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Often, novice gardeners are faced with the problem that the apple tree is frozen in winter. Moreover, this can happen regardless of the age, height of the tree and its crown shape. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to act correctly when freezing in order to save the apple tree, speed up its recovery and increase productivity to the maximum level. It is also recommended that you familiarize yourself with what to do to save the garden from the negative effects of low temperatures in the future.
Errors in care are the main reason for reducing the sustainability of a tree.
Why apple trees freeze in winter
On the forums, you can often read the complaints of gardeners that the apple tree froze in winter. Moreover, this can happen even with those trees that in previous years successfully endured cold periods and stably bore fruit. It turns out that the cause of freezing is not extreme cold, but sudden temperature changes and the lack of sufficient snow cover, which in recent years have been increasingly observed in all regions of the country.
Other factors that reduce the resistance of the apple tree:
- depletion of the tree against the background of increased productivity in the previous season;
- excessive pruning or its long absence;
- low winter hardiness of the variety;
- introducing fresh manure into the planting pit;
- excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers;
- damage to the tree by pests and diseases;
- proximity to groundwater.
Excessive watering in the fall can also provoke freezing of the apple tree.
Signs of freezing apple trees
In some cases, it is possible to determine by the appearance of the tree how much it has suffered in winter. After all, the shade of frozen branches is much darker than healthy ones. The bark in this case gradually dies off and becomes brown-brown.
Also, with severe freezing, longitudinal cracks appear on the trunk of the apple tree – frost cracks. They are formed as a result of frequent sharp temperature changes in winter, when thaws are replaced by high frosts. This leads to a violation of the integrity of the cortex.
However, sometimes it is difficult to immediately determine the degree of freezing of the branches. And, in order to accurately determine at what level to carry out the removal of damaged areas, two methods can be used. In the first case, it is necessary to cut off several suspicious branches and examine the shade of the cambium inside. In healthy shoots, it is whitish-green, slightly affected in winter – a yellowish tint, and with severe freezing – light brown.
To determine the viability of the branches in the second way, it is necessary to put the apical shoots cut from them into the water. After a while, buds will begin to swell on them. This sign indicates that the branches are healthy or slightly damaged. The absence of signs of vegetation indicates freezing of the shoots.
How to save frozen apple trees
To save an apple tree that has frozen in winter, it is necessary to properly remove the damaged areas. However, pruning is recommended taking into account the degree of damage to the fruit tree.
What to do if young apple trees are frozen
If the apple tree seedling froze slightly, then it is necessary to shorten the damaged tops of the shoots to healthy tissue. Moreover, in this case, the removal can be carried out not in early spring. It is best to do the procedure at the beginning of the growing season of a young apple tree, that is, when the branches and leaves begin to develop. This will make it possible to accurately determine the degree of freezing of the shoots, at what level to cut them.
In case of severe damage to a young seedling in winter, up to the very rootstock, it is necessary to completely cut off the crown and part of the damaged trunk. And subsequently, the wild animal can be re-grafted with the variety of culture you like.
If a young apple tree has been badly damaged by frost, but the level of healthy tissue is above the grafting site, then the crown must be completely removed. And from the remaining buds on the trunk of the surviving cultural part, after freezing, new young shoots will subsequently grow. Of these, in the future, it is necessary to form a new crown of the apple tree.
To do this, it is necessary to select the strongest shoot, and restrain the development of the rest by shortening throughout the season. The next year after freezing, the extra branches must be completely removed. Subject to all conditions, a young seedling will form a crown much faster than when planting a new young apple tree.
Pruning should be carried out in order to help the apple tree after freezing, and not harm it.
What to do if an adult apple tree is frozen
With minor damage to an adult tree in winter, it is necessary to remove the affected tops of the shoots to healthy tissue. The optimal period for pruning after freezing is early spring, when the air temperature is confidently above +5 ° C, but the sap flow in the plant tissues has not yet begun. However, the procedure should not be intensive. It is better to remove more shoots in the next season, when the tree gets stronger after freezing.
An adult apple tree that has been badly damaged in winter should be cut off at the stage of vegetative buds opening. This will make it possible to determine the degree of freezing, as well as which areas and shoots to be removed. Large damaged branches should be cut “into a ring” and allow the wounds to dry for several days, and then cover them with garden pitch.
Sometimes it happens that an adult apple tree is frozen on top and only the lower branches remain. In this case, you need to cut the main conductor obliquely slightly below the damage zone. Moreover, the cut should be flush with the base of the upper living kidney, leaving no hemp. This further leads to increased growth of tops inside the tree after freezing. Of these, you need to select the strongest, pinch it, and gradually remove the rest over 2-3 years. From the new shoot, you can form a new crown of the apple tree.
It is recommended to clean the crown of a tree from damaged areas after freezing in the morning in dry weather.
What to do if the top of a columnar apple tree is frozen
For columnar apple trees, the growth point of the main conductor is very important, which allows you to properly form the crown. Its damage in winter increases the branching of the tree. In this case, only regular pruning can ensure the full development of the tree.
Therefore, if the top of a columnar apple tree froze in winter and several shoots began to grow at the same time, then it is necessary to select the strongest of them and remove the rest. It is he who will continue the growth of the tree after freezing.
Frozen apple tree care
It is necessary to begin treatment of a weakened apple tree as soon as the frosts end. First of all, it is recommended to treat wounds that have formed on the trunk during sudden temperature changes. They must first be cleaned from damaged parts of the bark to healthy tissue, and then treated with a 3% solution of copper sulfate. A few days after this, the wounds must be covered with garden pitch and wrapped with burlap.
In spring and early summer, after freezing, the apple tree must be fed with nitrogen fertilizers and organic matter. To do this, you can use urea at the rate of 30-50 g per 10 liters of water or chicken manure 1:15. Two weeks after this, it is recommended to spray the crown with any growth stimulant. And in the second half of summer, it is recommended to fertilize with superphosphate 40-80 g and potassium sulfide 25-60 g, depending on the age of the tree.
In the absence of rain, the apple tree must be watered regularly. And after each moistening, loosen the soil in the root circle and remove growing weeds. To speed up the recovery of a tree after freezing, it is also necessary to regularly treat diseases and pests.
Flowers during the restoration period of the tree are recommended to be removed
How to save an apple tree from freezing
So that the apple tree does not freeze in winter, it must be prepared for the upcoming cold period of the year. Since competent care helps to minimize the likelihood of damage to the tree.
Freezing prevention measures:
- correct crown formation;
- regular sanitary pruning;
- timely repair of damage to the bark;
- the use of fertilizers, taking into account the stage of development of the apple tree;
- periodic liming of the soil in the root circle;
- water-charging irrigation in the absence of rain in autumn;
- normalization of the load in case of excessive ovary;
- choice of zoned varieties.
Conclusion
If the apple tree froze in winter, this does not mean that the tree is doomed. However, you cannot delay. As soon as favorable weather sets in, you need to start treatment. Only in this case, the apple tree has a chance to quickly recover from freezing and restore vital potential. And this means that soon she will be able to give a good harvest.