Autumn tree planting and shrubs has its own important specifics, without taking into account which you can ruin the plants you planted in the fall. Firstly, not all trees are suitable for autumn planting. Secondly, you should not plant trees whose growing season has not yet ended, that is, the state in which the plant is actively growing and developing. And thirdly, planting dates and measures to prepare the plant for winter cold. Let's look at each point in more detail to avoid mistakes that can lead to the death of your plants.
Which trees are not suitable for autumn planting?
First of all, it is worth mentioning many fruit
trees, such as apricot, peach, cherry, pear, which are definitely better to plant in spring period. To the best of your ability biological features Almost all fruit trees experience problems with winter hardiness with rare exceptions, for example, specially bred winter-hardy varieties Apple trees tolerate our winters quite calmly.
Also, you should not plant such deciduous
trees like birch, walnut, oak, chestnut and almost everything conifers
– spruce, pine, cedar, fir, juniper. Due to the characteristics of their root system, they do not tolerate transplantation well and require more time to take root, so it is better to postpone their planting to a more favorable time.
It is worth noting that the above especially applies to planting bare-root trees. Container trees and trees with a lump of earth They tolerate replanting much easier and can be planted in the fall, but in this case you should make sure that the root system is not damaged and the planting is carried out as carefully as possible.
Active growing season
The growing season is the period during which the plant actively grows and bears fruit, that is, the period of its active life. In the pre-winter season, plants go into “hibernation” and it is during this period that they most easily tolerate digging and replanting. Therefore, autumn and early spring best time for planting fruit seedlings and ornamental trees and bushes.
You can determine whether the period of active growing season has ended by whether the shoots of the seedling have become lignified along the entire length, and the tips of the buds are fully formed.
Autumn dates for planting trees and shrubs
The optimal planting period is considered to be the end of September and throughout October , perhaps even early to mid-November if the winter is warm. Seedlings must be planted with a small margin of time so that they have time to take root and take root before the onset of winter. severe frosts. Seedlings that have taken root are much easier to tolerate winter frosts, and in the spring they will begin to develop faster.
Preparing seedlings for winter
Mulching soil around the seedling and tying its trunk to a support will help the plant, which has not yet matured, survive the first winter. Sawdust, peat, straw and even fallen leaves can be used as mulch.
Garter a tree may be even more important than mulching, because by swaying in the wind the seedling will set its root system and it simply will not be able to strengthen itself enough.
Important: Unlike spring planting, in the fall, seedlings can only be fertilized phosphorus fertilizers , which stimulate the development of the root system. High concentration nitrogen fertilizers during this period can be detrimental to plants, since the plant may re-enter the growing season and will not have time to prepare for winter. For the same reason, manure is not applied.
September and October – good time for update garden plot. The period of physiological rest of plants allows a tree or shrub to take root more easily and suffer less pain during adaptation, so the answer to the question of whether trees can be planted in the fall is positive.
What trees are planted in autumn?
Agricultural experts say that autumn period It is possible to plant almost all trees, except those that are overly sensitive, due to the characteristics of the growing season, a species or variety that does not tolerate wintering well (peaches, apricots, cherries, chestnuts, walnuts, some varieties of southern plums). It is not advisable to plant trees brought from other climates in the fall. natural areas that have not yet spent the winter in your area. When choosing seedlings at this time of year, it is impossible to go wrong with the quality of planting material, as healthy leaves, a strong root system and mature wood are noticeable. With the onset of the first warm days, trees planted in autumn begin to develop intensively: their roots feed the plant, buds begin to swell and develop. The main thing is to follow two basic rules when planting in autumn:
- Plant the seedling together with a lump of earth.
- Plant a month before lasting frosts.
What fruit trees are planted in autumn?
Most breeds tolerate planting well in autumn garden trees- apple tree, cherry, cherry plum, mulberry, rowan, many varieties of plum. Experienced gardeners note the following pattern: the fruits of trees planted in the fall are usually larger and juicier.
Which coniferous trees planted in the fall?
Planting coniferous trees in the fall is much more effective than in the spring. Planting a seedling in still warm autumn land allows him to fit in better permanent place than planting carried out in unheated soil in the spring. Many coniferous trees take root well in the garden, especially Canadian hemlock. It is not uncommon for others to be planted on the plot near the house. conifers– juniper, pine, larch, fir, spruce.
Which deciduous trees Is it better to plant in autumn?
In the fall you can plant many hardwood trees - poplar, maple, linden, alder, ash, willow. Birch and oak trees do not tolerate autumn planting well due to the structural features of the root system. These deciduous trees have a tap root that does not have branches, so it is better to plant the plants in the spring to quickly improve the movement of nutrients.
