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A creeping apple tree or stlanets is a tree whose crown is located near the ground. Such types of crops are in demand in Siberia and the Urals, since they have increased resistance to frost. In order for the creeping apple tree to fully develop and regularly bear fruit, it is necessary to properly plant the seedling and provide care taking into account the characteristics of the culture.
Creeping apple tree needs special crown formation
Advantages
Shlantse types of crops, when grown in regions with difficult climatic conditions, have a number of advantages compared to conventional varieties. After all, the height of the creeping apple tree, as seen in the photo, is small, and this makes it possible to completely cover the tree for the winter. Since, whatever the frost resistance of the variety, without proper warming, the apple tree will not be able to survive the cold season in Siberia and the Urals without loss.
Also, the advantage of the squat shape of the crown is its uniform lighting. This allows you to increase the yield of marketable apples and improve their taste properties.
In addition, creeping trees begin to bear fruit much earlier. They form the first crop already in the third year after planting.
Varieties of creeping apple trees with a photo
There are no special varieties with a creeping crown shape. If desired, you can make a stlanets from any type of culture. But it is necessary that the variety is distinguished by flexible wood, which can be given a certain shape without fear that it will break. Therefore, among all the variety, you need to choose species in which the crown is drooping.
These include:
- Borovinka. An old variety, which was obtained as a result of folk selection. The lifespan of an apple tree is 50 years. It is characterized by a rounded, sparse crown, the growth diameter of which can reach 5,6 m. At the age of ten, the yield of the Borovinka variety reaches 60-75 kg, and at the age of twenty-five – 200 kg. This apple tree has rounded fruits of the correct shape. The skin is thick and thin. The surface of the fruit is smooth, moderately shiny. The color is yellow-green, with a striped pink blush. The taste is sweet and sour.
Borovinka does not respond well to drought
- Melba. Canadian variety of culture of early ripening. Differs in a rounded crown with drooping branches. Characterized by moderate growth. The yield of Melba (Melba) reaches 60-70 kg. The fruits are slightly ribbed, round-conical in shape, medium in size. The pulp is snow-white, juicy, with sweet and sour taste and moderate aroma. The color of apples is greenish-yellow. The covering skin is presented in the form of an orange-red blush, which occupies most of the fruit.
Melba shows a tendency to self-fertility
- Paping. Folk early ripe variety of apple trees, characterized by increased flexibility of shoots at an early stage of tree development. The crown is wide pyramidal, but as the apple tree grows older it becomes rounded. The fruits are flattened, most often round-conical. Their average weight varies between 80-120 g. The color is pale, yellowish-green, without a blush.
Papirovka mainly bears fruit on kolchatka
How to plant a creeping apple tree
Planting stlanets is somewhat different from ordinary types of apple trees. The further development of the tree and its fruiting depend on how clearly its rules are observed.
Seedling preparation
For planting, it is necessary to choose one-year-old apple tree seedlings, the trunk thickness of which is 0,8-1 cm. They must have a healthy appearance and a well-developed fibrous root system.
Before planting, it is necessary to saturate the underground part of the apple tree with water for a day, and then soak it in a clay mash and dry it slightly. These actions will help retain moisture in the roots.
Site Selection
To properly plant a creeping apple tree, you need to choose a place on a hill, but at the same time it must be well protected from cold gusts of wind. This arrangement contributes to the accumulation of snow in winter.
When choosing a place for a creeping apple tree, it must be borne in mind that the tree reacts poorly to stagnant moisture. The groundwater level in the area intended for the stlanets must be at least 2 m. Otherwise, in a few years the tree will die, as its root system will be washed away by water.
Soil and hole preparation
At least two weeks before planting, it is necessary to prepare a hole so that the soil has time to settle in a timely manner. It should be 100 cm wide and 60 cm deep. Lay a 10 cm drainage layer at the bottom of the planting pit. And fill the rest of the hole with 2/3 of the nutrient soil mixture. It should include sod, humus, leafy soil in a ratio of 2:1:1.
Additionally, 40 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium sulfide must be put in the hole, and then the fertilizer should be thoroughly mixed with the ground.
How to plant a creeping apple tree
Planting a creeping apple tree can be done in autumn and spring. In the case of the first option, it is important not to delay the deadlines so that the seedling has time to take root in a new place before the onset of frost. It will take him three weeks to do this. When planting in spring, the procedure must be carried out before bud break. Otherwise, it will lead to a long adaptation of the apple tree in a new place.
The rootstock thorn should be facing the soil when planting.
Algorithm of actions:
- Make a small rise in the center of the hole.
- Put a seedling on it at an angle of 35-40 °, so that the top is directed to the south.
- In this case, the root neck of the apple tree should be 5 cm below the soil level.
- Straighten the roots gently.
- Water the seedling thoroughly.
- Sprinkle the roots with earth and carefully fill in all voids.
- Compact the soil at the base of the seedling.
How to care for a creeping apple tree
Caring for a creeping apple tree in spring and throughout the growing season involves the implementation of basic activities. The correct formation of the crown is especially important for this type of fruit tree. After all, productivity and frost resistance directly depend on it.
Additional fertilizing
A creeping apple tree, like ordinary types of culture, needs good nutrition, which will allow it to fully develop. But it is necessary to start feeding the stlanets from the second year after planting. Until that time, he will consume the nutrients added to the hole.
