern ones only in the spring.

By the way! The site already has an article about when and how to plant an apple tree in spring.

Video: when is it better to plant seedlings of fruit and berry crops

Note! Apple tree seedlings with a closed root system (in a container) can be planted all year round: from April to October, unless it is recommended to do this in the middle of summer, when it is very hot.

Planting dates in autumn in different regions

Thus, depending on the climatic characteristics of the region, the autumn planting of an apple tree is recommended from September to the end of November:

• So, in the South of Russia, an apple tree can be planted until late autumn - until the end of November.
• Gardeners of the Middle Strip (Moscow region) should have time to plant an apple tree in autumn before the end of October.
• In colder regions - in the North-West (in the Leningrad region), as well as in Siberia and the Urals, an apple tree is planted in the fall in early autumn - in September.

Advice! The best time to plant seedlings is cloudy and calm weather, early morning or late evening.

According to the lunar calendar in 2020

Choose a specific date for planting seedlings can help you moon calendar.

So, favorable days for planting an apple tree in the fall of 2020, according to the lunar calendar, are:

• in September - 19-26;
• in October - 3-13, 18-21.

Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha on favorable days, so the main thing is not to land on unfavorable dates (the days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, since this is a barren and dry sign -italicized).

Unfavorable days, according to the lunar calendar for 2020, for the autumn planting of apple seedlings, the following dates are:

• in August -3, 4-5, 19, 31;
• in September -1, 2, 17, 27-28.
• in October - 2, 16,24-26, 31
• in November - 15,20-22, 30.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine "1000 Tips for Summer Residents".

How to plant an apple tree in the fall: a step-by-step guide from A to Z (choosing a seedling, a place in the garden, preparing a planting pit)

Before running headlong for a seedling to the market or garden fair, you need to carefully study all the rules for choosing a plant, as well as choosing a place in the garden and preparing a planting pit.

Selecting a seedling and preparing it for planting

When purchasing a tree for planting, it is recommended to give preference to varieties that have proven themselves well in the region.

When choosing a seedling, it is necessary to give preference only to varieties that have proven themselves well in your area, in other words, you should purchase exactly zoned apple varietiesthat have a sufficient level of winter hardiness for the climatic conditions of your region.

Worth knowing! Saplings can be either with an open root system (OCS), and with a closed one (in a container).

Of course, it is better for beginners to take seedlings in a container, and experienced gardeners can also purchase from ACS.

Also, the apple tree seedling must comply with the following main criteria:

• The overall appearance of the seedling should be healthy, no signs of wilting, damage by diseases or pests.
• The seedling itself not it should be over 2 years old, since at this age he adapts most quickly to a new place.
• Sapling height must be within 1-1.5 m (low growth below, vigorous above): any deviation up or down indicates improper care or excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers.
• Should have well developed root system (without any growths and neoplasms), that is, in addition to the main root, there should be several lateral ones (the older the seedling, the more roots it has), the length of which can vary from 20 to 25 cm, while they should not be overdried and broken;

Even if you are buying a closed-root seedling, the lateral roots tend to stick out of the container.

Advice! To check that the seedling is indeed with a closed root system, you need to take it by the trunk and shake it. If he fits tightly, everything is fine.

• At the bottom, on the trunk, you should clearly see vaccination site (connections of rootstock and scion), which will guarantee that this is a varietal tree, and not wild.

As a rule, the vaccination is done by budding method by a kidney (they also say "grafted with an eye"), less often by a graft (ie copulation).

• Also worth appreciating the quality of the upper part of the trunk (grafted part)... The wood must be mature and strong, without any mechanical damage, sunburn, frost cracks and cracks in the bark, and the trunk itself must be flat and not bent.

Video: how to choose the right apple seedling in the fall

Preparing for landing

Immediately before planting, the roots of the seedling should be washed from the old soil. Then dip it in a clay mash, and then update the tips of the roots, cutting them slightly. This is all the more necessary to do this if they are too long, or you will notice that there are damaged, sore and broken roots (to a healthy place).

Some gardeners recommend completely soaking the seedling in water (it is possible with the addition of Kornevin) for a day or at least an hour, which will help restore biological processes in the roots and saturate them with moisture, especially if you see that the roots are slightly dry (And this is not in any case should not be allowed!).

Suitable place in the garden

Choosing a good place to plant your seedling is another important factor for successfully growing trees. So, apple trees (like many other fruit trees) grow well in open and sunny areas, but well protected from drafts.

The ideal option for planting an apple tree will be a place that will be protected from the drying winter winds on the north side. This can be your country house, some kind of outbuilding or a fence.. 

In this case, the tree itself, of course, should be placed on the south side: this way it will receive the maximum amount of sunlight.

Also culture doesn't like lowlands very much (but suffers) and especially wetlands, therefore, it is better to plant it in higher areas (even better, directly on the hills).

In other words, at the landing site moisture should not stagnate in the springwhen the snow melts.Otherwise, the plant will simply underpin the root collar, and it will die.

