When purchasing a house, the first thing the owner thinks about is the arrangement of his own land. And what can be a garden if there are no fruit trees and bushes in it? Indeed, unlike flowers or a lawn, they will delight the look for many years. And if we take into account the fruit harvest every year (of course, with proper care), then the trees and shrubs will not have a price at all.
Garden layout
Land planning is not just a matter of beauty. The future of your trees and bushes depends on it. The most common mistake of novice gardeners is a dense planting of seedlings, which has rather unpleasant consequences. This leads to a struggle between the root systems of neighboring trees for nutrients. And any confrontation leads to the victory of some and the defeat of others. Therefore, one tree will grow better, and the other will wither. What to do? Experts recommend paying attention to the proper layout of the garden, as fruit trees and shrubs love freedom and spaciousness.
Planting bushes and trees
If you decide to organize your own land, then you need to do the following: prepare the soil for planting and purchase seedlings. For fruit trees and shrubs to bring good harvest, they need deeply loosened and fertile land. The ideal soil preparation consists in the long-term maintenance of the plot under perennial grasses, continuous fertilizing with mineral and organic substances, and deep plowing with a tractor plow. But finance and time do not always provide an opportunity to accomplish all this. In extreme cases, you can limit yourself to removing all the weeds on the site and fertilizing the soil. Then you should prepare the pits for seedlings. The recesses should be large, especially if the soil is not very fertile. Then, in advance, prepared soil and fertilizers will need to be poured into the holes, and then everything needs to be abundantly watered.
Seedlings are best purchased in industrial nurseries. They are also bought in gardening stores. Two-year-old seedlings of fruit trees and shrubs are best accepted. When choosing, pay attention to the formation of the crown and the development of the root system. Each type and variety of tree or shrub has its own planting characteristics. Therefore, you need to study the information in accordance with the available seedlings.
Orchard Care
Planting trees and bushes is only one of the stages of an important process. Then you need to pay attention to caring for plants. Sometimes several years pass before the garden begins to produce enough fruit. And to achieve this, you need to make considerable efforts. Experienced gardeners recommend immediately after the first post-planting irrigation to mulch the holes around the trees. To do this, it is best to use peat or humus. This is done to protect the earth from drying out.
An important point is loosening. This way you remove weeds and provide airflow to the roots. But do not overdo it and do not damage them. Roots are already vulnerable due to their movement from one soil to another. If planting was made in the fall, then the trees, as well as shrubs, need to be hilled in order to subsequently protect them from winter frosts. After spring planting, hilling, on the contrary, will only hurt, as it will prevent the flow of air to the roots. Now it becomes clear how much patience and attention require fruit trees and shrubs. Caring for them, of course, will pay off already with the first harvest.
Fruit tree crown formation
To give the correct shape to the tree, it is pruned. As a result of this process, the growth of a young seedling is also regulated and the quality of the fruit increases. Periodic pruning will ensure the growth of strong trees. But if this procedure is carried out in violation of mandatory rules, this reduces the winter hardiness of the wood, thickens the crown and lowers the quality of the fruit. There are two main methods of trimming, depending on the purpose of its implementation - thinning and shortening. Without this procedure, fruit trees and shrubs will not grow properly and will not yield a good harvest.
Plant protection
In order to preserve the garden, you need to understand the main rule: do not wait when you have to fix something, do preventive maintenance. Fruit trees and shrubs often suffer from pests or diseases. To prevent this, follow these guidelines:
- Do not bring plants affected by diseases or parasites into the garden.
- No need to plant trees or bushes densely. It is the jungle that is the best habitat for pests.
- Try to protect trees from frost. Do not inflict mechanical damage on them and be sure to process sections with a diameter greater than 1 cm.
- Remember that the crowns must be cut off on time, before or after the movement of the juice stops.
- In summer, you need to loosen the soil around the plant, and in the spring and autumn - dig.
- Extra feeding of fruit trees and shrubs does not bring any benefits.
- It is necessary to destroy the nests of harmful insects and collect mummified fruits. Take good care of beneficial insects.
Berry bushes
The most common crops among berry bushes are raspberries, currants, gooseberries, viburnum, cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries, blackberries. Each species has its own growing characteristics. For example, currants and raspberries are best planted in areas with sufficient moisture. Plants take root well there. But, unlike raspberries, currants require more sunlight. No shrub likes wetlands. Most crops can be planted in groups or in single rows. All shrubs except raspberries can be placed between rows of fruit trees. Thicken plants should not be allowed. Otherwise, they begin to hurt and give sour and small berries. This leads to the degeneration of culture.
Fruit trees and bushes require a lot of time and energy. Plants must be planted according to the rules, taken care of and protected from pests.