When to plant seedlings of fruit trees - in spring or autumn? The opinions of gardeners regarding the timing of the purchase and planting of seedlings differ. Someone argues that seedlings are best bought in the fall, because at this time of year a large selection of plants is provided in the nurseries. It is also believed that in the fall, buried seedlings will be better preserved on the site. Keep in mind the fact that in the spring during the planting period, fruit trees may die due to inconsistent weather. It often gets too hot in May, and the seedlings suffer from such severe temperature changes.
Nevertheless, many experts believe that the trees planted in autumn are not sufficiently strengthened before winter and will simply freeze in the cold season. Along with frost, mice and hares can severely damage them. Animals harm not only planted, but also dug seedlings.
The optimal period for landing
In which month is it better to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? Planting should be carried out from April 15 to May 15. If you want to plant seedlings in the fall, this should be done no later than October 15.
Shrubs are best planted immediately in the place where they will always grow. This is necessary in order for the plants to take root before the start of the growing season.
Tree planting conditions
In which month is it better to plant seedlings of fruit trees? Planting dates should be limited to the relatively warm season, when the air temperature exceeds 0 ° C. This is necessary for better survival of plants (the formation of roots through which they receive moisture and essential nutrients). The survival period is from 2 to 2.5 months.
Often, plants planted in the fall and survived the winter die from excess moisture, because they do not have time to get stronger. This occurs as a result of long-standing meltwater and rainwater, which impede the access of oxygen to fragile roots. This is especially often the case on clay soils. All this indicates that trees are best planted in spring. Trees should be replanted at rest when they have already dropped their leaves.
Most often it happens that nurseries and gardeners growing planting material, due to certain circumstances, dig plants in the fall. Therefore, at this time, a fairly large selection of plants appears in the markets compared to spring.
Buying trees
Now that it has become clear what month to plant seedlings of fruit trees, you can buy plants. Planting material should be carefully selected, paying attention to their root system. The roots should be strong, well developed. It’s best to buy a tree right away with a lump of wood, while it’s important to make sure that it is moist enough. A seedling with a too dry root system may not take root and die. There should be no damage to the barrel. It is recommended to ask the seller where the seedling has the vaccination site, as well as the root neck. It is important to get as much information as possible about the fruit tree being bought.
Transportation of fruit plants
How to transport purchased seedlings in order not to damage them? This question is especially relevant when buying large trees. The fruit tree must be carefully and carefully packed, paying particular attention to the root system. Otherwise, when transported on the roof of a car, the plant will suffer greatly, and instead of planting material, a good kindling for a fire will be delivered to the site.
The process of planting seedlings purchased in late autumn
In what month to plant seedlings of fruit trees in the spring, if they were bought in late autumn? Such plants need to be planted around mid-April, when the soil is completely thawed. To save the trees until spring, for the winter they need to be dug. This can be done both on the plot and in the subfloor of the barn. The seedling should be sprinkled with peat, earth, sand and sawdust. Before planting in a permanent place, the tree must not dry out or suffer from excess moisture. Keep the plants in the shade, covering them with boards so that the early spring rays of the sun do not burn them, and the buds do not bloom before planting in a permanent place.
To nip a plant, you need to make a hole about 50 cm deep. It is important that the south wall is beveled at an angle of 45 °. Seedlings should be placed on it. Then the roots are covered with earth, and more ground is sprinkled on top. The branches of seedlings are tied and wrapped with fir spruce branches (down with needles) to protect them from mice and other rodents. For this, simple elastic tights are also suitable.
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees in the spring, if they were buried for the winter? It is imperative to wait for the earth to thaw. It is impossible to remove frozen ground from the prikop, since the roots of seedlings cannot be released from it. When the weather is warm, the trees can be removed, processed if desired with special tools, for example, plant growth regulator, and transplanted to a permanent place.
What happens if the tree is planted incorrectly?
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? The month and day for planting should be chosen, taking into account the recommendations given above, namely: in the spring, plants are planted from mid-April to mid-May, and in autumn - from September 15 to October 15. If you plant a seedling at another time, it may die. The further life of the plant depends on proper planting. For example, if you plant fruit plants in early autumn, then they will most likely not survive the winter. Why? There can be 2 reasons: either the tree itself is not resistant to frost, or the seedling was planted incorrectly. For example, during planting, the root neck was damaged, and the fruit plant threw all its strength into surviving before it had time to adapt to the cold. The degree of fruiting depends on the depth of planting. Often, trees grow well, but do not bear fruit. In this case, you need to look at the root neck. If it is below the soil, the excess earth must be removed by carefully digging the plant and raising it to the required height.
Gardener Tips
The distance from the tree to the nearest building should be at least 5 m. The landing pit should be made in a large cylindrical shape. So the seedling will develop normally. The bottom of the pit must be loosened with a pitchfork. The tree needs to be planted strictly vertically, for this it is better to do this together. In the center of the landing pit, you can set the count on the more windy side.
It is recommended to plant trees in tiers so that the sun's rays are better distributed.
Where and when to plant seedlings of fruit trees in spring? Plants such as apricot, peach, cherries and grapes grow best on the south side. If the house is bright, then trees should be planted closer to its walls. They will additionally reflect heat on the trees. The apple tree can be planted in the northern part.
So that the first harvest ripened faster on the fruit tree, at the very beginning of August, you can bend 1/3 of the length of the shoots into a ring at a distance of about 50 cm from each other and tie them up. They should be bent to the side where there is good lighting. Next spring, the shoots need to be untied. This method activates the laying of the kidneys and increases the frost resistance of the fruit tree.
Tree Transplant Rules
When to plant seedlings of fruit trees? It is better to transplant plants in rainy or cloudy weather. If during the period of work it is sunny and dry weather, planted plants must be covered so that they are in the shade. In this case, the success of planting will be ensured: the plant will not receive burns and will grow well.