Spring is the most popular period of time for gardeners to plant vegetation. It is in the spring that most plants are planted in open ground: from herbaceous annuals to tree and shrub species.

What age trees and shrubs can be planted in spring

V spring usually young plants are planted and transplanted. As a rule, these are seedlings aged 1-3 years. There is an opinion that what less age seedling, the faster it takes root.

If you intend to plant adult trees up to 2 m in height on your site, then keep in mind that slow-growing breeds, which are 12-20 years old, are most easily transplanted.

Fast growing species can be replanted up to 10 years, and fruit trees up to 8-16 years, depending on the species. For shrubs, the age limit for transplanting also depends on the specific species.

As for large-sized animals from 2 m and above, the best time to transplant them is frosty winter days. In winter, the ground is frozen and the earthen lump of a tree does not crumble during digging, which makes it possible to transplant a large-sized one without significant damage to the root system.

Laying a new garden

Let's say you are going to plant a new garden and have already purchased seedlings. You have a plan (scheme) for planting, you know which plants, where to plant, how to arrange them relative to each other and relative to the sun. The last question remains: "When will it be possible to plant them in the ground?"

There are some differences in planting hardwood and softwood. In addition, the planting time also depends on which seedlings you purchased - with a closed or open root system.

Planting hardwood

For seedlings with a closed root system, purchased in containers or simply with an earthen clod, there is no strict time frame for planting. They can be planted from spring to autumn. The main thing is to provide them with proper care in the first time after landing.

However, the most optimal time for planting plants with a closed root system is late May - early June, when root growth is characterized by increased activity. By the way, they take root better than seedlings with bare roots, because in this case, root damage is practically excluded.

Plants with an open root system can be planted while they are at the stage of relative dormancy, i.e. the kidneys have not yet swollen and have not started to grow. In time, this is approximately the end of April - the beginning of May. If planting is carried out in the fall, then only after the trees have thrown off the foliage and nature begins to fall asleep.

It is advisable to plant seedlings with bare roots immediately after purchase. If it is necessary to postpone this event for a while, then you can temporarily bury them in some shaded place: put them in a shallow hole under slight angle and cover the roots thoroughly with soil.

Planting conifers

Conifers and evergreens tolerate transplanting worse than hardwood... Therefore, it is recommended to start planting them in more early dates, a little earlier deciduous.

Conifers and shrubs should only be replanted with a closed root system. Be careful not to buy coniferous seedlings with bare roots, without an earthen coma.

In addition, it is safer to buy those seedlings that were originally grown in containers, rather than transplanted into them shortly before sale.

If coniferous seedlings are grown in open ground then they are transplanted into a container for subsequent transportation and sale. And in the process of all these actions, any mistakes can be made, which subsequently, after planting the plants in a permanent place, can lead to certain problems. Especially if transportation is provided for many kilometers from the excavation site.

You can reduce the risk by directly transplanting conifers directly from soil to soil, and in the shortest possible time. The most optimal time for digging coniferous seedlings from the ground is the period before the beginning of the growing season, i.e. in early spring... And the sooner you plant them in a permanent place, the more likely the plants will successfully take root.

What else affects the disembarkation time

If in your region there are severe winters with little snow or in your area there is clay, highly compacted soil, then in this case it is the spring planting of trees and shrubs that is recommended.

Since if planted in the fall, there is a risk that the plants will not have time to take root before winter. Moreover, thermophilic rocks should be planted only after the late spring frosts have passed.

When to cook pits

Pits and soil for planting trees and shrubs can be prepared in advance, 2-3 weeks in advance. But it is best to cook them in the fall, especially if the soil on your site is not light, i.e. clayey or loamy.

To do this, dig holes required size, the excavated earth, if necessary, is mixed with sand and poured back into the pits. During the winter, the soil in the pit will settle just to the desired level. In late autumn, they bring into the pits organic fertilizers, and in the spring they loosen the soil and apply mineral fertilizers.

The spring planting period is short

It is not worth delaying the planting of trees and shrubs in spring, because the time for its implementation is very limited. As soon as the ground thaws, the plants can be planted in the ground. But only until the moment when the active growth of the kidneys begins. And this period lasts only about 3 weeks and in temperate latitudes in time it falls on mid-April - early May.

Well, if you are suddenly late with the spring planting, do not worry, most plants can be planted both in spring and autumn. And, by the way, in the fall, the period of possible disembarkation lasts much longer - 1.5-2 months.

Every day the air is getting colder and the sky is darker. It means it's time to save bright colors autumn in our homes. Just a few simple and inexpensive accents can make any interior truly cozy and inviting. The queen of autumn - a pumpkin will help us in this. it universal material, from which you can make a huge amount interesting crafts... Pumpkin decor looks mysterious and attractive. It can be infinitely varied.

Sweet pepper came to Europe in the 15th century from South America And so the Europeans liked it that, today, for example, in Hungary there is even a museum dedicated exclusively to pepper. This vegetable is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, making it an essential food. healthy eating... In this article I want to talk about my experience of growing bell peppers in the open field. And why I manage to get good harvests of this irreplaceable vegetable every year.

The smell of raspberries for me is firmly associated with childhood - the gentle hands of my grandmother and amazingly delicious jam, which was given out with teaspoons and only during a cold. Even then, I dreamed that I had a lot of raspberries. My dream has come true, every year I reap a double harvest. The first one is from ordinary raspberries and second-year distillations of remontant. And in the fall - the second - 3-5 glasses a day from the repairing first years. How to care for raspberries in the fall, I will tell you in the article.

Apple mustard from Antonovka, cooked at home with your own hands, will put all industrial competitors in the belt. The mustard is thick, vigorous, the mustard seeds make the texture varied. Such a seasoning for meat, fish, sausage is ideal, even just spread on a slice of fresh bread - it will be delicious! It is not worth preparing a large amount for future use, it is always better to put a portion of fresh mustard sauce, in just 3 days the mustard will gain strength and become hot.

Among the countless varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers, there are, for example, the "Ramiro" pepper, whose popularity is literally worldwide. And if most of the vegetables on the shelves of supermarkets are unnamed, and it is almost impossible to find out about their varietal affiliation, then the name of this "Ramiro" pepper will certainly be on the package. And, as my experience has shown, this pepper is worth knowing about it and other gardeners. In this connection, this article was written.

Autumn is a favorite time of many gardeners. The main crop has already been harvested and processed, but the rest time has not come yet. There are still a lot of things to do in the garden and in the beds, but it is important to devote time to the flower garden. There really is something to do here, because many flowers are transplanted and propagated in the fall, and the appearance will largely depend on the preparation of the soil in the flower beds. decorative garden next year. Read about what needs to be done in a flower garden in the fall in this article.

Jellied Fruit Pie with Sour Cream Pouring is an easy-to-make and delicious homemade pie that can be made in less than an hour. For the filling, you can take any fruit or fresh berries, but I advise you to give preference to sweet and dense ones, for example, as in this recipe - pear, bananas, sweet plums. For cooking, you will also need a mold with a non-stick coating and a low side; a cake mold with a removable bottom is suitable.

Autumn is the most mushroom time. It is no longer hot, in the morning there is abundant dew. Since the ground is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a very special microclimate in the surface layer, mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the morning, when it is cooler. It's time for both of them to meet. And, if not introduced to each other - to get acquainted. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms that look like corals.

The leader in the healing properties of aloe vera in our country is still inferior in popularity to the simple, almost invulnerable tree aloe. Even its popular name "agave" testifies to the fact that the plant can withstand almost any kind of care and is very durable. But aloe tree is rarely found in the list of the most decorative species not by chance. To keep it in shape and not grow huge thorny giants, you need to know some secrets of the formation of this plant.

Pumpkin puree with zucchini and apples - tender, creamy, sweet and sour. The mashed potatoes prepared according to this recipe are suitable for baby and diet food. For kids, you can mix ready-made puree with milk or cream, add a few tablespoons of soft cottage cheese to it. It is very difficult to determine the taste of pumpkin and zucchini in this dish. The aroma of apples plays the first violin, the rest of the ingredients seem to be there, but you need to be an expert in kitchen tricks to name the vegetables that make up the puree.

If you are a busy person, but at the same time not devoid of romance, if you have your own plot and you are endowed with aesthetic taste, then consider the opportunity to purchase this wonderful ornamental shrub- karyopteris, or nut-winged. He is also "wing-root", "blue fog" and "blue beard". It really fully combines simplicity and beauty. The karyopteris reaches its peak of decorativeness in late summer and autumn. It is at this time that it blooms.

Pepper aivar - vegetable caviar or thick bell pepper vegetable sauce with eggplant. Pepper for this recipe is baked, and for a rather long time, then they are also stewed. Add to ayvar onion, tomatoes, eggplants. For preparation for the winter, caviar is sterilized. This Balkan recipe is not for those who like to make preparations quickly, undercooked and undercooked - not about ayvar. In general, we approach the matter in detail. For the sauce, we choose the ripe and fleshy vegetables on the market

Despite the simple names ("sticky" or "indoor maple") and the status of a modern substitute indoor hibiscus, abutilones - plants are far from the simplest. They grow well, bloom profusely and delight with a healthy look of greenery only under optimal conditions. On thin leaves any deviations from comfortable lighting or temperatures and disturbances in care quickly appear. In order to reveal the beauty of abutilones in rooms, it is worth finding the perfect place for them.

