The best time to plant is spring, when all the forces of nature help the plant to develop the root system and start growing. And the best time to buy seedlings is autumn, when many varieties in excellent condition and at a reasonable price go on sale. But root formation does not occur at this time, only callus is growing.
This discrepancy raises the question: "If the purchased plant does not root in the fall (with the exception of currants), what to do with cuttings and seedlings before spring?" There is a solution, this is a digging of seedlings for the winter.
Wait until spring
Simple gardeners are in a hurry to immediately determine the plants in a permanent place, and agronomists consider autumn planting the worst kind of digging and are in no hurry until spring. What is the opinion of professionals?
The quality of purchased seedlings is not reliably known. In appearance, it is difficult to determine whether the growth process has completed, and how much the plant is ready for winter.
It is necessary to dig in seedlings so that they go through the whole cycle: from spring to late autumn. The seedling preserved in the digging in time will start a new round of development and will survive the next winter perfectly.
We determine the timing
If you do not plant, what to do with new plants, when and how to plant seedlings?
For the winter, you can save them in the ground at any time: from early autumn to the time when snow has already fallen.
In the early autumn they dig in, covering only the roots with earth. With the onset of cold weather, the stems fall asleep, leaving outside 1/3 of the length.
Sometimes valuable varieties ordered from nurseries come in late autumn. They can also be saved until spring.
We place latecomers
How to dig seedlings for the winter, if the soil is frozen and covered with snow? Two things must be done in advance: to prepare a bag of land in an frost-free room and dig a hole in the garden for a bayonet shovel. When the long-awaited parcel arrives, it is necessary to scoop up the snow, lay the plant in the groove, sprinkle with the prepared soil and cover it with snow.
If the pit is not dug up, the earth must be poured with hot water, immersed in a seedling in the resulting slurry, and a snowdrift should be thrown on top. You can do it simpler: the plant is placed directly on the snow, they fall asleep to them and wait for spring.
Preparing a place
For a better wintering, a flat or elevated place is chosen, where snow always lies in the winter, and melt water does not accumulate in early spring. The soil should be loose, free from weeds and without clods. If the area is wet - you can make a drainage groove.
There should not be compost heaps and hay nearby: mice like to winter in these places.
Orient the trench groove in the east-west direction. The roots are laid to the north, the tops to the south.
Material preparation
It is not enough to know how to dig seedlings for the winter. They still need to be properly prepared for hibernation:
- healthy strong plants are bought;
- all leaves and petioles are removed from the stem;
- damaged, rotten and dry roots are cut out;
- if there is a suspicion of illness, the seedlings are treated with copper sulfate;
- pruning of the crown should be postponed until spring.
How to dig seedlings for the winter
In winter, the seedlings have three enemies: proliferation, freezing and mice. If everything is done correctly, they will perfectly tolerate winter and will grow well in spring.
In the ground, you need to make a groove depth in the bayonet of a shovel. One wall remains vertical, the other at an angle of 30 degrees. Seedlings are laid perpendicular to the groove, in rows (roots to a vertical wall). At the same time, ½ the length of the stems should be 3-4 cm below the soil level.
Additionally, agrofibre can be laid under the upper half of the stems, this will save them from aging. To combat mice, you can close the trench with spruce paws, then cover it with earth.
Then they need to be well watered and gently sprinkle the roots and the lower third of the stems with loose earth. The knoll must be compacted and watered again. When water is absorbed, sprinkle with earth.
As a result of digging under the roller, the roots are firmly hidden from the ground. A thin layer of soil (not more than 5 cm) covers half the stems. Coming out of the ground at an acute angle remains ½ the length of the seedling.
In spring, plants are planted as early as possible, as soon as the top layer of the earth thaws.