Advantages of autumn planting
So, let’s note the advantages of autumn planting:
- at the end of summer - beginning of autumn there is a wide selection of planting material;
- not required in autumn special care for planted trees, most often one watering is carried out immediately after planting; subsequently, autumn rains will moisten the soil, supplying the seedling with required quantity moisture;
- a tree planted before winter will heal until spring the wounds caused during transplantation and grow suction roots;
- gardeners who plant seedlings in the fall free up time for intensive and labor-intensive spring work in the garden.
Planting of seedlings should not be carried out in the fall, but it is better to postpone it to the spring in some cases.
360 Moscow region spoke about the most typical mistakes.
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The annual event "Our Forest. Plant Your Tree" will be held in the Moscow region on September 12. Plants will be planted both in cities and on forest lands. It is planned that in one day the participants will plant more than 1.5 million trees - spruce, pine and oak. Autumn planting of trees and shrubs in the Moscow region has its own specifics. "360 Moscow Region" publishes rules that will help you avoid common mistakes.
Rule 1
It is impossible to plant plants with an open root system in the fall, with bare roots, if they by nature do not tolerate autumn planting well and if they are grown in other climatic zones oh, and they didn’t spend a single winter with us. And even more so, it is impossible if a given variety or species has a problem with winter hardiness.
Deciduous trees with taproot and poorly branched root systems (birches, oaks, chestnuts, walnuts), as well as hawthorn, do not tolerate replanting well. Bare root replanting is bad for all conifers except larch.
Almost all fruit trees are at risk, with the exception of the most winter-hardy local varieties of apple trees. Planting trees that have just been brought from European nurseries and have not had time to adapt to our biological rhythm will also become problematic.
If the tree is in a container, you can plant it in the fall, but be sure to look at the roots that have escaped from the bottom of the container: twisted and overgrown roots will not be able to take root immediately.
Trees and shrubs with a clod of earth are replanted in the same way as container ones, but carefully inspect the condition of the clod. Try not to injure it again, don’t shake it, don’t throw away the earth, don’t expose the roots. If the lump is packed in a metal or thread mesh, do not remove it. Such packaging, as nursery employees assure, is made from materials that decompose in the ground and will not harm the growth of roots.
Rule 2
In the fall, only those plants are planted whose growing season has completely ended this season. If the shoots are woody along their entire length and the apical buds are formed, active vegetation is completed. Otherwise, the tree will definitely freeze. This happens in dry years when the rains start late, in August. This is not our case, but we will definitely remember this. Especially when buying seedlings brought from other climatic zones: it will be difficult for them in urgently master the biological rhythms of a new area.
Rule 3
Don't be late with autumn planting dates. You must complete the planting season by October 10th. After all, the seedlings should still have time to put out young roots in a new place. New roots are the key to success; a tree with new roots that have grown will successfully survive all the hardships of winter. Everything, of course, will depend on the autumn: if it turns out to be long and warm, then the planting period can be extended. Container seedlings and seedlings with a clod of soil in the event of a prolonged golden autumn will be able to postpone planting and take root until November, before the onset of frost. But still, don’t forget about the date October 10th.
Rule 4
Do not overdo it with fertilizers when planting in autumn. It is enough to add only phosphate fertilizer, promotes root formation and is absolutely safe even at high concentrations. Nitrogen, potassium and calcium introduced in the fall, on the contrary, will become destructive for the transplanted plant, complicating the development of both those roots that exist and those that are about to appear. Accordingly, neither manure (neither fresh nor rotted) nor lime can be added to plantings in the fall! All this should be introduced in the spring, when general training soil.
The only thing allowed is root formation stimulants. They are diluted with water and applied during irrigation.
Rule 5
Do not forget about such measures to help the planted plant, such as mulching the trunk circle, protecting the trunk from sunburn, mice and hares, installing supports and protecting the crown from snowbreakers. Any mulch is suitable organic material: peat, crushed bark, sawdust, straw. It will save the roots from frost and help retain moisture in the soil. Downside mulch is a problem for mice, which take over warm “apartments” and happily destroy fruit stems, as well as decorative varieties apple trees, plum trees, pear trees. To combat them, use plastic spiral nets that fit over the tree trunk, or, the old fashioned way, wrap tree trunks with old tights. This technique, by the way, works great for protecting against hares. Hares are also afraid of spruce branches.
Whitewash protects against sunburn. Best to use water-based paint, preferably a special garden one, with the addition of fungicides that protect the tree from pests. Just keep in mind that autumn rains can wash away the whitewash, and you will have to renew it somewhere at the end of February, when the sun begins to get hot.