Zucchini pancakes with parmesan and mushrooms - a delicious recipe with a photo from the available products. Regular zucchini pancakes can be easily turned into a boring dish by adding a few savory ingredients to the dough. Indulge in seven vegetable pancakes with wild mushrooms during the zucchini season, which is not only delicious, but also satisfying. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, it is suitable for stuffing, for preparations, for second courses, and even for sweets. delicious recipes- compotes and jam are made from zucchini.

By the end of winter, from the second decade of March, the snow gradually begins to decrease. The density of the snow cover varies from winter to winter. By the end of winter, it always increases. Snow is especially dense in winters with frequent thaws and during strong winds. Heavy settling snow causes serious damage to fruit trees, especially young ones.

In the first half of March, the dense snow crust around young plantings of woody plants must be destroyed, for example, with a garden pitchfork. But you have to work with them carefully. Separate branches of young plants are not visible under the snow, and they can be easily broken. The crust of frozen snow is easier to break in the afternoon, when the snow becomes loose from the sun's rays.

Spring gardening is easier to do on skis.

Some gardeners "powder" the snow, for example, with wood ash or peat ash. It is scattered in a thin layer around the tree after a snowfall.

Why do they do this? A dark surface, as you know, is more likely to be heated by the sun's rays, so powdered snow, becoming dark, begins to melt faster.

Some gardeners shovel snow off the tree. But this is a very laborious work in the garden. True, it can be facilitated by shoveling off the snow only from the south side.

Particular attention should be paid to young plantings. No less attention should be paid to those trees that are densely planted; here a lot of snow accumulates, and therefore there may be frequent breaks of branches. These areas should be monitored first.

Very often, on a personal plot, you can observe the following picture: fruit trees and shrubs grow 2-3 m from the house. Large blocks of snow fall from the roof (or inaccurately throw off), they severely damage trees, breaking off large and small branches.

Snow accumulation

Some gardeners practice a technique that inhibits the flowering of trees. It consists in the following. In winter, the gardener accumulates snow (sometimes ice) under the crown of a tree and covers it with sawdust. In the spring, it does not melt so quickly, thereby delaying the awakening of the tree by the beginning of the growing season. Supporters of this technique believe that such trees are not damaged by frost. It is very difficult to agree with this opinion. Any technique should always be approached taking into account the biology, breed, variety and conditions in which this or that culture was formed over hundreds of years.

Enter the garden in late March or early April at a time when the snow is already beginning to settle and bare soil appears. Take a closer look at the trees. At first, the snow settles more strongly or melts around the trunk and only then begins to melt in the near-trunk circle. For the first time in the winter months, the sun warmed the soil, freed from snow, and this meeting does not pass without a trace for her. The rays, hitting a dark surface, quickly warm not only the crown, but also the upper root layer of the soil. The roots awaken, and the active life of the tree begins in a deep correspondence of its parts - aboveground and underground. This is the law of nature, the rhythm of life of a tree. But this rhythm will certainly be disrupted if you artificially delay the awakening of only one part of the root system tree, because the above-ground part of it at this time is already ready for active life.

What happens in this case? The growth and development of the tree is impaired. Therefore, this technique cannot be considered justified from the point of view of tree biology. We do not recommend using it.

Late winter cutting of cuttings and checking the overwintering of plants

As the snow begins to melt, it is the last time to cut last year's one-year increments used for grafting.

Usually in not harsh winters standard zoned fruit varieties are not affected by frost, and this cutting time is quite acceptable. But for self-control purposes, they should always be checked to make sure that all shoot tissues are viable.

Why do you have to do this?

Sometimes even a mild winter can damage the tissues of the shoot and the kidneys. Checking plants that have emerged from the conditions of relative dormancy (winter) allows the gardener to intervene in the plant organism in a timely manner, to help him quickly mobilize nutrients to eliminate the lost parts of the plant.

Let's give an example. After a harsh winter, the fruit trees suffered severe damage to the aboveground parts. This was already noticeable at the end of winter. To eliminate the severe consequences of salty frosts, a number of agrotechnical methods were proposed: strong pruning of the most affected trees, early spring feeding with nitrogen fertilizers to enhance growth, summer watering of trees, foliar spraying of leaf canopy, etc. After all these measures, damaged trees were quickly restored. But even here, against the general background of a harsh winter, it was necessary in each individual case to find out how strongly a given tree reacted to the low temperatures of winter. To a large extent, this is helped by clarifying the degree of damage to leaf and flower buds, as well as individual tissues of branches on a fruit tree.

At the end of winter, it is necessary to review and clarify the state of tissues and buds on the shoots harvested at the beginning and end of winter.

How to do it? What should you pay attention to?

For example, in apple or cherry, flower buds are more susceptible to low temperatures than leaf buds. If we compare the degree of frost damage to two trees of the same age and variety, then the tree that had a large harvest before the harsh winter will be damaged more than the one that had no harvest. If in the summer trees growing in an area with excessive moisture are compared with trees that do not receive sufficient watering, then the former will have more frozen shoots.

Trees that are overnourished with strong growths during the summer are damaged much more severely in a harsh winter than those with less growth.

The easiest way to check for tree damage after winter is to cut the branches of the tree and place them at home to grow back. The results obtained in this case cannot be completely trusted. Very often they indicate more severe damage than is found in the spring. The degree of damage can be more accurately determined at the beginning of spring. For this, the fruit bud on the shoot is cut with a razor along the middle. If central part buds with already fully formed flowers, with stamens and pistils of a dark brown color, this means that the bud is severely damaged by frost. Sometimes you can see that the flower buds themselves are alive, but the base of the bud or the vascular bundle leading from the shoot to the future flowers is brown. This is an indicator of damage that can occur after or at the time of flowering, when nutrients stop flowing into the bud or young ovary and they will fall off prematurely (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Above: An incision of a flower bud shows that the first two have died in their infancy. At the extreme right bud, all parts of the apple tree flower are alive, below: in three (right) cherry buds, the death of flowers is observed, two (on the left) are not damaged by frost.

How do you know if the one-year growth is damaged?

With a sharp knife or razor, they cut off part of the bark along with the wood. If it is light brown or brown, it is a sign of frost damage. A leaf bud on such a shoot wrinkles and becomes loose. Cutting it lengthwise, it can be noted that the sap-conducting bundle, which connects the shoot with the bud, is broken and has a brown color. Such shoots cannot be used for grafting into the crown or for setting up a bridge on fruit trees damaged by hares or mice (Fig. 2). You can easily control yourself by comparing the degree of damage to the branches that are under the snow all winter and above the snow cover. In the former, as a rule, damage to the tissues of the shoot and kidneys is not noted.

Rice. 2. The right annual shoot of the apple tree is severely damaged by frost; the left one is completely preserved

During early spring pruning in the garden, when the buds have not yet swollen and it is not yet clear whether the leaf bud is alive, in order to determine its condition, a test cut is made along the bud with a garden knife. Why do they do it? In the event of the death of many leaf buds, a stronger pruning is carried out, thereby preventing unnecessary exposure of the branches. This is especially true for crops such as plums and cherries.

The extent of tissue and kidney damage can be more accurately determined by cutting off the branches and placing them in water. But here it is necessary to fulfill a number of conditions: first, to transfer the twigs from the garden to the room so that there is no sharp temperature drop; secondly, before placing the branches in the water, it is necessary to update the sections, while making them in water, and, thirdly, it is better to cover the bunch with branches with a plastic bag, which creates a more humid environment, and the buds do not dry out. After a week, leaf and flower buds will begin to swell, and it will be very easy to determine the degree of death.

Early spring preservation of moisture in the soil

The first rays of the March sun for the gardener serve as an invitation to visit the garden, at this time it is very snowy. A lot of snow in the garden is good.

Data meteorological observations they say that the water reserve in the snow cover is 100-130 mm (Moscow region), in other words, for 1 m 2 of a garden plot, a 10 cm layer of snow contains from two and a half to three buckets of water.

Melting usually starts from 5-10 April. Snow is compacted, water appears under it. In a protected garden, especially with coniferous trees, the snow melts relatively slowly. In open places, it comes off quickly.

Many different techniques are practiced to preserve and accumulate moisture in the soil. In the garden, it is, of course, unlikely to use any technique for this. Manual snow removal, even in a small garden, is very laborious. Therefore, gardeners are trying to come up with something that would facilitate this work in the garden. For example, they dust the snow with peat dust; after eight to ten sunny days, it completely disappears. The soil from which the snow has melted also quickly begins to thaw and absorb moisture from the adjacent row spacings, where the snow has not yet completely melted. Thus, it is possible to retain a significant amount of moisture on the site.

There is a slight slope on almost every site. A stream of spring water rushes along it in early spring. In individual gardens, this water usually flows down paths below the common soil horizon. To delay the flow of water, you can apply repeated overloading with earthen mounds. This is done in late autumn.

Sometimes, along the perimeter of the garden, they arrange (also from autumn) an earthen rampart 15-20 cm high; it helps very well to retain moisture in the area.

Fruit and berry plants are especially afraid of stagnant water, since there is very little oxygen in it, and the roots of the trees seem to suffocate. And, in addition, in the soil in such a site there is an accumulation of substances harmful to them. Strawberries are especially sensitive to prolonged flooding.

In early spring, trees badly damaged by mice are grafted with a bridge. If the stem is gnawed by rodents by one third or more, then the vaccination is carried out without fail. Cuttings are selected depending on the length of the wound. For a bridge longer than 40 cm, a stalk 50-60 cm in size is needed. In this case, it is necessary to look not just for annual growths, but tops of annual shoots, which, as a rule, are always longer. The thin tip of the shoot is not suitable for insertion under the bark.

