Apple trees are probably one of the most common trees in gardens. Some species live for about 100 years. But for trees to bear fruit, they need proper care. Therefore, it is important to know how to treat apple trees in the spring. After all early preparation tree for the new season is a necessary procedure.
How to care for apple trees in spring
In early spring in March, they clean up the garden. This also applies to apple trees. First, remove all the trash around them. The peeled bark must be removed, because this is where the source of various diseases can be. These places are also convenient for wintering insects.
Branches can be damaged by frost and pests. The lower part of the trunk is sometimes damaged by rodents. If these are superficial damages, then treatment with garden varnish is sufficient. If the bark is eaten down to the wood, then grafting with a bridge is necessary.
When the tree trunk is freed from old dead bark, it is apply garden whitewash from the ground to the skeletal branches below. This measure is especially relevant for young trees; it protects them from sunburn, but not only. It is also effective against pests that have settled in the bark.
Available for sale ready mix on acrylic base. Can use mortar . Copper sulfate is often added to it. The whitewash holds well and is not washed off by rain. Old trees that are 10-15 years old have bark sunburn not susceptible. Therefore, it is not necessary to whiten them for this purpose.
Also, before pruning, you need to collect cobwebs and fruits left over from the fall from the trees. All this is burned along with the garbage. The apple tree is examined and for wounds, if any, the bark is simply peeled off with a knife to healthy tissue.
This place must be disinfected, then a garden varnish must be applied. Good for disinfection solution copper sulfate . 300 g of the product are diluted in a bucket of water and the damaged areas on the trunk of the apple tree are treated with this mixture.
All cuts are treated with garden pitch or putties to prevent diseases and pests. You can make such a composition based on tree resin. Heat 50 parts of resin to a liquid state, add 13 parts of pork or lamb fat and 20 parts of turpentine. Mix all this thoroughly.
There are also on sale ready-made compositions, but many gardeners do not recommend using them, since they contain rosin and drying oil. They are considered harmful to trees.
Apple tree pruning
Now you can start spring pruning. It is important to take into account the location of the branches, because their growth and fruiting depend on this:
With crown shoots it’s not so simple. They are not recommended to be pruned from apple trees under 3 years old, as they are necessary for their growth. As for the skeletal branches, they are simply shortened. If the procedure is carried out for rejuvenating purposes, then it is done for the length of the annual growth.
Pruning young apple trees helps regulate growth and fruiting. Trees that are 1 year old usually do not have large branches. They are cut at about a meter from the ground.
Before 5 years of age, it is better to perform formative pruning on an apple tree, and you should be more careful with shortening the branches. It is better to trim them to a minimum to avoid delays in the development of the tree.
Old apple trees require special care. When rejuvenating a tree, it is necessary to take into account whether there has been growth in the last 2 years. If it was not observed, then partially remove the fruit formations and carefully trimmed skeletal branches .
When working with very old trees, when pruning, they focus on the area of dormant buds. It is located at the bottom of the shoot. Such trees are pruned to approximately 7-year-old wood.
The result of this care will not be long in coming. Restoration processes will begin already at next year. Crown thinning promotes better ventilation apple trees and its lighting. All this has a positive effect on the condition of the tree and its productivity.
What are trees sprayed with in the spring?
There are a lot now various drugs for pest control. They can be divided into 2 groups according to the method of influence: systemic and contact.
What's the difference? Contact preparations work very well For early processing tree. They are effective against pests that have safely overwintered under the dried bark.
Insecticides of this type, when they come into contact with pests, destroy them immediately. But their disadvantage is their short duration of action, their duration is only a week, and they are easily washed off by rain.
Systemic drugs differ in the principle of action. After processing, they get inside the apple tree, which leads to the death of pests. The insecticide lasts about 2 weeks.
At the same time, the drug does not harm the fruits in any way, because it quickly decomposes. They are optimal for later processing of apple trees. Here are just some of the existing drugs:
- Voliam targo - effective against mites and codling moths.
- Nurell D. This systemic drug is good against complex pests.
- Insegar destroys not only the codling moth, but also the leaf roller.
- Benzophosphate. Its main effect is aimed at leaf pests, while pollinating insects are practically not affected, and lasts up to 1 month.