In spring, it is recommended to feed a creeping apple tree with urea immediately after the snow melts at the rate of 30 g per bucket of water. The second time to fertilize is necessary after flowering. At this time, the use of nitroammophoska 30 g per 10 liters of water is relevant. And the third time to feed the creeping apple tree is recommended in early autumn. At this time, you need to add superphosphate 40 g and potassium sulfide 30 g per 10 liters of water. These components accelerate the maturation of young growth and contribute to the restoration of the tree after fruiting.
The dosage of fertilizers must be gradually increased as the apple tree grows.
Watering
It is necessary to water the slate taking into account the stage of its development. Immediately after planting, it is recommended to keep the soil always slightly moist and constantly loosen the soil in the root circle. And after the seedling takes root, moisturizing should be carried out no more than once a week at the rate of two buckets of water per apple tree.
Mature trees need watering only during prolonged drought. Moisturizing is especially important for them during flowering, after it and at the stage of ovary formation.
Creeping apple tree formation
For 4-6 years after planting, the slate needs to form a crown. The development of the seedling directly depends on how correctly and regularly this procedure is carried out.
It is necessary to start forming the crown in July. During this period, you need to carefully press the tree to the ground and pin it with staples. The distance between the conductor and the ground must be 5 cm, otherwise the bark will scorch. During the procedure, it is important to keep the apple tree at the grafting site so that its main part does not break. Also, arcuate bending should not be allowed, as this will lead to burns and frost holes on the trunk. Lateral processes must be directed in different directions and pinned to the ground.
It is necessary to continue to form a creeping crown in the fall. During this period, it is recommended to press all the raised shoots to the ground with hooks. And also before winter, it is necessary to spud the trunk to a height of 8-10 cm, protecting the root neck from freezing.
How to properly form a creeping apple tree, you can watch the video:
With the advent of spring, it is necessary to free the trunk from the ground, and the branches from the pits. Until August, the apple tree should grow freely. After that, you can begin to form the skeleton of the tree. From now on, it is necessary to keep all shoots near the ground. The branches of the first and second order must be directed to the sides where there is free space. And the shoots growing at the base of the trunk must be bent in the opposite direction and pinned to the ground.
During shaping and in the future, thickening shoots should be regularly removed so that the crown is ventilated. And the growing young growth of the creeping apple tree is recommended to be constantly cut over 4-5 leaves, turning it into fruits. You need to repeat the steps annually for 5-6 years.
You can hold the branches in the desired position using a special frame
Spring pruning of creeping apple trees
It is important not only to correctly form a creeping apple tree, as shown in the video, but also to maintain the shape of the crown in the future. Therefore, you need to regularly trim the slate. It is recommended to start the procedure after the snow melts before the start of the growing season. Properly trimming a creeping apple tree in spring is not difficult even for beginner gardeners.
First of all, it is necessary to remove all shoots that have signs of disease or have shrunken over the winter. Also, crown thickening should not be allowed. Therefore, the correct pruning of a creeping apple tree involves the removal of young shoots located at an acute angle to the main trunk. Their cut must be carried out on the ring, otherwise they will constantly grow back. It is necessary to do the procedure with a clean sterile instrument, and at the end of it, cover the wounds with garden pitch to prevent infection.
Anti-aging pruning is also recommended for an old creeping apple tree in order to increase its productivity. When it is carried out, it is necessary to remove or shorten skeletal and semi-skeletal branches, as well as thin out the crown, cutting out crossing branches.
Weed control
Weeds should not be allowed to grow through the crown of a creeping apple tree. This leads to the loss of moisture and nutrients, disruption of the photosynthesis process, and prevents the formation and development of fruit buds. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly remove growing weeds manually or with a tool.
To facilitate care, experienced gardeners recommend using mulching. In this case, the soil surface must be covered with mowed grass, rotted sawdust or black agrofibre.
Whitewash
Caring for a creeping apple tree in the fall involves whitewashing the main conductor and skeletal branches. This procedure helps prevent burns and frostbites, as well as protect the creeping apple tree from pests. To prepare the solution, it is recommended to mix lime, clay and fresh mullein in a ratio of 1:1:3. Apply the composition to the bark in the morning in dry, clear weather.
Apply whitewash to the bark in an even layer without gaps
Shelter for the winter
For the successful cultivation of stlanets in regions with difficult climatic conditions, it is necessary to provide shelter for the tree for the winter. Particular attention should be paid to the root system. To do this, you need to remove the fallen leaves, and then lay a layer of humus on the soil surface 10 cm thick. Also in late autumn, you need to wrap the main trunk and skeletal branches with agrofibre to protect them from rodents.
After the snow falls, it is recommended to sprinkle the crown with them additionally, compact the layer around the edges, and then cover it with burlap on top.
Diseases and pests
The creeping apple tree is just as susceptible to diseases and pests as ordinary crops. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment in early spring and late autumn to reduce the likelihood of damage. For this, it is recommended to use 1% copper sulfate or 3% Bordeaux liquid. The procedure is carried out before bud break in the temperature range from +4 to +10 ° C to avoid burns.
Reproduction
To get a new seedling of a creeping apple tree, you can dig in a young shoot at the point of contact with the ground, leaving only the top. Throughout the season, it is necessary to keep the soil slightly moist, as well as spud the branch. You can separate the seedling from the mother plant next spring.
You can also use grafting to propagate stlanets. But for this it is necessary to study the features of the procedure and choose the most appropriate method.
It is necessary to graft a tree during periods of sap flow
Conclusion
The creeping apple tree is a unique type of crop that is able to fully develop and regularly bear fruit in regions with risky farming. After all, a squat crown is less prone to freezing. In order for such a tree to retain its vital potential for a long time, it is necessary to provide care taking into account its characteristics.