The number of cuttings grafted by the bridge depends on the size of the wound and the age of the damaged tree. For example, when eating bark in a ring, three to four bridges are inserted into a four-year-old tree, and seven to eight bridges for a 12-year-old tree.

If you are doing this work in the garden for the first time and are not sure of the success of the vaccinations, then the number of bridges should be increased.

It is not difficult to vaccinate with a bridge on a tree with one even stem. It is much more difficult to vaccinate when the fruit tree is growing as a bush. In case of severe damage by mice, it is sometimes advisable to remove even part of the main skeletal branches: in this case, it will be more convenient to put bridges.

It happens that in older plants with thick bark, mice eat only the upper skin, cork layer, and partly the primary bark. Cambium remains intact. Such damage is not dangerous. It is enough to coat the wound with garden varnish or petrolatum, and the remaining cambium from the spring will begin to actively divide and form new tissues.

Often mice damage bark and cambium down to wood. If the damage is circular (annular), then the tree disrupts the normal movement of plastic substances formed in the leaves. Gradually root system weakens and the tree perishes.

Looking at the blooming, but damaged trees, you might think that everything worked out, there will be no trouble. Indeed, at first glance, everything seems to be going well. However, the processes of growth and development have already been disrupted, and the tree is supported only by nutrients accumulated over the previous year. In some cases, a tree in this state can even give a crop, and in the fall it shed a leaf and went into the winter as if healthy. But, unfortunately, this is his last breath. In the spring next year it won't bloom anymore.

In the spring, when the snow is melting, it is imperative to inspect the trees and establish the degree of damage to them by mice.

How to do it?

At the time of sap flow on the trunk, a small (3-5 cm) longitudinal cut is made with a knife, capturing the healthy and damaged parts of the tree. If the bark from the wood lags behind on both parts, then the damage is not dangerous, since the cambium will soon restore the lost tissues.

If in the part gnawed by the mice, the tissue does not separate and only wood remains, then this is a sign of dangerous damage; the grower should prepare for the bridge grafting (fig. 3).

Rice. 3. The bottom of the apple tree was eaten by mice. The damaged area was covered with clay and tied with sacking. After removing the harness, the living areas of the bark are washed and wiped dry, and then the cuttings are grafted with a bridge. In case of annular damage, shoot cuttings are placed evenly around the stem. After grafting, the place of insertion of the cuttings under the bark is thoroughly lubricated with garden pitch, and then all the bridges are tied (bandaged).

The damaged part of the tree is covered with a mixture of clay and mullein (1: 1), and then tied with burlap. After a while, the bandage is removed, the healthy part of the bark is washed from below and above, and the inoculation itself is started.

Having chosen a place for inserting the cutting, first a cross section is made, and after it - a longitudinal short one. In order for the stalk to adhere more tightly to the wood, a little bark is cut off on both sides of the damaged part. These cutouts are clearly visible in Fig. 3 (second photo from the left).

An oblique cut on the lower part of the stalk is inserted into the lower incision. Having determined the place, they make a second oblique cut at the upper end of the cutting and insert it into the bark incision. This is a rather difficult operation, because the arched shape of the cutting and its weak elasticity often cause the tip to break off. After inoculation of one bridge, the place of insertion should be immediately coated with garden varnish and then the grafting should be continued. After completing all the work, the bridges must be tied (bandaged) with any material.

Quite often there are cases when shoots are formed below the grafting site or from the roots. It can be used for one-sided grafting by selecting only the most suitable shoots. They are injected, as in the first case, under the cortex above the site damaged by the mice (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. If the stem of the tree is damaged and it has overgrowth, then it can be used for grafting above the place of damage.

Figure 5. To cut a branch, it is first filed from the opposite side, and then sawn out completely. After that, they clean the wound on the ring with a garden knife. Rice. 6. Shown is the correct cut of the branch to the ring. In this case, a fold of the bark encloses the cut from all sides, and the wound is quickly overgrown with callus. Rice. 7. The cut of the branch is made poorly, and the wound will not heal for many years. Rice. 8. To make it easier to cut a large branch, it must be bent in the opposite direction from the knife blade. Rice. 9. The figure shows how correctly (in the center) one-year growth should be shortened with a knife or secateurs. A very long stump is left on the left, and a very deep cut is made on the right, which can lead to poor growth of the upper bud.

After grafting with a bridge, flowers should not be left on the tree. This is too much stress for the damaged tree. Flowers take a lot of nutrients from him, but very little of them enters the crown. Therefore, at the moment the buds appear, all of them must be cut off if the stem has a ring damage, and some of them if individual sections of the bark are damaged. During the summer, the formation of root shoots or shoots from the lower part of the trunk, not touched by mice, can begin. They should not be removed, since at first they supply the root system with plastic substances. In case of unsuccessful grafting with a bridge, the overgrowth (if it is cultural) can be the basis for building a new crown.

If the bole is partially damaged, then this year you can not do the grafting with a bridge, but plant the wild birds of the damaged breed acquired in the nursery (for an apple tree - apple seedlings, for a pear - pear seedlings). To do this, a hole is dug from the side of the damaged bark and wild stocks are planted obliquely. Their shoots should touch the stem. In the first year, the game is allowed to grow only upward; for this, all lateral shoots are pinched. The next year, in the spring, the upper end of the wild game is grafted "behind the bark" into the stem above the injury site. The larger the wound, the more wild animals are planted.

April. Spring gardening

Pruning fruit trees

Time to form fruit trees and shrubs, prune and cut branches in young and mature orchards. We advise you to start this spring gardening with black currants, then process gooseberries, white and red currants, pears and apple trees, and lastly cherries and plums.

From the beginning of April, berry crops may still be under snow, and therefore it is quite difficult to properly prune or cut branches for them. In this case, they usually begin to cut tall plants. The trimming technique is shown in fig. 5-9.

On garden plots are used different ways maintaining branches. In some cases, they are lifted from the ground with ropes, ribbons, wire; in others, stakes or whole fences of supports are placed under the branches. All this suggests that the cropping has not been done.

A well-formed fruit tree, with the exception of brittle wood varieties, or berry bushes does not need support to support its harvest. Only, as an exception, sometimes you can use a chatal (wooden support) or some other methods. If you decide to prune a tree whose branches are supported in this way, then first of all you need to remove all the garters, various supports, slingshots, etc. When pruning and shaping the tree, you need to see the natural arrangement of the branches.

It is usually recommended to start pruning when the air is already heated by the sun and the thermometer shows a positive temperature. At this time, the snow cover settles. In the Moscow region, this occurs approximately at the beginning of the second decade of April.

I must say that the snow cover in some cases makes it easier to trim the garden. Firstly, having climbed onto a snowdrift near a tree, it is easier to work closer to the top of the crown. It is more convenient to collect branches in the snow. True, by noon the work in the garden becomes more difficult. The sun heats up the snow, it becomes loose, and the support under your feet is unreliable; you fail every minute, and the work in the garden moves more slowly.

In these cases, you can put boards on the snow or stand on skis. But all this, of course, is not so effective, because it is not entirely convenient and familiar. Pruning should be carried out in the early morning, when the snow is not yet heated by the sun, it is dense enough and you can walk on it.

Often the pruning is not finished before the snow melts in the garden. At this time, the top layer of the soil thaws by 5-15 cm. Water runs from the hillocks in friendly streams, gathers in puddles, but in the garden here and there snow is still visible, gradually disappearing in the rays of the bright spring sun. At this moment, you should not walk around the garden with belated garden work, because there is only one harm from walking. Each step leaves a deep mark in the swollen and soggy soil, and it is easy to step on and damage undersized cultivated plants... Especially when the garden area is densely planted.

After a week or two, the deplorable results of such a belated work in the garden are visible: strawberries, bulbous plants are crumpled, branches of berry crops are trampled into the mud, mixed with cut ones, earthen paths are spoiled.

That is why you cannot walk in the garden at the moment when the spring water comes off.

Late pruning of fruit trees in spring

Trimming fruit trees and bushes in the garden are engaged before the start of sap flow!

If pruning is incomplete in the snow, you can continue pruning after the soil has dried out a little. Do not be frightened by the sight of swollen buds on fruit trees, especially on berry bushes. Pruning can be continued in this case as well.

Recent scientific research allows pruning up to flowering of mature fruit trees.

Late pruning of stone fruit crops is undesirable: plums, cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, because they may have severe gum flow. If the trees have already begun to awaken, the buds are swelling, then pruning, if there is no urgent need, is better to postpone until next year. In the same year, you can carry out minimal pruning: cut out broken branches, cut out branches that interfere with others, and some small branches. All sections must be covered with garden pitch.

If a branch is unsuccessfully placed in the crown of a tree, try to gently pull it to the side, tilt or lift it so that it takes up the free space of the crown, does not interfere with others and finds itself in better conditions... To secure it, you can use slats and ropes.

If the trees are very frozen, then it is better to carry out a complete pruning after the surviving buds start to grow and it becomes clear which branches are frozen.

Top dressing of fruit and berry crops in early spring

Fruit trees and berry bushes need enhanced nutrition for rapid growth or restoration of frost-damaged parts. In spring, nitrogen gains especially essential for plants. It is found in organic and mineral fertilizers.