- Oleocuprite helps in the fight against aphids, mites, and scale insects.
- Karbofos. It is effective during the growing season against foliage pests, but is not applicable during pollination.
In addition to insecticides, there are also products of natural origin. For example, a solution wood ash helps against caterpillars and apple aphids. In addition, it contains various useful microelements: magnesium, iron, copper.
For spring treatment apple trees use a solution copper or iron sulfate, it fights well against various pests. Various infusions are also applicable: onion peel, garlic, tobacco. A solution of laundry soap is also effective.
Due to the fact that the period of activity of pests is different, one or another means can be used selectively. Either use universal insecticides complex action. Each gardener chooses what is convenient for him.
Using pest control products, it is important to follow the dosage. Don't forget about safety precautions when working with them.
Pest Control
Once the tree pruning is complete, it's time to treat it for pests. It is much better to carry out prevention in the spring than to destroy insects during the period of fruit ripening.
Processing apple trees has its own subtleties. It is divided into several stages. In early spring in March, before the start of sap flow, the very first procedures are carried out. The crown of the apple tree is sprayed special solutions. It's possible here apply Bordeaux mixture.
You can cook it yourself. This is done like this: add 250 g of quicklime to 10 liters of water (cold) and filter. Then make a solution of copper sulfate, for this purpose 2.5 liters warm water, take 250 g of copper sulfate. This mixture is poured into the lime mortar and mixed thoroughly.
With this composition spray the tree crowns. Minimum temperature for the procedure +3 °C. Various contact insecticides are also applicable. They are also necessary at the next stage. They are used to treat the trunk, branches and ground around the apple tree.
The second treatment occurs in April. When the buds have already formed, but the apple tree has not yet bloomed. Here it is optimal to use a mild systemic insecticide so as not to burn the kidneys. Or you can use biologically based contact preparations; they are safe for pollinators.
Treatment of apple trees during the flowering period
During the budding period, the apple blossom beetle and pests that feed on foliage are combated. Solutions of drugs such as Benzophosphate, Karbofos, Rovikurt are suitable for these purposes.
When did the buds start to appear? pink, you can protect apple trees from caterpillars. Quite applicable here Bitoxibacillin solution. It is also worth checking the leaves for the presence of fruit mite larvae. They are fought with Karbofos, and sulfur preparations are also used.
Treatment is not carried out during the period of bud blooming, so as not to disrupt the formation of ovaries. When the flowers on the apple tree have bloomed, procedures such as weeding weeds are possible, and those found on the tree remove pests by hand. At this time, you cannot spray apple trees, as you can harm the insects that pollinate them.
The next stage of spring processing of apple trees begins after flowering has ended. At this time, they fight against insects that harm foliage and fruits, such as leaf rollers and codling moths.
Can be hung butterfly traps. These are the final activities of spring processing of apple trees and are very important stage. Sometimes repeated treatment of trees may be required.
Apple tree diseases - treatment and prevention
An important point is the prevention and treatment of apple tree diseases. Fungicidal preparations are often used for this purpose. They are effective against fungal infections and more.
For example, Horus is used for late processing of apple trees. It can be used before flowering. He will protect from powdery mildew and at the same time it is low-toxic. The same disease is fought with the help of colloidal sulfur.
Helps in treatment and copper sulfate. It treats apple trees against fungal diseases, lichens and mosses, which can contain various pests, and they also interfere with the trees’ ability to “breathe” normally.
To spray a tree, prepare the following composition: 200 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water. In early spring, the tree is simply cleared of lichens by removing the bark. And treat the affected areas with this solution. Bordeaux mixture is also effective in such cases.
A good prevention of scab is copper oxychloride treatment. A mixture of copper sulfate with slaked lime will also help; it is diluted in 10 liters of water and treated with trees. Carbonate fungicides are also used.
Fertilizing apple trees in spring
Spring care for the apple tree includes its fertilizer. Immediately after the snow melts, carefully dig up the soil in the tree trunk circle and add ammonium nitrate.
