Planting an apple tree in autumn: tips, rules, recommendations

At first glance, an apple tree may seem like a simple unpretentious fruit tree. It is generally accepted that it can bear fruit for 20 years, and at the same time does not require special care and attention. Most gardeners understand that this is far from the case. Caring for trees, they know how important and necessary for apple trees is regular disease prevention, timely removal of dry branches, correct implementation of a step-by-step grafting guide, and, most importantly, how important it is to plant an apple tree seedling correctly. From this material you will learn how to properly plant an apple tree in the fall.

Why you need to plant an apple tree in the fall

The timing of planting apple trees depends on the climatic features of the area where they will grow. For example, gardeners of the Non-Black Earth Region prefer planting seedlings at the beginning of the spring season, for Ukraine the most optimal is the end of September – the beginning of October, and for the northern regions of Our Country, as well as the Urals, Siberia, Belarus, planting should be completed much earlier. Most gardeners prefer planting apple trees in the fall. It is autumn that is a rather wet period, and this is very important for the successful development of the root system of the seedling, it has time to grow and get stronger before the start of the growing season.

Site and soil preparation

An important role for planting an apple tree in the fall is played by the preparation of the site and soil. It is recommended to take care of preparing a landing site in advance, 2-3 months in advance. If you need to plant an apple tree in the fall, then we recommend making preparations for this in the spring. It is recommended to plant apple trees where fruit trees have not yet grown. First of all, you will need to dig a hole, and in doing so, you should follow simple recommendations. First you need to carefully remove the sod, then the upper, most fertile layer of the earth, and put it all separately. Select another 20-30 centimeters of soil, and then dig and level everything. The depth of the pit should be about 50 cm, and the width should not be more than a meter.

After the hole is formed, lay a layer of turf on the bottom, preferably with grass down. Worms, microorganisms, grass – all this, rotting, will increase the humus content in the soil, which means it will allow the root system to receive the necessary trace elements in sufficient quantities. Pre-prepared wood ash, leaf compost, stale horse or cow manure (but not bird droppings) should be mixed well. When laying them in a pit, you need to continue to mix them well, so the friability of the mass will increase, and hence sufficient moisture.

If the pit is prepared in advance, then it must be well tamped and marked so that you can find this place after some time. If the soil is clayey, make the hole not deep (30-40 cm), but wide. Its width can be 1-1,5 meters. This is done so that the roots can feel comfortable in heavy soil and grow wide without problems. Try to make the hole as water and breathable as possible. To do this, you need to choose the clay from the recess as much as possible, and add sand and humus. Some gardeners recommend putting drainage on the bottom – broken brick, pebbles, expanded clay, etc. The result of planting a seedling, and therefore all your work, will depend on how well the pit is prepared.

How to choose seedlings

Experienced gardeners recommend planting only young, one-year-old or two-year-old seedlings purchased not on hand, but in specialized nurseries. Yes, and it is very difficult to determine the apple variety by eye, so gullible gardeners are often deceived.

Before planting an apple tree in the fall, you need to familiarize yourself with the information about which varieties grow in your area, and give preference only to those that have proven themselves, and not imported from another climatic zone. Ask how resistant they are to diseases and pests. Pay attention to the roots, they should not be frozen, without damage, mold or fungal growth. The root system should be moist, lush, lively and healthy, there should be a lot of roots. If they are all of different lengths, then don’t let this scare you, the longest of them can be carefully shortened. Carefully examine the bark, it should be even and have a natural dark brown color.

The seedling should have a clearly formed crown of 4–5 branches, and a graft should be made at a distance of about 5–8 cm from the root. Seedlings of columnar apple trees of domestic origin are especially popular today. These beautiful small cypress-like trees produce excellent yields and are a joy to work in. If you want to plant a seedling of such an apple tree, then opt for an annual tree, without long vertical roots.

Video “How to choose an apple tree seedling in autumn”

The video tells in detail how to choose the right apple seedling.

Landing technique

Before planting an apple seedling in the fall, gardeners advise holding it in water for 4-24 hours. So the plant will be saturated with moisture, its roots and stems will straighten, and it will feel comfortable in the ground. In a pre-prepared place, you need to make a small indentation. Before planting a seedling, carefully consider the color of the bark at the root, find the place where it is a little darker. In this way, you can determine at what depth the tree was planted, and plant it in the same way, then the planting will be carried out correctly. Do not cover the grafting site with earth, but try to raise it 5-8 cm from the ground. Plant an apple tree only at the level of the root collar. It will be correct not to trample the earth in the hole after planting, but as it is poured, water it abundantly. Packed earth will prevent oxygen from reaching the roots, and this can be detrimental to them.

Then it is recommended to tie the seedling to 1-3 pegs, so it will be resistant to wind. Gardeners in the Urals, the Volga region, western Siberia and other regions where strong winds dominate throughout the year are advised to stake the seedling with pegs from all sides, or place them in the direction of the prevailing winds. It is better to make a garter with a soft cloth or film, as twine can damage the tender young bark. Do not forget to make the so-called “watering saucer”. It is necessary to water the seedling after planting even in rainy weather; in the following days, watering should not be abused. If you plant more than one seedling, then the distance between them should be about 4 meters. Sometimes it happens that a seedling is bought, but you do not have enough time to plant it. Dig a small hole, put a seedling in it, sprinkle the root with earth and water well. So you can store the tree for a week in cloudy weather or for 2-3 warm sunny days.

seedling care

Care of seedlings consists in pruning and timely watering. Annual crown formation will accelerate fruiting and frost resistance. In the second year after planting the seedling, in early spring, before the buds begin to swell, the crown should be cut off, and damaged and dry branches removed. This will accelerate the growth of side branches and increase the yield of the tree. After the appearance of the first fruits, gardeners advise thinning them out, that is, removing the central, as well as damaged and diseased fruits. It is recommended to water seedlings of the first year up to 4 times during the summer, up to 3-4 buckets under a tree for one watering, and even more during the dry period. The earth near the trunk must be loosened as often as possible, to prevent it from drying out and overgrowing with weeds. Flowers that appeared in the second year in young ones, including columnar apple trees, are recommended to be cut off immediately, this is an empty flower. It will be good if you make 5 liquid top dressings with nitrogen fertilizers by the end of July. Choose any – organic or mineral.

In autumn, it is recommended to spud trees, furnish them with spruce branches for 5 years to protect them from hares and other rodents. Trunks of seedlings up to 3 years old are recommended to be whitewashed with chalk, and older trees with a solution of lime. It is recommended to carefully inspect the seedlings once a week for the presence of caterpillars, codling moths that feed on young twigs, weevil larvae, aphids and ants.

Video “Planting an apple tree in autumn”

In the video, the gardener shows and tells how to plant an apple tree. All stages are considered – the choice of a seedling, preparing a pit, planting, watering, tying a seedling.