The introduction of nitrogen fertilization of one form or another into the soil in early spring contributes to the rapid growth of all parts of the fruit tree or berry bush. Such fertilization is necessary for plants after harsh winters, when they lose either fruit formations or the growth of recent years due to low temperatures. If last year the trees did not bear fruit, but laid a large number of flower buds, then nitrogen fertilization from spring is also necessary.

At the beginning of the growing season, nitrogen in the form of mineral fertilizers is usually easier to apply than manure. But these fertilizers give a high effect only if the soil is sufficiently moistened: nitrogen moves more easily in the soil and is more fully absorbed by the root system. It is advisable to apply mineral forms of nitrogen fertilizers in early spring.

How to determine the best time for the first feeding?

If nitrogen fertilizers are applied when the snow has not yet completely melted and the soil has not thawed everywhere, then dissolved nitrogen, together with spring water, can leave the garden in large quantities. Therefore, this term does not fit at all. - too early.

If mineral nitrogen is added when the soil has already dried out, then it will dissolve more slowly and will not be able to fill the entire root layer of the soil. This means that this deadline is also not suitable - it is too late.

The best period should be considered a short period after the complete descent of the slag. By this time, the soil is already thawing, although it is very saturated with water; the water freezes at night, and in the morning a thin crust of ice breaks underfoot, especially if you walk along the lowland, between the rows, over large lumps of soil. Top dressing at this time is usually called "shard" (Fig. 10). During the day, the ice melts, there is not much water, there is not enough water for the streams that run down the slope. The nitrogen remains in the garden. This period, when the fertilizer is most fully used, cannot be missed.

Once again, it should be recalled that such a state of the soil does not last long and it is very important not to miss it. On light sandy soils, this period begins earlier and ends faster than on heavy clay soils.

Fertilizers are applied by scattering them over the soil surface. If it is ammonium nitrate, then 10 g of fertilizer is applied to 1 m 2 of the trunk circle, if ammonium sulfate or calcium nitrate - 15-20 g, urea - 5-8 g. The second feeding is carried out in May - June.

Re-grafting trees

In gardens, grafting is often used in fruit trees in order to quickly change varieties, without planting new trees; for better preservation of some low-winter-hardy varieties by grafting them into the crown and, finally, for the treatment of boles and bases of skeletal branches if they are damaged by rodents or have bark that has died from sunburn or frost.

Almost all fruit and berry plants can be re-inoculated, but in summer cottage gardening, vaccinations are used in a limited number of plant species. So, any varieties of apple trees are grafted onto an apple tree, including a wild one, varieties of a pear - on a cultivated and wild pear, as well as on a quince, and chokeberry and red rowan varieties - on a forest mountain ash.

The most convenient time for grafting in the spring is the period of active sap flow, when the bark of the plants (where this grafting is done) is easily separated from the wood (end of April - first half of May).

Of the large number of grafting methods for your first experience, we recommend using cuttings according to the "bark" method.

Grafting of a new variety should be done on a stem or in the main skeletal branches of such trees that have proven themselves in the garden as highly winter-resistant. These include many apple and pear seedlings that have survived severe winters, selected forms of Chinese women, a number of varieties of Siberian, Ural and northwestern origin, as well as a number of zoned varieties.

In the gardens of the Moscow region there is a fairly high percentage of trees that have sufficient frost resistance, but their quality cannot be considered good. Roughly, it can be assumed that about 6% of Grushovka Moscow, 5% of Anis, 1% of Chinese, 5% of Cinnamon striped grow among gardeners in the Moscow region. This is a very large reserve for improving the assortment by re-grafting. All these varieties are good skeleton formers. And, finally, the Antonovka ordinary variety, it takes about 30% of all apple varieties. If there are several trees of these varieties in the garden, then some of them can be transplanted into new, more valuable ones.

Using re-grafting, you can carry out a radical reconstruction of your garden without planting new trees, spending minimal effort and money.

What is the grafting technique?

Take, for example, a ten-year-old Cinnamon striped tree. The variety is quite winter-hardy, so there is no reason to think that the tree was frozen over in winter. First of all, it is necessary to decide whether to remove the entire crown or to re-graft in two years. It depends on the site of the vaccination. You can, for example, be grafted into a stem, then you need to make the smallest number of vaccinations; can be grafted into the base of skeletal branches, then the subsequently grown branches will replace the existing crown; you can graft cuttings on two to three-year-old wood, i.e. practically along the periphery of the entire crown; in this case, you need to make a lot of vaccinations (this technique is used very rarely).

Cuttings grafted along the periphery of the crown are the earliest of all to bear fruit, and later of all, cuttings grafted into the stem.

Re-grafting on the main branches of a ten-year-old tree of the Cinnamon striped variety can be traced in Fig. 11. He has a good crown, however, the left lateral branch has somewhat surpassed the leader shoot in growth, and the front right branch is beginning to form a fork.

Rice. 11. A - general view of a 10-year-old tree before grafting; B - the crown of an undesirable apple tree is cut; B - in each main skeletal branch, depending on its diameter, a different number of cuttings are grafted (one variety can be grafted into each branch); D - in the summer of the year of grafting, strong growths are formed, which create a new crown of the tree.

Rice. 12. Highly winter-resistant varieties were adopted for the non-winter-resistant bole and the main skeletal branches. After a harsh winter, the stem and the main skeletal branches died, so all grafted varieties will also die. Rice. 13. If the variety is not hardy, then it is necessary to graft new varieties into the root collar of the tree.

When cutting the crown, the leader branch should be left in the center. and cut the rest of the branches below. The cuts themselves should not be made strictly horizontal to the soil surface, they should be perpendicular to the bitch axis. The sections are cleaned with a sharp garden knife and the grafting proceeds. They start with the leader bitch, then the lateral branches are grafted, followed by the lower branches. This gardening work cannot be carried out in the reverse order, since already grafted cuttings can inevitably be touched here. In each branch, first, the part that is closest to the center of the tree is grafted. The places where the branches are cut are cleaned with a garden knife. Then a perpendicular incision of the bark is made with a copulation knife. It is better to start grafting at horizontal and inclined branches in the upper part of them. After grafting one cutting, the grafting site, part of the rootstock end and the cutting end, if it does not end with an apical bud, are covered with pitch. Then they start the next vaccination. Having finished it, several turns of a strapping tape are applied to the edge of the stock; check the quality of the coating with garden pitch of the parts subjected to this operation and finally hang a label indicating the variety, the number of grafted cuttings, on back side the labels put the date of the vaccination.

Very often in gardens there are non-resistant varieties that freeze from year to year above the trunk. Then the gardener decides to re-graft such a tree. In this case, cut off all branches previously damaged by frost; at first glance, the stem is completely healthy. But he is of an unstable variety. In the event of an unfavorable winter with little snow, the grafted parts may not freeze, but the bole will freeze, and then big job in the garden will be wasted. In fig. 12 shows a re-grafted Chinese Pendant tree with new, quite resistant varieties. Years passed, the grafts developed into strong branches with an abundance of good quality fruit. But after a harsh winter, the bark of the trunk was very frozen. The sap flow was disrupted, and the dying trunk of the non-resistant variety Kulon-Kitayka brought death to all vaccinations, although they were not damaged by the past frost.

It is completely unreasonable to plant new varieties in the crown of such non-resistant varieties as Papirovka, Melba, Pepin saffron, Bellefleur-Chinese and similar ones. Even the varieties Antonovka and Anis are not particularly favorable conditions cannot always be used for this purpose, since both the bole and the skeletal branches can be damaged in some very severe winters.

When re-grafting trees, it is necessary to look especially carefully for quite stable skeleton-formers.

But what if the variety is not winter-hardy and you still want to replace it with another, better variety? In this case, it is necessary to cut off the entire part of the tree in early spring to the grafting site (preferably along the root collar) and graft the cuttings (Fig. 13) of a new variety into it.

Raspberries

In early spring, the raspberries tied and bent in autumn must be untied and then tied either to a trellis (stretched wire) or to a stake. Some gardeners pay little attention to this work in the garden and spend it late, when the buds on the shoots have already swollen or, even worse, the shoots themselves have appeared. The decoupling and distribution of shoots on the trellis at this time leads to the fact that many buds or delicate shoots are mechanically broken, which reduces the yield of this crop.

Bending down raspberries in autumn sometimes leads to hollow of individual shoots in the bush itself. Therefore, in the spring, before tying raspberries to the trellis, it is necessary to view and remove all damaged shoots.

After the garter, the ends of the tops of all shoots are cut off with a secateurs. They are shortened by 10-15 cm. This technique enhances the growth of branches, which give the most valuable and highest yield of berries. Raspberry shoots should not be cut to size as an ornamental crop.

In gardens, raspberries are propagated by offspring. They are formed on the roots and can grow close to the bush, as well as 1.5 m from it. It all depends on how far the surface root system of the raspberry bush spreads.

Under normal growth conditions, an adult raspberry bush forms a small number of offspring. Those of them that are on the periphery and come out of the general row of plants (with row planting) are dug up in the fall and used for new plantings.

If you need to propagate a new valuable variety and get a large number of offspring, then in late autumn or early spring, the plant's aerial part is cut off and the center of the old rhizome is removed. In spring, a large number of shoots will develop from dormant buds on the roots of raspberries. They will not yield this year. Shoots are usually excavated with a garden pitchfork to reduce damage to the roots of the plant.

For better growth new shoots, the care of such a mother bush consists of early spring mulching of the soil with peat and several watering, which must be completed at the end of July.