At the beginning of the growing season, compositions with a high nitrogen content are relevant. Before this, weeds are removed and very carefully loosen the ground so as not to damage the roots. You can use a solution of manure in water 1:10, bird droppings 1:15. Copper sulfate diluted in water 2 g per 10 liters is also useful.
A good fertilizer can also be prepared from wood ash. For 10 liters of water you will need 100 g of ash and tbsp. l. urea. The mixture is applied under the tree. Humus is also used for these purposes. If the soil is quite poor, fertilizing at the beginning of flowering will also be useful.
It can be prepared in liquid form by dissolving it in 10 liters of water:
- potassium sulfate 40 g;
- superphosphate 50 g;
- bird droppings 250 g (it can be replaced with 0.5 liters of slurry).
Good during flowering period organic fertilizers , but also about mineral compositions should not be forgotten. Feeding is especially necessary for young trees; it is recommended to fertilize them 3 times with a break of half a month. After fertilizing, it is useful to loosen the soil again.
Spring apple tree care is very important. This pledge normal development trees. Only with some effort can you get good harvest.
Annual treatment fruit tree is a must for every gardener. This mainly applies to the apple tree, which is too susceptible to various ailments and pathogenic insects. If you believe folk wisdom, then it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it and its consequences.
Spraying time
Most gardeners start processing apple trees early spring. To achieve best result processing is carried out in the right time according to all the rules. Recommendations are followed experienced gardeners. Any mistake leads to loss of harvest and deterioration in the health of the apple tree. Care begins in early spring and continues throughout summer time when the activity of pests and pathogens is highest. With the onset of autumn and harvest, processing should continue. At this time, it is preventive in nature.
Gardeners created a special calendar based on observations. With its help it is determined optimal period for processing and its purpose.
In the spring, when the snow cover melts, the air temperature reaches five degrees Celsius, the first and most important stage begins. Spring treatment will be most successful in the second ten days of March, at which time bud formation is observed. It is important to pay special attention on tree bark, it is usually where most apple tree pests are located. Using a special brush, the bark is removed and treated with urea. It is important to note that on the second day the drug disappears beneficial properties. If you use a stitched urea solution, the tree will get burned, but this will not affect the pests.
In spring, apple trees need close attention and care, so it is necessary to fight against pests and various diseases. For this purpose, special insecticides (for pests) and fungicides (for diseases) are used.
The proposed list of preparations for the fruit tree is not final, but these are the best options that have been proven over the years.
Work technology
A pump is perfect for the job: electric, manual, equipped with a compressor. Also used old way- using a broom and bucket. First, the tree trunk and branches are inspected. If you find lichens or moss, it is advisable to remove them.
Then the solution is prepared. During the preparation process, the active component is combined with soda. Make sure there are no delaminations. Stir the mixture thoroughly, it is important to obtain a homogeneous composition, otherwise concentrated spraying will cause the death of the plant.
The resulting solution is sprayed evenly onto the trunk, foliage, and branches. It is advisable to maintain a distance of 80 cm between the pump and the tree. Spraying is done in such a way that the substance gets on the back of the leaves. Treat the entire garden at once, not just one tree.
Apple trees are grown on almost every summer cottage. This is understandable, because their fruits contain a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Only 300 g of apples must be eaten per day to provide the body with a daily dose of vitamin C. These fruits have general strengthening properties, so they are recommended to be included in the diet of people with weak immunity, those who have undergone surgery and serious illnesses.
Treatment of apple trees after flowering
After flowering, apples also need care, if, of course, you want to get a good harvest next year. After all, after flowering, pests may appear on the tree, which need to be dealt with in a timely manner.
- Scab- a disease that affects leaves, stalks, flowers and petioles. Oily spots appear on the leaves near the veins. The disease can then spread throughout the entire tree. To get rid of scab, collect diseased leaves and burn them. It is also recommended to dig up tree trunk circles in the fall.
- Powdery mildew affects the tips and inflorescences of shoots. White appears on leaves and flowers powdery plaque. During the disease, the leaves begin to fall and lag in growth, curling along the veins. The shoots of the apple tree become bent and stop growing. Be sure to cut out and destroy diseased shoots and burn fallen leaves.