By the way! Despite the fact that pome crops (apple and pear) are crops with rather "strong" root collars (compared to stone fruits, the same apricots and peaches), it is better to plant them on a hill (hill) in the zone of risky agriculture.

The location of groundwater is also of great importance when planting an apple tree. They should be no closer than 1.5 meters to the soil surface.

If the groundwater is close, then you have no choice but to make an artificial embankment and plant a seedling on it.

Important! Of course, you should not plant apple trees near large spreading trees (especially nuts), as this will undoubtedly negatively affect their growth and productivity (if the seedling can grow and bear fruit at all).

At what distance to plant

The distance between apple tree seedlings is of great importance and affects the stability of the crop and the life of the apple tree in the future. Therefore, in order to properly plant, it is necessary to draw up a preliminary scheme for the placement of trees, taking into account their growth strength and crown growth.

So, apple trees on a vigorous rootstock are planted at a distance of at least 5-7 meters from each other (as a rule, 5 to 4), on a medium-growing one - 3-4 m (as a rule, 4 to 3), on a weakly growing rootstock - 1-3 m (semi-dwarf - 3 by 2, dwarf - 3 by 1.5).

By the way! Column-shaped apple trees (columnar apple trees) are sometimes even planted according to the scheme of 0.5 m in a row and 1 m in aisles.

Remember! The closer you plant trees, the more difficult it will be for you to control their crown in the future, in other words, you will need regular and mandatory pruning, including summer pruning.

Required soil

The best land for growing an apple tree is loam, although it will also grow well at sandy loam soil and light black soil.

Thus, the soil should have a light texture (be loose, warm up well, it is easy to pass water and air to the roots) and neutral acidity.

Certainly less successful for growing apple trees is sandy and clayey soil, but if you can create when landing in such a land good drainage, then the culture will take root completely and will grow successfully even under such conditions.

Important! When planting an apple tree seedling in excessively sandy soil, add a little clay and more compost to it, and sand in clayey soil, which will help balance the soil composition.

Advice! In a cold and harsh climate, as well as if the ground is heavy, or the site is very waterlogged and the groundwater is very close, it is recommended to plant an apple tree (and any other fruit trees) on gentle hills ("According to Zhelezov").

Preparing the landing pit: when to dig and what sizes (depths)

To plant a tree, it is necessary to prepare in advance (dig and fill with nutritious soil) a planting hole, having done this in the fall or at least 1-2 weeks before the procedure. During this period, the soil will just have time to settle to the desired level.

Important! When digging a planting hole, the top layer of soil is thrown aside for further use.

Planting pit depth for the apple tree must be within 50-80 cm, width - 60-90 cm.

There are certain standard sizes of planting pits, commensurate with the types and sizes of seedlings:

• for tall varieties it is recommended to prepare a landing pit with a depth of 70-80 cm and 80-90 cm in diameter;
• for medium - 60-70 cm deep by 70-80 cm wide;
• for dwarf (undersized) - 50-60 cm by 60-70 cm.

As a rule, a planting hole for a seedling closed root just do 2-3 times larger than the container itself.

The bottom immediately fits drainage layer 10-15 cm from broken brick or small stones (the same crushed limestone or expanded clay), and then the prepared nutrient mixture is poured.

Important! If you have to plant in clay soil, then in addition to the obligatory drainage layer, you will definitely need to dig the deepest hole possible.

How to prepare a nutrient mixture (substrate) or how to fill a planting pit

So that the apple tree can easily adapt to a new place and strengthen for further growth, when planting, it is recommended to fill the planting pit with a nutrient substrate, in other words, add the whole complex of macro- and partly microelements.

For this, the planting pit is filled with a specially prepared soil mixture (which is thoroughly mixed to a uniform consistency), which may include the following components (mineral and organic fertilizers):

• all horse fertile soil (upper 20-30 cm), which you removed when digging a hole;
• a bucket or two (8-16 kg) of good humus or compost;
• a bucket (8-9 kg) of non-acidic peat (if possible);
• a bucket (8-9 kg) of sand (if you have relatively heavy soil);
• 1-2 cups (200-500 grams) superphosphate or 400-600 grams of bone meal (organic phosphorus fertilizer);
• half or 1 cup of potassium sulfate (100-200 grams) or 2-4 cups (200-400 grams) wood ash (organic analogue of potash fertilizer).

Or instead of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, just use 300-400 grams of diammophoska (it contains 10% nitrogen and 26% phosphorus and potassium each).

Worth knowing! When planting a tree in the fall, you do not need to specifically add nitrogen fertilizers (it's a different matter if this is a complex fertilizer), since they stimulate vegetation to the detriment of root development (especially when planting in autumn in northern regions).

Important! However, many gardeners do not recommend at all to lay mineral fertilizers in the planting pit (i.e. fill only with organic matter, the same compost or humus + wood ash and bone meal), and introduce them in the future as top dressing.

After filling the pit with a nutrient substrate in its middle, it is necessary drive in a wooden peg, which will serve as a support for a young seedling.

Direct landing

Planting an apple tree in the fall, carried out according to all the rules, will allow the tree to easily get used to a new place and quickly take root before wintering.