It is important to protect young shoots from raspberry flies. To do this, during the period of the appearance of buds (controlled by the nearby fruit-bearing bushes), periodic spraying with a solution of chlorophos is carried out (20 g of an 80 percent drug per 10 l of water).

Strawberry

In the non-chernozem zone, spring work in the garden on a plot with strawberries begins in late April - early May. Strawberries at this time look pretty deplorable: the leaves are almost all dry, dusty, drooping, and only two or three fresh green leaves stretch from the middle of the bush. The soil in the aisles is compacted, in places dry and cracked.

First of all, on such a site, remove all last year's leaves (Fig. 14).

What is the best way to do this?

With the left hand, they grab the leaves located on one side of the row, and with the right hand, cut their petioles closer to the base of the bush with a garden knife. The cut sheets are taken out and immediately burned.

The leaves can also be used for composting. In this case, they are stacked in heaps so that the leaves are not carried over the entire site under the gusts of wind.

Following the removal of last year's leaves, they begin a shallow (5-8 cm) digging of the plantation. Before that, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer and manure are applied, if these fertilizers have not been applied since last autumn. After that, the plantation is loosened with a rake and mulching material is laid out along the rows.

Peat is very often used for this purpose. It not only contributes to good moisture retention in the soil, but also creates a favorable temperature regime for the root layer of the soil.

If the planting of seedlings was not carried out in the fall (it remained not removed from the soil on the plantation), then they begin to select and plant it. Since the weather is clear at this time, planting must be carried out quickly so that the root system of the strawberries does not dry out. The soil for planting should be prepared in the fall.

In some years, there is a bulging of a young planting of strawberries, which is expressed in the appearance of the base of roots on the soil surface. Such seedlings must be deepened into the soil to the level of the heart. This work in the garden in the spring is done as early as possible, while the soil is in a soft-plastic state.

Strawberries two weeks earlier. The dream of every gardener is to get the earliest first berry or the first fruit. The dream turns into real need if the family has small children.

The cultivation of early strawberries with a high yield began to be found in last years a large number of fans.

They start by choosing a place on the site that is illuminated by direct sunlight. Then, in early spring or in the second half of summer, high-quality strawberry seedlings, mainly of early varieties, are planted. It should be planted in one row. The distance between plants in a row should be 25-30 cm. Each row of strawberries is covered separately. For this, a tunnel shelter is used. Due to the fact that the edges of the covering material are either buried in the soil or strengthened in a different way, the distance between the rows of strawberries has to be 100-110 cm.

In the first year of growth, strawberries are carefully looked after. All whiskers are immediately removed as soon as they appear. In late autumn, frames are installed along the rows. For this purpose, it is best to use hollow tubes with a diameter of 15 to 25 mm, made of plastic materials, an iron rod with a diameter of 5 to 8 mm, willow branches and, finally, the frame can be made from wooden slats. In the first cases, it will be semicircular, and in the latter - in the form of a trapezoid.

The height of the frame should be 35-50 cm, and the width (near the ground) - 60-70 cm.Separate arcs are placed with a distance of 80-100 cm between them.

It is more expedient to put the frame in the fall, but it is also possible in early spring, as soon as the snow melts and the soil thaws.

If the frame is delivered in the spring, then before covering it with a covering material, twine or soft wire should be pulled between the arcs. This is done so that the material does not sag in case of rain.

It is usually sufficient to stretch the twine along the very top of the arches and on the sides. The ends of the twine are pulled tightly to the stake obliquely driven into the soil, which is located in the center of one of the ends of the tunnel shelter. This achieves sufficient rigidity of the entire structure (Fig. 15).

The covering material is cut off 100-120 cm longer than the length of the entire frame. In calm weather, excess material can be decomposed. First, it is placed on the frame and trimmed. Then, for better tension, bricks are placed along the edges. Now, along one long edge of the frame, soil is selected to a depth of 10-15 cm. The end of the material is tucked into it and compacted with earth, if it is a film. Do the same from opposite edges. The edges of the covering material can be pressed against the soil with a brick or board.

If the frame is made of slats, then the covering material can be reinforced with thin strips.

The strawberries should be covered in early spring as new leaves begin to appear. Before covering, the beds should be loosened and all old leaves removed.

During April, watering the strawberries is not necessary, since the moisture supply is sufficient. When peduncles appear, the bushes should be sprayed with a chlorophos solution (20 g of 80 percent chlorophos per 10 liters of water) to destroy the weevil. After spraying, close the garden bed tightly again. If the bed is covered with a film, then on sunny hot days, moisture appears on the inside of the film. It's good. At the beginning of flowering, either the ends of the shelter or one of its sides (preferably the southern one) are slightly opened for a day. Berries are picked daily. By the end of the harvest, strawberries begin to ripen on a regular plantation. By this time, the covering material is removed (the frame can be left). Further care consists of loosening the soil, removing weeds and whiskers, which are formed very early and in large quantities.

Reproduction of currants

From berry crops, currants, especially black ones, multiply easily, and in more than one way. If the gardener wants to get two or three seedlings, then for this purpose, branches from a perennial bush are rooted; if you need to get a larger number of plants, then use lignified cuttings.

With any method of reproduction, branches or cuttings are taken from the most productive and free from bud mites and terry bushes. In order to make sure that they are free of diseases and pests, the bushes are carefully examined in early spring, when it is easy to find rounded buds damaged by a tick; during flowering, check whether the flowers are damaged by doubleness. And finally, the final conclusion about the condition of the bush is helped by determining the yield from it, since the healthiest plant can give the greatest yield. But in view of the fact that the yield sometimes decreases due to low temperatures not only in winter, but also during the flowering period, as well as after flowering, when negative temperatures can come and the ovary falls off, a real assessment of the degree of productivity of the black currant bush should be given only after three to four years of fruiting. By this time, the plant can be unmistakably appreciated.

In the spring, the soil under the bushes is dug up and harrowed. Then, departing from the center of the bush by 30 -60 cm, make a hole half a bayonet deep with a shovel. They put compost, rotted manure or garden soil into it. Then a two-, three-year-old branch is bent down and, if it is difficult to do this, it is pressed against the hole with an iron pin 40 cm long (with a rod diameter of 3-4 mm), the base of the branch is covered with peat (one or two shovels), and earth is poured over it. The entire mound is compacted. By autumn, the bent part of the branch forms roots; if they are weak, then the layers are not separated for another year. White and red currants usually form very weak roots in the first year, therefore, both are cultivated for two, and sometimes three years.

In case of drought, the mounds are moistened. In the autumn of the first or second year of cultivation, the cuttings are separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place. The above-ground part of the cut is somewhat shortened. In the first year, from one bush, you can get from 5 to 12 layers, depending on the variety and type of currant.

The roots of the cuttings are formed faster if you make a longitudinal cut in that part of the branch, which is sprinkled with soil, or make semicircular cuts in the bark and treat them with growth substances (one tablet of heteroauxin per 1 liter of water). This solution is either treated with a wound, or watered (once) a hole with a branch at the time of its laying.

Currants also propagate by cuttings of all types. For this, one-year strong shoots are used, which are not cut from the end of perennial branches, but the so-called zero shoots are taken, i.e. those that formed from the soil or from the base of perennial branches.

The thicker the diameter of the shoots, the better quality the resulting plant. Therefore, from a shoot with a length of 65 cm, you can get three cuttings of 20 cm each, and the lower and middle will give good bushes, the upper one is worse.

To obtain a large number of high quality annual shoots in the spring, almost all perennial branches are cut out in the bush. By autumn, the bush forms new shoots, not only of high quality, but also in large quantities.

For cutting cuttings of black currant, bushes from two to five years old are used, and for red and white currants, it is permissible to use older plants for this purpose.

Sliced ​​cuttings are immediately planted in prepared soil. The depth of its digging is 30 cm. It is very good to add peat or compost to the soil in the amount of three buckets per 1 m 2 for digging.

The best time for currants when planting cuttings is autumn. The stalk is obliquely buried in the soil so that one or two buds are on the surface. The distance in a row is 15-18 cm, between rows - 30-35 cm. In late autumn or early spring, after loosening the rows, mulching is carried out with peat.

In some unfavorable winters, cuttings may bulge out of the soil. Then in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws, they are buried again, and the soil is trampled.

During the summer, the site is periodically watered using sprinkling. If it was not mulched, then loosening is carried out.

At the end of June, a young one-year-old shoot is pinched over the third - fourth leaf. At first, this retards growth, but then more and more shoots are formed from the dormant buds, and by autumn the one-year shoot turns into a branching plant that can be planted in a permanent place.

To obtain high quality seedlings, blackcurrant plants are not dug up in the first year, and in the spring of next year, the entire aerial part is cut off from them, leaving three to five buds. In the second year, strong two-year-old seedlings develop from them, which yield a harvest in the first year.

May. Spring gardening

Check the planting of young seedlings of fruit crops. Sometimes the planting of fruit and berry crops is incorrectly performed - for example, the plants of apple, pear, cherry, plum are too deeply buried. Subsequently, this leads to inhibition of the growth and development of the tree, to a decrease in yield, and in conditions of heavy moist soils, even to the drying out of the bark on boles. In a few years, these trees die.

It is better to carefully check last year's plantings and, if it is found that the root collar of the trees is deepened, immediately correct the mistake.

Usually, when planting, the root collar of a tree is recommended to be raised above the soil level by 3-4 cm on light sandy soils and by 5-6 cm on heavy loamy or clayey soils.