- Rust appears immediately after flowering and affects apple tree leaves and shoots. Red round spots with yellowish tubercles appear on the leaves. They turn yellow and fall off. As a rule, apple trees become infected with juniper rust, so do not plant these plants next to each other.
- Common cancer affects the trunk and forks of individual skeletal branches. This disease can occur in open and closed form. In a closed form, tumors and swellings appear on the bark. The open form manifests itself in the form of deep and non-healing wounds on the bark. To cope with cancer, you need to approach this issue comprehensively: carry out a set of agrotechnical measures, whiten or coat the trunks of apple trees with lime milk, cut and burn diseased branches, disinfect wounds and damaged areas of the bark with a solution of copper sulfate (20 g per 1 liter of water), cover the cleaned wounds from garden pitch.
- Mosaic It affects the leaves, on which small, oddly shaped spots appear, colored yellow or cream. Merging, the spots affect the entire leaf, which leads to deformation and falling. The disease can only be overcome by destroying infected plants.
- paniculation manifests itself in the form of the growth of a large number of shoots in the form of brooms with yellow or red leaves. You can fight this disease in the same way as mosaic.
- Rosette manifests itself in the form of convergence of internodes. Small leaves appear, which are collected in the form of rosettes on the upper shoots. If you do not treat rosette, your apple tree will die and will not bear fruit. Usually the disease appears due to an excess of phosphorus and lime, and a lack of zinc. To prevent the development of the disease, feed the apple tree with zinc sulfate and treat the cuts oil paint, adding zinc to it.
How to spray apple trees after flowering?
After flowering, apples simply need to be sprayed to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases.
- Apple trees can be treated with various preparations. After flowering, spray the crowns with zinc sulfate - this will prevent the development of rosettes. Treat apple trees with preparations that contain sulfur and copper - this will protect the plant from rust.
- Spraying will help protect the plant from scab. Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate, copper chloride, polychome or polycarbacin (4 g per 1 liter of water). You can also spray apple trees with a solution of colloidal sulfur (8 g per 1 liter of water).
- To protect trees from powdery mildew, after flowering, be sure to treat them with fungicides, sodium phosphate (10 g per 1 liter of water) or Skor (according to the instructions).
- A tincture of tobacco or shag (400 g per 10 liters of water, diluted 10 times and add 40 g of soap) is perfect against copperheads and aphids. The entire plant is sprayed with the infusion. You can also use tinctures of decoctions of dandelion leaves, wormwood, tomato, yarrow and potatoes.
Caring for apple trees after flowering
After flowering, it is recommended to cover the apple trees with catching belts, which are made from burlap or three layers of wrapping paper (20 cm wide). The belt is tied in two places: below and above. The edges of the belt need to be opened a little. The traps are inspected once every 10 days and any caterpillars and codling moth pupae that have fallen from them are removed.
It is also necessary to water the apple tree after flowering. IN summer period do this in the evening using the sprinkling method. This helps the crown develop and rids it of pests. It is not recommended to water apple trees on a hot day to avoid burns. At one time you need to pour 30 liters of water onto one 2-year-old tree. The frequency of watering is determined by the weather.
The apple tree is a beautiful tree in bloom, which proper care brings a lot of tasty and useful fruits. You can make compotes, jelly, salads, juices, jam, pies, etc. from apples. Thanks to a large number vitamins contained in the fruit, it is recommended for people who have suffered serious illnesses and small children!
Apple trees awakening from winter sleep need special preparation for the upcoming flowering and fruiting. One of the measures that ensures a high-quality harvest is treating trees against pests. When, what and how to spray apple trees against pests in the spring - important question for summer residents.
Main pests of apple trees
First, let's list the 10 main “undesirable tenants” of apple orchards.
- Sawfly – small insect, similar to a bee. Feeds internal parts ovaries. Its larvae, after wintering in the ground, emerge from their shelters 5-6 days before the apple tree begins to bloom.
- Aphids are sap-sucking insects that colonize young shoots, weakening them.
- The red mite, which also feeds on leaf sap, overwinters in the bark and is capable of 5-6 renewal cycles per season.
- The apple flower beetle is a small brown beetle with a proboscis. Its larvae develop in the buds, eating them clean.
- The codling moth lays eggs on the ovaries. The larvae live directly in apples, often eating them completely.
