No competent gardener believes tales of a conservatory in which trees sleep in white sleep . He knows for a long time: in winter the tree does not fall asleep at all, it continues to grow, though much more slowly than in other seasons. And every tree in the garden continues to rely on the person, his knowledge and help. For example, how to save an apple tree in the winter, if you put things to their own devices, rely on chance? Do not throw your apple trees in the cold, snow, and frost, help them winter, so that next spring they bloom again and please you with large juicy apples for more than a year.
What do you think, when the preparation of apple trees for winter begins? With the first cold weather? Too late! In the first autumn days? Late again. Exactly six months before, in the early spring, when a full mineral fertilizer is applied under the apple tree. Then, in the second half of summer, it must be fed with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Especially it is necessary to ensure that potassium is in abundance. Then the chances of a successful wintering will increase significantly. But they stop making nitrogen fertilizers, so as not to provoke shoot growth, not to weaken the bark and cambium.
Throughout the growing season, the tree should receive its rate of moisture, no more and no less. Saturated with moisture (but not excessively) apple tissue improves their condition in the cold season. The last time autumn-winter varieties of apple trees are watered when the fruits are formed on them, and summer varieties - at the end of the harvest.
At the same time, it will be possible to avoid a dangerous phenomenon, especially for young gardens, of the summer suspension of growth. If, after this, secondary growth begins, which often happens, new woody tissues simply do not have time to mature before the cold weather, the tree turns out to be defenseless in front of them, and the rest of the preparation of apple trees for winter will not help him much.
Freed from the severity of the fruit, the apple tree begins to actively stock up on nutrients and actively grow suction roots. The gardener has only two weeks to go, during this period he should have time to dig a trunk circle and add fertilizing from organic and mineral fertilizers. Wielding a shovel, you can not particularly care about the integrity of small roots - they will recover very quickly. The delay is very undesirable: it will entail a delay in the completion of the vegetation of the apple tree, which will significantly reduce its winter hardiness.
Preparing apple trees for winter also includes measures against diseases, pests and rodents. All fallen leaves, carrion, hunting belts, nests in which pests hibernate, mummified fruits must be collected and destroyed (best of all, burned). Also, burning sawed branches of the apple tree should be betrayed. Digging the soil around the tree should destroy the wintering pests in it. Do not forget to feed their feathered enemies - titmouse and other birds. In late autumn, the apple tree shtamb should be “dressed” in armor from roofing felt, roofing felt, etc. from mice, hares and other rodents. The main thing is that the material fits snugly to the bark, and is sprinkled with earth from below, because you need to conscientiously cover the apple tree for the winter.
With the cessation of autumn rains, the air temperature is +2 ... + 3 degrees. In dry and calm weather, you can start whitewashing tree trunks. This is the preparation of apple trees for winter, and an old tradition that has not lost its meaning to this day. Lime mortar will help apple trees to avoid frost pits, sunburn in winter and early spring. If fungicide and insecticide are added to the solution, fungal diseases will pass, and stem pests that settle for wintering in the crevices of the cortex will die.
Before whitewashing an adult apple tree, you need to clean the trunk. All dead bark, mosses and lichens should fall on a film or tarp placed in advance under the tree. This garbage must be burned. A young apple tree whitens without any preparation.
Winter will pass, however, as always. And the fact that in spring the apple trees will be wrapped in flower clouds, and in the fall they will drop the sweet fruits into the hands of a caring gardener, will also be his work on winter preparation.