How to correctly locate the root collar from a grafted apple, pear, cherry, plum or rowan tree? The root collar is the place where the roots pass into the aerial part of the tree, i.e. to the stem. To accurately determine this place, you need to wipe part of the trunk and the beginning of the main roots with a damp cloth: the border of the color change of the bark from greenish tones to light brown will be the root collar.

Sometimes a thickening on the stem is taken for the root collar, while this is the part of the wild where the grafting was made. And this mistake entails another: focusing on thickening, trees are planted incorrectly - very deep.

It is equally important to pay Special attention for the advance preparation of planting holes. Very often, a planting hole is dug and filled up on the day or on the eve of planting a tree; they put the necessary fertilizers into it and fill it with earth. This is completely unacceptable. The hole should be dug five to six weeks and filled with soil and fertilizer three to five weeks before fall planting.

If the planting is carried out in the spring, then the pit should be prepared in the fall. Only in this case, the loose soil completely settles and the tree planted later will not have a deepening of the root collar.

In the spring, the gardener has a lot of urgent things to do in the garden, and often the weather is also pushing. But despite the tight deadlines spring works in the garden, buried by improper planting or settled young grafted fruit trees must be raised before the leaves bloom (Fig. 16).

How to do it? Carefully remove the top layer of soil above the roots with a shovel, then pull the tree (if it is a new plant) up until the root collar appears (2-4 cm above the soil horizon). When young tree pulled out of the pit, it must be held by the wild bole, i.e. that part of it that is located between the root collar and the grafting site.

Add earth to the resulting hole and compact it, especially under the roots (you can use a stick with a blunt end). After that, a hole is made in the pit and one or two buckets of water are poured into it.

It is much more difficult to raise mature trees - from five years or more. In this case, you have to dig up a lot of soil, removing a large layer of soil above the roots, under which, in order to carefully raise the tree, they bring a wagu wrapped in soft material... (For mature trees that have undergone such an operation, special care is taken.) Unfortunately, sometimes I do it wrong. A layer of soil is removed above the roots until the root collar is exposed, sometimes buried by 10 or even 25 cm, and this is where the work is considered finished. And it turns out that the planting of the tree turns out to be much lower than the surface of the garden soil, i.e. the tree turns out to be sitting in a hole. In spring or late autumn, water flows into this depression, and the bole is in abnormal conditions for a long time. And the tree sooner or later dies from the damping out of the lower part of the trunk. This is one of the reasons for the annual death of a large number of trees in summer cottages.

As for berry bushes - currants and gooseberries, insignificant deepening does not harm them, on the contrary, it creates favorable conditions for further growth. It is possible to plant these crops in spring and autumn.

The central non-chernozem belt is in a zone of sufficient moisture, but in May and June there is still little rainfall, at this time there is not enough for the fruit tree. They start digging early in the spring. Unlike the autumn, spring digging is carried out necessarily followed by harrowing (with a hand cultivator or a rake).

The fine lumpy soil better retains the moisture accumulated during the autumn-spring time, protects it from evaporation. This technique is called moisture closure.

Sometimes, having dug up the garden, they start harrowing only after one or two weeks. This should not be allowed. For such a long period of time, large lumps of soil quickly evaporate moisture from the surface, harden, and later they are no longer easy to break.

If on soils with a heavy mechanical composition you have to work in the garden with a shovel and a rake, then on sandy ones, if the garden was previously kept under black steam (it was loosened throughout the summer), the soil can be loosened either with a cultivator or with a rake.

Since spring, the soil in the garden has been harrowed without digging. Over the summer, the land is covered with a green carpet of various herbs. They are mowed down: for the first time - by the time the rape and dandelion begin to bloom, and later - as the grass grows up to 15 - 20 cm.

The cut grass is evenly scattered under the crowns of fruit trees. In this case, it takes on the meaning of mulch. They mow the grass in the garden not only in those places where the garden is kept under turf, but also in other places where the most vicious weeds have grown: dandelion, colza, wheatgrass, creeping buttercup, etc. In this case, the grass is also transferred to the trunk circles.

True, sometimes weeding or other methods do not help to clear the garden of weeds. But the kneading of the grasses during flowering protects the garden from the self-seeding of various weeds. This is very important for the gardener to know. In addition, turfing of a fruit-bearing garden helps to improve the mechanical composition of the soil. However, it can also be harmful. This usually happens during dry summers when the garden is left without water.

This situation is especially dangerous for fruit-bearing trees, since a lack of water in the soil can lead either to shedding of the ovary, or to the production of small and poor quality fruits. This happens because the grass growing in the garden takes a lot of moisture from the root layer of the soil, thereby weakening the general condition of the trees. Therefore, if your garden is sodden, we recommend watering it in case of prolonged dry weather.

Gardens located on waterlogged soils should be kept under sodding and periodically cut down on the grass.

The following grasses can be sown for turfing: meadow fescue - 1.2-1.6 g per m2; meadow timothy - 0.5-0.6 g per m2; wheatgrass - 0.9 g per m2; meadow bluegrass - 0.5-0.7 g per m2; awnless bonfire - 0.4-0.5 g per m2; hedgehog team - 0.4-0.5 g per m 2; white clover - 1.2-1.5 g per m2; perennial ryegrass - 1.5-2 g per m2.

Some gardeners cover the trunks with peat or manure (mulch) to warm the roots of fruit trees in the fall.

How, in this case, should the digging be carried out in the spring? The amount of mulch applied here matters. If its layer is 5 cm or more, then in the spring poor conditions are created for warming the soil. In this case, the vital activity of the root system is somewhat delayed, while the aboveground part of the tree is already showing signs of growth.

Therefore, first of all, the mulch from the trunk circle must be removed with a rake, and the soil must be dug up and buried. After one to two weeks, when the soil in the near-trunk circle warms up, it can again be covered with mulching material. If in the fall the mulch was laid in a layer of 2-3 cm, then the heating of the soil in the near-trunk circle will proceed normally, if only peat was used as mulch, then faster.

Should mulch be dug up in the spring with the ground in the trunk circle and will it improve the nitrogen nutrition of the tree?

First of all, we must proceed from the fact that, firstly, if the amount of mulching material is limited and it is not possible to provide the garden with sufficient watering, then it is better to keep the mulch on the surface of the trunk circle; secondly, almost any mulching material either does not contain nitrogen at all, or contains it in small quantities (if straw manure was introduced in the fall), or, even worse, reduces the nitrogen content in the soil.

For example, if sawdust, sawdust manure (containing 80% sawdust), shavings, wood chips, forest floor, etc. are used as mulching material. To decompose these wood waste the soil gives off a lot of nitrogen and, in order to replenish it, when digging such mulch, it is imperative to apply nitrogen fertilizer.

As you can see, mulching materials like nitrogen fertilizer are of no value. They only contribute to the conservation of moisture in the soil, and when digging, create a better soil structure, in which air exchange and the beneficial activity of microorganisms are enhanced.

Watering

Fruit and berry plants from the beginning of snow melting to the last decade of May are provided enough moisture in the soil. At this time, watering can be replaced by loosening, especially after heavy rains, when the compacted soil quickly forms a crust on its surface, which facilitates the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Loosening to a depth of 6-8 cm with a rake, cultivator or ripper protects the soil from intense evaporation.

In the first half of summer, when shoots, leaves and ovaries are actively growing, water consumption by plants is especially high. Therefore, they need watering at this time (June - July).

If in the summer months, in clear weather, it does not rain for 5-10 days, then some crops begin to experience a lack of moisture. This is primarily observed on light sandy soils in high relief conditions or in areas where perennial forest trees grow. Watering is also necessary here. Among the crops that need them, first of all, it is necessary to name all the plants planted either in the spring of this year or in the fall of the last. Plants transplanted in adulthood require mandatory watering, and primarily during the first two to three years.

The sequence in watering adult plants is approximately as follows. First, water the raspberries, then the strawberries, currants, plums, gooseberries, cherry, pear and apple trees.

Watering, if possible, should be timed to specific phases of growth and development of a particular crop.

Apple and pear it is best to water in June, when the fruit-bearing trees shed excess ovary. During this period, the trees begin to grow fruit and shoots.

The second watering is carried out a month after the first (July 15-20), two to three weeks before the collection of summer varieties, the third watering is carried out in August (first of all, autumn and winter varieties of apple and pear are watered).

Stone fruits - plum and cherry the first time it is watered after flowering, the second - two weeks before harvesting, and the third time - after harvesting.

Black, white, red currants and gooseberries watered every two weeks before harvest and after harvest.

Strawberries in case of drought, watered for the first time during the flowering period. At this time, there are often frosts, and watering can be timed to coincide with the days preceding the cold snap. The flowering of strawberries is extended, therefore, if watering is carried out even at the end of flowering, it will still have a great impact on the growth and increase of the ovary. The second watering is carried out two to three weeks after harvest.

Raspberries are watered for the first time in a dry summer at the end of May, then every 10-15 days. Finish watering during the maximum harvest period.

It is difficult to control the watering effect in the garden, i.e. how deep the water penetrates into the soil and how much it saturates the soil layer where the bulk of the horizontal roots lie.