- Apple scale insects attack the bark of trees, weakening them and making them vulnerable to incurable diseases and bark beetles.
- The apple moth is dangerous because the butterflies appear only in the fall. In the spring, trees are destroyed by its caterpillars, gnawing all the green parts. IN advanced cases Apple trees are left without foliage and, accordingly, without fruit.
- The psyllid (psyllid) is a small insect, the larvae of which feed on juices and leave traces - droplets of sticky liquid that glue the petals of unopened buds and unopened leaves.
- Leaf roller. The diet of its larvae is leaves. 4 generations of the pest in a season can completely destroy an apple tree.
- Ants not only settle aphid colonies, they often nibble on blossoming buds.
When to treat an apple tree
Prevention includes three stages, and the implementation of each of them is strictly necessary if the summer resident wants to get a high-quality harvest.
Do not neglect whitewashing the trunks. A layer of lime or paint not only protects the tree from the burns of the burning spring sun, but also has a negative effect on pests and spores of pathogenic fungi overwintering in the bark.
The first stage is spraying on the kidneys. It is carried out before the buds open - in the 1st or 2nd decade of March, at a positive air temperature (from +4°C). The first spraying will help get rid of the lion's share of the larvae, delay or even prevent the spread of pests throughout the garden. The entire crown branches, trunk, skeletal branches are sprayed; it also needs to be treated trunk circle and the soil under the crown.
The second stage is spraying on the bud before flowering. Held at the end of March – April. By this time, the larvae awaken, feeding on young shoots and buds.
Often the second stage is divided into four stages, each corresponding to certain insecticides.
- The buds (green cone) begin to open - treatment against aphid and honeydew larvae.
- Green buds - spraying against flower beetle.
- Rose buds - you can use biological agents against fungal diseases, fumigation is carried out, and herbal infusions are used.
- Flowering - fumigation is used.
At the second stage, they are used for spraying soft remedies so as not to scare away bees and other pollinating insects.
The apple tree is treated for the third time in May, immediately after flowering. The treatment is directed against ticks, which become active during this period.
How to treat an apple tree?
Garden protective equipment divided into three groups:
- chemicals;
- biological agents;
- folk remedies.
The last two groups are classified as gentle; their use is effective for relatively small colonies of pests.
Chemical insecticides
They act faster and more reliably. It is important to strictly follow the recommended dosages, as well as periodically change the drugs, because they are addictive: pests adapt to them and calmly survive all treatments. Spraying with pesticides in early spring has no effect on people negative impact: During the ripening of the crop, they have time to completely decompose.
Urea (carbamide) counteracts aphids, leaf rollers, and copperheads. Adding a small amount of copper sulfate slightly delays the flowering of apple trees, which protects future harvest from recurrent frosts.
To prepare the solution take:
- urea – 700 g;
- copper sulfate – 50 g;
- water – 10 l.
At the first stage of treatment, it is advisable to spray the apple trees with urea.
“BI-58” is an insecticide aimed at destroying scale insects, mites, leaf rollers, honey beetles, aphids, and caterpillars of other pests. The working solution is prepared from 10 ml of the drug and 10 liters of water.
For more effective impact Special, narrowly targeted pesticides are used against pests.
- Chlorophos and Karbofos are used against the sawfly. Combine with frequent loosening of the soil under the apple tree.
- To get rid of aphids, trees are treated with Actellik, Inta-Vir, Aktara, and Iskra.
- They fight red mites with “Aktellik”, “Neoron”, “Ftoverm”, “Fufanon”.
- To remove apple worm, use “Cypermethrin”, “Confidor”, “Aktaru”, “Diazinon”.
- The flower beetle is treated with Fufanon, Karbofos, and Iskra.
- To combat the codling moth, “Fufanon”, “Iskra”, “Ditox”, “Sirocco” are used.
- Moth caterpillars are exterminated with the help of Inta-Vir, Karbofos, and Fufanon.
- “Ditox”, “Calypso”, “Fastak” are effective against leaf rollers.
Treat apple trees with chemicals and biological drugs need to wear protective clothing using individual funds chemical protection.