Yes! Do not forget about tying the support of the newly planted tree. Under no circumstances should the tree sway in the wind, causing the root system to move. There can be no talk of any rooting. For a small tree, one or two supports are enough; for an adult, a system of guy wires is enough.
And finally, protection from snowbreakers. Tie the crown with twine. This is especially true for trees with a pyramidal and columnar crown shape, whose branches extend from the trunk at an acute angle, as well as for conifers with such a crown: junipers, thujas, cypress trees. It also wouldn’t hurt to secure the bushes with twine, protecting them from breakage by snow.
Let us remind you that anyone can join the “Our Forest. Plant Your Tree” campaign. Famous politicians and public figures will help restore forests. On current issues The head of the department for interaction with the media of the Forestry Committee of the Moscow Region, Svyatoslav Neklyaev, responded about the action.
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The topic of today's article is planting seedlings in the fall. In the fall there is not so much to worry about in the garden compared to spring. Almost all the vegetables were removed from the beds, mostly only cabbage remained. In order for the seedlings to produce a harvest, they need to be properly prepared and planting material, and the pits in which they will grow.
Apple tree seedlings as well as pears, plums and others fruit trees, it is recommended to buy only in nurseries or garden centers. At the bottom of the stem of each grafted seedling you will see a characteristic thickening at a slight bend. This is the vaccination site. Most often, the grafting is done 10-15 cm above the root collar, but sometimes it can be very close to it. It’s not scary, the tree will still produce a harvest.
If seedlings are purchased on the roadsides or from people selling somewhere in markets, one cannot be completely sure that these seedlings have been grafted. Very often the trunks of such trees look absolutely smooth, without any thickening. Often such sellers simply dig up wild young trees or grow them without making the necessary vaccinations. As a result, you can’t expect a harvest from such fruit trees - there won’t be any. But it is important not only to buy seedlings in in the right place, it is important that they are all of good quality.
When to plant trees in the fall
Despite the fact that in autumn the weather is already colder than in spring, it is recommended to plant seedlings of fruit trees at this time. Trees are dormant in the fall, and all their physiological processes are suspended, so the survival rate of seedlings planted in the fall is an order of magnitude higher than that of trees planted in the spring.
Usually, planting begins during leaf fall, but the best moment For this purpose, the time when the leaves all fall off is considered. In the middle zone, leaf fall begins around mid-September.
There is no point in postponing tree planting until the end of autumn, so this activity should be completed approximately in mid-to-late October. Otherwise, the seedlings may not have time to take root.
In the southern regions, autumn planting is carried out until mid-November, in northern regions- during September.
But our weather is far from constant, and each year the planting dates may vary slightly.
What trees can be planted in autumn?
Gardening experts confidently say that almost all types of fruit trees can be planted in the fall:
- apple trees
- pears
- rowan
- cherry plum
- cherry
- plums
- viburnum
- peach
There is controversy regarding peach and cherry. Some gardeners believe that these trees can also be planted before winter, while others are categorically against planting these crops in the fall.
Dear gardeners and summer residents! If you have experience in growing, and most importantly, planting these fruit trees in the fall, tell us about it. I think this will be useful for everyone to know.
For Siberia, the Urals and Middle zone It is recommended to plant seedlings of the Ural and Siberian selection. They are quite winter-hardy, tolerate autumn planting well and winter well. You need to understand that plants brought from southern regions will most likely not be tolerated harsh winters in more northern areas.
Either way there's one thing for everyone important rule autumn planting: seedlings are planted no later than one month before the onset of frost.
Planting seedlings in autumn
The seedlings are planted in planting holes, which are dug about 2 months before planting. The diameter of the hole should be such that a lump of earth can fit into it freely. And their depth is usually dug from 70 cm to 1 m, depending on the crop.
The top layer of soil that you will remove must be folded separately. It will be useful for filling the seedling in the hole. Peat, humus or rotted manure is poured into the bottom of the pit. All this is mixed with fertile soil, which was folded separately.
Next, the hole is spilled with water and, after allowing the ground to soak in it, the tree is planted. After this, sprinkle the seedling with soil and compact it well. Otherwise, voids will form between the roots of the plant and the soil, and it will be difficult for the tree to take root. After planting, you need to carry out another watering.
There is an opinion that around landing pit When the seedling is already sitting in place, you need to make a small furrow to water the plant. But many experienced gardeners doubt its usefulness. On the contrary, water will always accumulate in this groove, and snow in winter, and the trunk young plant may begin to rot.
If you rarely visit your dacha and are afraid that the soil will dry out too much and a hard crust will form on it, you can mulch trunk circle seedlings, which is what I do for my trees and shrubs. Mulching is a great way to retain moisture in the soil.