Under favorable conditions, the bulk of the horizontal roots of fruit and berry crops in the Moscow region reaches depths: for raspberries - 20 cm, for strawberries - 30 cm, for currants and gooseberries - 30-40 cm, for plums and cherries - 30-40 cm, for pears - 50 cm, for an apple tree grafted on dwarf rootstocks - 40 cm. grafted on semi-dwarf rootstocks - 50 cm and grafted on seed stocks - 70 cm.The depth of the main mass of the root system on sandy soils is 10-15 cm more.

For each crop, it is important to moisten the soil exactly and to the specified depth. Approximately for 1 m 2 of the trunk circle, i.e. the zones where the root system is located, it is necessary to consume water for a one-time watering of an apple and a pear (at a groundwater level below 3 m) for sandy loam soils 4-5 buckets, on light loamy - 5-6 buckets, on loamy - 6-7 buckets, on heavy loamy and clayey - 8-9 buckets.

The watering rate for strawberries, currants, gooseberries, plums and cherries can be reduced by 2 times, and for raspberries - by 3 times.

In dry summer conditions, three waterings are carried out. Do not water your garden uncontrollably, saturating most of your garden with water. Such watering often brings harm rather than benefit, since water completely fills the soil, displaces air, and therefore disrupts normal gas exchange. The growth of the root system and the vital activity of microorganisms are suppressed. When excessive watering is replaced by a long period of rainy days, fruit and berry plants find themselves in a critical position, in which the vital activity of the active (suction) root system ceases, which is partly manifested in the abundant and premature yellowing of leaves and their falling off. Excessive watering is especially dangerous on dense unstructured soils with a high level of groundwater.

Young fruit trees up to 10-12 years old, grafted on ordinary seed stocks, apple trees grafted on dwarf stocks, up to 15-18 years old years can be watered within the near-trunk circles both by flooding the water along the near-trunk zone and along the annular grooves. In the latter case, the duration of watering increases, since the water in the groove is slowly absorbed. Currants and gooseberries are watered within the crown of these plants. Raspberries and strawberries are watered throughout the area occupied by these crops. Sprinkling is very good for these two crops.

Watering of adult gardens at the age of 15 years or more is carried out using furrows arranged either around trees, or along their rows. The distance between the furrows on light soils should be 50-60 cm, on heavy soils - 80-100 cm.The first furrow is made 80-100 cm from the trunk, its depth should not exceed 15 cm, the depth of the second is 20-22 cm. Furrows are better do it with a hoe, not a shovel. Furrow irrigation gives poor results in areas with a slope, as in this case, soil erosion in the garden increases. They do not suit him in those places where mature trees have long-term tinning. Because it is not always advisable to spoil the area with sowing grasses by making furrows. In such cases, it is most convenient to water gardens with a hose with a special nozzle that sprays water.

Sprinkler irrigation is most suitable for country garden.

Control over the rate of water during irrigation is carried out as follows. If the garden is watered using furrows, then it should be noted how many minutes it takes to fill a bucket with water supplied from a hose, then calculate the area occupied by one furrow. It can be roughly assumed that one furrow serves one square meter soil layer. If it is necessary to calculate the watering of a tree at the age of 10 years with a furrow 3.5 m long, then, for example, for light loamy soils, it is required to multiply 5 - 6 buckets by 3.5.

When watering by sprinkling or in another way, the degree of soil moisture can be determined as follows: the next day after watering, a hole is dug under the crown of a fruit tree to the depth of the location of the bulk of the root system. Take a handful of soil and squeeze it in the palm of your hand. If a lump forms that does not crumble, then the soil is sufficiently moistened.

In dry autumn, the last, so-called subwinter watering is carried out. First of all, fruiting trees of apple, cherry, plum and pear trees need it. The rate of this last watering for 1 m 2 is increased by one or two buckets compared to that which was already indicated above.

Berry crops do not need watering in the winter as badly as fruit crops, because the rains that fall in the fall are enough for them.

Watering the garden during a drought should be done as economically as possible. The most complete absorption of moisture occurs on loose or previously loosened and mulched (needle case, grass, shavings, straw manure) soil. Mulch from peat (dry) does not allow rapid absorption, therefore, watering the soil covered with peat has to be done by intermittent sprinkling with a finer spray of water.

In an adult garden, if it is under perennial sodding, the soil is somewhat compacted, and therefore water runoff is possible. In this case, the watering rate is slightly increased.

Good results are obtained by deep irrigation, when the nozzle from the hose with a stream of 1.5-2 atm. injected into the soil to a depth of 40 - 50 cm.

As seen in Fig. 17, watering with one watering can of water did not allow deep penetration of moisture into the soil. Watering on the same soil with three watering cans already provides better moisture for the root systems of berry crops, as well as cherries and plums (a, b).

Rice. 17. Scheme of moisture penetration in the garden to different depths (cm) with different watering:

a - along the furrows; b - black pair; c - according to perennial turf. The upper three diagrams show the penetration of moisture when watering one bucket at a time, the lower three diagrams show three buckets per 1 m 2.

However, in the first and second cases, irrigation of the turfed soil with sprinkling did not give the necessary moisture penetration to the roots (c). More deep penetration moisture in the soil was facilitated by irrigation using the furrow (a). This suggests that in a drought, a garden kept under turf should (per square meter, in loamy soils) have a high irrigation rate - not less than 4-5 buckets. And in order for the soil to absorb all this moisture, watering itself must be done intermittently, otherwise part of the water that was not absorbed into the soil at the time of watering will drain to lower places.

Protecting the garden from spring frosts

In the Moscow region, frosts are observed once every 5-7 years during the flowering period of the apple tree. Flowering plum, cherry and pear trees are more likely to be damaged than apple trees because they bloom a week earlier.

The danger of frost damage to flowers is especially great in early spring, when gardens can bloom in the second decade of May. This is especially true for gardens located in lowlands, hollows, ravines, as well as in narrow clearings. Gardens located on the upper parts of the relief, as well as near large bodies of water, are subject to frost to a lesser extent.

Apple buds die at temperatures from -2.75 to -3.85 °, stamens and pistils of a blossoming flower - at temperatures from -1.5 to -2.5 ° and a young ovary - at -1 °.

Due to the uneven blooming of flowers, a fruit tree with low frosts manages to retain its ability to bear fruit so that it will yield a relatively good harvest in the future. Contributes to the leveling of the overall garden yield and the selection of varieties with different flowering periods, for example, the Pepin saffron variety always begins to bloom much later than other varieties.

When the temperature falls below the critical temperature, heat-loving crops in the garden are damaged, from which they die. It is interesting to note that such critical temperatures last for 1.5-2.5 hours, and temperatures below 0 ° are observed for 4-5 hours.

When forecasting weather with critical temperatures in the garden, smoke should be carried out for fruit crops, for berries and strawberries. - shelter or for both - general watering.

What is the essence of such plant protection? Freezing in spring occurs due to the influx of cold air masses and the loss of heat from the soil and plants (at night).

With smoke, the intensity of heat release from the soil decreases, thereby weakening the cooling of the plants themselves, for which it is enough to increase the temperature by only 1-1.5 °.

When watering, the soil and plants receive an additional amount of heat, since the temperature of the irrigation water is always higher than the air and soil surface during freezing hours. With watering, the deeper horizons of the warm soil are moistened, which increases its thermal conductivity, as a result of which the upper layers receive a large influx of heat and the effect of freezing decreases.

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to spraying the crown and watering the soil under the trees. Leaves and branches supply water to flowers in the form of the smallest spray. When frozen, they are covered with a thin crust of ice, which protects the plants from the cold.

When the berries and strawberries are sheltered, the plants are cooled less.

Strawberries under the film (upon receipt early harvests) on frost days, they are additionally covered with burlap, cloth or matting.

In a country garden, to create smoke heaps, chips, shavings, sawdust, rotting straw, hay, needles, forest litter, last year's leaves, tops of potatoes, phlox, irises and other perennials, as well as small branches from tree pruning and raspberry cuttings, moss are used , peat.

Smoke can be intensified by adding pieces of tar or roofing felt to the pile, and flaring up by sprinkling it with used mineral oils or fuel oil. Waste of various resins can also be added.

Smoke heaps are placed perpendicular to the direction of the wind, the distance between them should be 5-8 m. 6-9 heaps are lit in a garden with an area of ​​6 acres (600 m 2). In a garden with an area of ​​12 acres (1200 m 2) 12-18 heaps are lit.

The smoke heap is arranged as follows. First, dry material is placed on the ground, which can burn easily. Dry branches are inserted into the middle of it and a layer of dry material is poured on top. Peat, forest floor or other wet material is placed on top of it. Then the whole pile is covered with sawdust or garbage. The diameter of the heap is 1-1.5 m, the height is 1-1.2 m. If the heap gives a lot of fire, then it should be sprinkled with damp material or earth or poured with water from a watering can. In the presence of necessary material one gardener can prepare a garden for frost protection in 4 - 5 hours.

All of these methods are well known to gardeners. However, it must be said that not all of them are applied correctly. Often all night and early morning they burn one or two fires in the garden "just in case." If the frost had passed, then a small number of fires would not heat the entire territory. Gardening in the spring is wasted, material is wasted.

In addition to the forecasts that can be heard on radio or television, an ordinary outdoor thermometer should be posted in the garden (in the flowering zone of fruit trees). If the temperature starts to drop to 0.5 ° C and continues to fall, then it is time to start smoking the garden. Here it should be borne in mind that critical temperatures last for 1.5-2.5 hours, and temperatures below 0 ° C are kept for 4-5 hours.