Step-by-step instructions for planting an apple tree in the fall:

• Fill the planting hole with fertile soil in advance, leaving a depression in the size of the seedling root system.
• In the case of planting a seedling with an open root system, add a small mound in the center of the planting hole.

If you are planting a seedling with a closed root system, then you do not need to make any mounds, but you should simply place it in a prepared planting hole without disturbing the earthen coma.

• Drive in a wooden support (peg) (if you have not done this in advance).
• Place the seedling in the center of the mound and spread the roots along its (mound) sides down (the roots should never stick up!).

Important! If you have a seedling that was grafted with an eye (budding), then the budding site (eye = new shoot that grew from the grafting) should face north and the cut site should face south.

• Sprinkle soil over the roots while shaking the seedling to eliminate voids between the roots.

Note!

In this case, the root collar (the place where the first root originates from the trunk, which should not be confused with the grafting site: it is even higher - on the trunk) should be located 3-5 cm (you can simply attach 2-3 fingers) above the soil surface. After the tree settles in loose soil, the root collar will in any case take its normal position.

In other words, the grafting site should always be at least 5 centimeters above the soil surface.

The fact is that if you deepen the root collar, the tree will grow poorly and gradually die (because the root collar will shake out). And if, on the contrary, plant it too high, the roots of the seedling will be bare and may simply dry out in the summer heat or freeze out in winter.

• Compact (tamp) the soil, starting from the edges at the base of the seedling.
• Next, you need to make a hole (roller) along the diameter (perimeter) of the trunk circle 5-10 cm high.
• Spill abundantly with water, pouring out at least 2-3 buckets (pour out gradually - wait for it to be absorbed and add more).

• Tie the seedling to the prepared support with a soft twine and secure in the correct position.

• Smooth out the roller, loosen the soil in the near-trunk circle and mulch it with peat, humus or compost.

Mulch will help to avoid drying out of the roots and excessive evaporation of moisture.

Worth knowing! Mulch should not be laid close to the trunk of the seedling, as this can cause the bark to undergo heating, and, consequently, cause the development of fungal diseases.

Video: planting an apple tree in autumn

How to care for an apple tree after an autumn planting

Immediately after planting, an apple tree seedling is desirable pruneto level the root system with the aboveground part (this is done for a kind of "resuscitation" of the seedling after planting, since any planting and transplanting is an injury and stress for the plant).

By the way! The site also has detailed material on how how to properly prune and shape a young apple tree.

How to prune an apple tree after planting in the fall?

• You need to leave the main trunk 50-60 cm high, making a cut above the healthy kidney.

If there are side shoots, then they should also be shortened, leaving 2 buds each.

Think! However, there is an opinion that it is better to transfer pruning to the spring.

Further, a young tree will need careful post-plant care from you, aimed at creating optimal conditions for its early rooting in a new place and preparing for winter, which will be the key to its successful wintering.

It will be quite justified to argue that one of the main conditions for the successful rooting of an apple tree is a sufficient amount of moisture in the soil. Therefore, if the weather is dry in autumn, there is no rain, then after planting, timely and regular watering should be carried out (1-2 times a week), pouring out 2-3 buckets of water. And after each watering, if you have not mulched the trunk circle, it is recommended to slightly loosen the soil at the baseto improve oxygen access to the roots.

Advice! Either make a new hole every year, or initially dig not very deep (maximum - 3 cm) so that moisture does not accumulate in it in the winter-early spring period and the root collar does not get wet and melt away.

Also, don't forget correctly prepare the apple tree for winter.

Including mandatory whitewash and protect from rodents.

Additional dressings not required for the next 2-3 seasons as all the necessary nutrients were added during planting.

Note! But in subsequent years, for the successful cultivation of an apple tree, it will be simply necessary to fertilize the crop.

About, how and what to feed apple trees in spring and summer you can read here, a after fruiting (in autumn) — here.

And if in the future you don't like the variety or want to have several different varieties on the same tree at the same time, You can plant an apple tree in one of the known ways.

Important! The site has a detailed article about when and how to plant an apple tree.

Of course, in the new season you will need closely monitor the condition of your treeso that he is not suddenly struck by any diseases, pests do not attack.

By the way! The site has detailed articles on how how to properly spray an apple tree in spring from diseases and pests, and in the fall.

Important! If in the future you notice that apples began to rot right on the tree, then, most likely, your apple tree was hit moniliosis... And the second most popular fungal disease of the apple tree is scab.

By the way! 2-3 year old apple seedlings can give a signal yield. However, this should not be allowed (pick flowers), because the seedling in the first year after planting should focus on how to take root in a new place, and not immediately start bearing fruit.

However, if in the future you have problems with the fact that the apple tree will not bloom and bear fruit, then we advise you to take note this article, which describes the possible causes of such a sad phenomenon.

Video: how to care for apple seedlings

Thus, now you know how to properly plant an apple tree in the fall, so that the fruit tree takes root well and begins to actively grow and bear fruit in a new place in your garden. Good luck!

Video: how to plant apple seedlings in autumn