Biological insecticides
Biological products are recommended for the second stage of processing apple trees, since maximum efficiency manifest at temperatures above +10°C. The working substances in such insecticides are bacteria and viruses or their toxins that kill pests.
Popular biological products:
- "Planriz" - universal remedy from pests and pathogenic microorganisms;
- "Bitoxibacillin" - effective in destroying pests that feed on foliage;
- "Aktofit" - successfully used against aphids and mites;
- “Lepidotsid” - has proven itself in the fight against leaf rollers and codling moths;
- "Actarin" - helps to cope with aphid colonies;
- “Nemabakt”, “Antonem-F” - designed to combat the copperhead;
- "Fitoverm" - used against codling moths, scale insects, leaf rollers.
"Fitoverm" is a bioactive agent that affects almost all pests. Its use helps reduce the number of treatments.
Folk remedies
Main advantage folk remedies– harmless to people. Treatment with them is carried out not only in the spring, but throughout the entire growing season, if such a need arises.
Popular spray options:
- garlic infusion– half a kilogram of garlic is poured into 5 liters hot water, leave for 2 hours, filter, add water to a volume of 10 l;
- infusion pharmaceutical chamomile – 700 g of dried flowers are poured hot water, leave overnight, then filter, add 2-3 tbsp. l. liquid soap and water up to 10 liters;
- decoction hot pepper – 100 g of dried pods are poured with a liter of water, boiled for 2 hours, after cooling, filtered, topped up with water to 10 liters;
- wood ash - pour 2 cups of hot water into a bucket, add a little liquid soap, leave for 10-12 hours (if you add a tablespoon of urea, the apple trees will simultaneously receive nitrogen feeding on the leaves);
- black henbane decoction– 1 kg of dry raw material in 10 liters of water is infused for 12 hours, filtered and 30-40 g of soap are added.
Wormwood repels most garden pests with its scent. Planted along the perimeter of the site or in small groups in the garden, it will greatly facilitate the summer resident’s fight against the enemies of cultivated plantings.
Decoctions of dried flowers of marigolds, calendula, and yarrow can be sprayed on apple trees against aphids during any period of the growing season, except flowering.
To repel ants from apple trees, the lower part of the trunks is coated with tar or grated garlic.
Bordeaux mixture for spring treatment of apple trees
The most common method of spring spraying of apple trees is treatment with copper sulfate. It is not only effective against pests, but also suppresses the development of pathogens of fungal diseases, prevents the appearance of mold, mosses, and lichens. It is used not only for spraying tree crowns, but also for soil disinfection.
A working 1% solution of copper sulfate is prepared from 100 g of copper sulfate and 10 liters of water. This concentration will not cause burns on the leaves or change the acidity of the soil.
Bordeaux mixture of 1% concentration is prepared from 100 g of copper sulfate, 100 g of slaked lime, 10 liters of water. Vitriol and lime are dissolved using different 5 liter containers. The result lime milk filter, then pour a solution of vitriol into it. Mix everything well.
If apple trees are treated with copper-containing preparations once a year, you can spray the trees with 3% Bordeaux mixture prepared from 300 g of vitriol and 400 g of lime. When using Bordeaux mixture at the 2nd stage, take a 1% solution.
Fumigation of an apple tree
During flowering, apple trees cannot be sprayed, even with gentle preparations: droplets of liquid remaining on the buds and petals make it difficult for the bees to work. But the pests do not know this; they continue their dirty activities. Fumigation helps to cope with them. The procedure is simple and does not harm trees, people, environment. To carry it out, choose a dry, sunny day, ideally a windless day.
For fumigation, dry tobacco leaves are laid out on straw or hay in an even layer under a tree and set on fire. This “cushion” burns slowly: 3 kg of leaves smolder for more than an hour, this is enough to evict pests from the tree.
Spring spraying of apple trees as a measure to combat insect pests is more effective than all subsequent ones. During this period, it is clearly visible to what extent and by what pests the garden is affected. This makes choosing an insecticide easier. The larvae awakening from sleep hurry to colonize the trees in order to be closer to the food source. Direct contact of the poison with the insect leads to the rapid death of the latter. Correctly carried out processing significantly improves the quality of the crop.