Smoke is best done in collaboration with neighbors, by joint efforts. After all, if one gardener burns heaps in his garden, and the other - no, then in calm weather the smoke will cover the trees of the neighboring garden with a thick veil. And your neighbor must take care of you too, otherwise your garden will be bad.

There will be no benefit from smoking if instead of the smoke from the fire there is a strong flame. After all, a smoke screen is needed, and the richer it is, the more reliably the blooming garden will protect.

A good material for smoking is smoke bombs. They are very convenient to use, as they can be carried from place to place and thereby regulate the density of smoke production in the garden.

The strongest drop in temperature occurs an hour before and during the first and second hours after sunrise. You must always be ready for this: prepare heaps for a fire in advance, a material with which you can easily light them.

If the air temperature does not drop below 0.5 ° C at sunrise, stop smoking.

There is an opinion that morning frosts are terrible only for fruit trees. It is not right. Very often berry bushes suffer from them, and first of all, gooseberries and currants, both in a state of flowering and at the time of the formation of an ovary (freshly set berries fall off).

Perhaps more than other horticultural crops, strawberries are susceptible to spring frosts. This is due to the fact that in spring frosts occur on the surface of the soil much more often than at the level of the crowns of fruit trees.

There are a number of ways to protect berries.

The first way. Tie the currants with a rope, and cover the bush with paper, some kind of cloth or film.

Second way. With the help of sprinklers during freezing hours, constantly spray the bushes with water.

Third way. Cover the strawberries with straw or rolled strips of paper, foil and especially good covering material. Before covering, the beds must be watered, and to keep the shelter tighter, the edges of the paper or film are covered with earth. Garden work should be carried out on the eve of the expected frost.

Repair strawberry

It is possible to extend the collection of strawberries until August - September only through the use of its remontant varieties: Ada, Inexhaustible, Sakhalin, etc. But there is one peculiarity here. The first fruiting in remontant varieties occurs at the same time as in ordinary ones. And after a pause, it resumes again. But since the first fruiting coincides with the fruiting of ordinary varieties, it is advisable to remove all the first peduncles on remontant strawberries by plucking. Then growth intensifies, a mustache appears, and flowering resumes on them, and on the mother bush.

In September, with the onset of cold weather or frost, the flowers are poorly pollinated, and the ovary is either deformed or completely absent, and often at this time there is not enough heat for its growth and development. In this case, a frame must be placed on the bed with remontant strawberries and covered with material. On sunny days, you need to open it.

Repaired strawberries bear fruit abundantly and for this it requires not only rich soils, but also long distances when planting. The best ones are 70x40 cm.

The peculiarity of this variety of strawberries is that flower stalks are formed on the mustaches that appear during the summer. They take a lot of food from the mother bush. Therefore, you can remove all the whiskers, this achieves a more abundant fruiting of the main bush.

The highest yields of large-fruited remontant strawberries are given in the second - third year. Therefore, by the end of the third year, the plants are removed, but before that, the most rooted rosettes are isolated for new plantings.

With good agricultural technology, gardeners get a little more than 1 kg of berries from 1 m 2, and the main harvest occurs in late summer and early autumn, which is very important.

Trapping belts

In the last days of May, trapping belts are applied to the stems of fruit-bearing trees: these are strips of paper, ribbons of burlap and some other material. They are periodically reviewed. All pests found under the belts are destroyed.

Fishing belts should not be applied very high - at the point where the main skeletal branches leave the trunk. The most suitable place for them is the lower part of the trunk, about 15-20 cm from the soil surface (Fig. 18).

Rice. 18. Trapping (sticky) belt applied to the apple tree stem. If there is no pronounced trunk, then one trapping belt is imposed on each skeletal branch.

Removing dry branches

In May, it can be seen that individual branches and branches of fruit trees and shrubs are either strongly delayed during bud opening, or do not bloom at all. These are branches that died from various reasons. They must be cut off. For example, currants are very much damaged by glass and gall midge, from which shoots and whole branches have a depressed appearance.

In raspberries, some young shoots that have begun to grow in the current year have drooping tops, which usually darken and dry out. This means that young shoots are damaged by the larvae of the raspberry stem fly. They should be cut and destroyed immediately. Gardeners should be firmly aware that in no case should dead branches be left on fruit trees or shrubs; uncut, they can be a breeding ground for various fungal diseases, as well as wood-boring pests.

To category: Garden

Tree planting

If we bear in mind that it is possible to dig trees only from the end of September or from the beginning of October, and in November planting sometimes becomes impossible as a result of frosts, it will become clear that sometimes the drunk trees for autumn planting may come too late; they have to be dug in until spring. If frost has come, and the trees are on the way, then you should cover the place intended for digging in trees with horse manure so that the soil does not freeze, since it is very difficult and harmful to dig in from the frozen ground. But for those gardeners who prefer spring planting, it is advisable to write out trees in the fall and add them in for the winter, since in spring the trees are often late, especially when leaving more northern areas. There is nothing, it seems, more unpleasant than being forced in the spring to be late with planting due to the untimely arrival of the prescribed trees. That is why it is certainly better for a spring planting to write out trees in the fall, so that you can plant in early spring, which is of great importance for success; it is especially harmful to plant trees in late spring, when the buds are already beginning to bloom. When selecting trees for autumn planting, it must be borne in mind that the roots do not stop functioning even after the leaves have fallen off. It was noticed that after the foliage has fallen off, the roots form laply in places damaged during discharge, or on artificial cuts. That is why it is very important to cut the roots during the autumn digging of trees, and not to postpone this operation until spring (cutting the roots before planting, or the so-called refreshing of the roots). If you carefully cut the roots (as before planting) and then dig in the trees, then in the fall, floods form in the fall, and such trees take root more quickly and are better accepted in the spring.

Pruning trees in spring stimulates vegetative growth and accelerates the maturation of branches. Arborists of the "Industrial climbers" company will professionally clean trees in early and late spring in Moscow and the Moscow region. We serve organizations and private clients. Pruning of branches is carried out on large-sized plants growing in any conditions. We take out the cut pieces of wood and clean up the place of work.

Why spring pruning is relevant

The debate about when is the best time to prune trees seems to be going on forever. Spring cleaning is favored by the setting and formation of young branches, as well as favorable weather conditions. This procedure is performed before the onset of sap flow (until the kidneys swell). It is unacceptable for fruit trees to break this rule (otherwise the yield will decrease). Ornamental species can be cleaned after foliage has formed.

Having removed even a small branch, it is necessary to immediately cover the cut with garden varnish or other special means.

Trees such as maple, chestnut, mulberry, poplar can be safely cleaned after the end of sap flow. When injured, they have active sap flow. Therefore, such a procedure, even in late spring or summer, is not scary to them.

Among conifers, various types of juniper, thuja, yew and spruce are perfectly tolerated. Other species of evergreen large growers undergo light spring sanitary pruning. It is necessary to form their crown not by cutting off the branches, but by pinching young shoots. Moreover, it is quite difficult to work with conifers - the juicy light-green tips of the branches are quite fragile, easily bend and break. And there is a great risk of breaking the top.

The slightest damage to evergreens, with improper crown formation, will lead to a violation of the verticality of the tree. With the growth of two tops, one of them must be urgently removed.

In the spring, fruit trees are pruned annually. This stimulates the yield and helps to prolong the life of the plant. However, garden trees should be pruned correctly - otherwise, you can forget about large and abundant fruits.

Spring pruning rules

The most important rule of any (including spring) branch removal is to use a tool that is not covered with rust. In this case, the toolkit must be well sharpened. Garden accessories should not tear the plant tissue, but carefully cut off the excess. You should work very carefully, without harming the remaining branches.

This is especially true when removing large branches. Before pruning them, you need to remove as many small twigs growing on them as possible. And only after that you can start cutting a massive branch, cutting it off in parts. The edges of large sections are carefully protected. Such an operation will promote the rapid growth of callus (connective tissue that promotes the healing of wood wounds).

Sections that are not made at the pillar are rarely overgrown. Therefore, such places, when pruning in the spring months, must be carefully treated with a wound-healing compound.

In addition to torn edges, the cuts must be without grooves. They will become a place of accumulation of water, which will lead to rotting of the wood. The putty used must be waterproof, sterile and antiseptic. Only in this case, microorganisms and spores trapped in the wound will die and will not leave a chance for new pests to settle at the cut site.

Types of tree pruning in spring

In early spring, both strong and weak tree cleaning is performed. Have flowering species a strong one promotes active flowering, with a weak one, many small flowers are formed. During this period, the following types of branch removal are performed:

• Formative. Helps to create a special crown shape. This creates certain type Green caps with the required density of temporary and skeletal branches.
• Regulatory (supporting). In addition to maintaining its shape, such trimming supports certain parameters of the crown in terms of illumination level.
• Rejuvenation. It is especially indicated for aging and old trees, as the growth of young branches is activated as a result of such pruning.
• Recovery. Returns flowering, fruiting and growth to those affected by weather conditions and neglected, decrepit large-sized plants.
• Sanitary. It allows you to remove damaged, intersecting, dead or diseased branches and helps to increase the illumination of the leaves.

In a megalopolis, it is quite difficult to carry out spring pruning of large-sized trees. The cramped conditions, the large number of people and transport make such work difficult and dangerous. Therefore, this work requires obtaining a felling ticket. Climbers of the "Industrial climbers" company will not only provide this service quickly, professionally and at a reasonable price, but also carry out the removal of the cut material, as well as cleaning the territory. Contact us, we will cut the trees properly!