When and how to replant an apple tree?

The life span of an apple tree is measured in decades. During this time, there may be a need to transplant a tree, caused by thickening of the plantings, unfavorable soil conditions or the need to redevelop the site. To move the apple tree to a new place, while not being left without a crop, you must comply with the conditions that will be considered.

The best time to transplant an apple tree is called spring or autumn. In the first case, it is important to start the procedures when the sap flow is just beginning in the trunk. But the choice of the month is determined by the temperature of the air and soil. By the time of transplantation, the air should warm up above +5 degrees, the soil at the bottom of the planting pit should be warmer than +10 degrees, and the ground should be easy to dig to a depth of two shovel bayonets. At the same time, frosts are not expected in the forecast of weather forecasters.

The decision of what time is best for transplanting an apple tree to another place is made depending on the region.

1. In the Northwestern District, including in the Leningrad region, for such work they choose the end of April, the beginning of May or October, if the autumn is not dry.
2. In the Volga region, including the city of Togliatti and the Republic of Mordovia, in the spring work is carried out according to the schedule, as in the neighbors from the northern regions, and autumn transplants are carried out from late September to mid-October.
3. In the southern regions such work is planned for April or between mid-October and the first week of November.
4. In Siberia it is optimal to transplant apple trees in the first half of May or October.
5. In the Urals preference is given to the first half of May or the second half of October.
6. In outskirts of Moscow this work is allocated to the second and third decades of April or the first half of October.

In the west of Siberia and the north of the Urals, August is allotted for replanting the apple tree. The reason for this is the short summer and the early onset of cold weather.

To transplant an apple tree, a well-lit area of ​​land should be allocated... The tree is undemanding to the soil, but it will grow poorly on swampy or rocky soils. The water table must be more than two meters below the surface of the earth, otherwise the roots will rot.

The desire to place more trees in a limited area will lead to the growing seedlings being lacking in water and nutrients. As a result, they will be weaker and more painful, which will affect the yield.

The landing pit is prepared according to the following scheme.

1. Digging a groove with steep edges measuring 70 cm in depth and a meter in diameter.
2. The bottom is closed with drainage... Most soils will require stones and planks. For sandy soils, lightly tamped clay is needed.
3. A peg with a height of 1.5 meters is driven into the center... Its position and stability are very important. Otherwise, he will not be able to become a worthy support for the seedling.
4. The pit is now partially filled with soil mixed with fertilizer... You can use compost, peat or humus; clay soil will require some sand.
5. At the bottom of the pit, you need to make a small slide in the center. At this point, the trunk of the seedling will be located when planting.
6. The prepared place is left for 25-30 days... Transplanting into a freshly dug hole is fraught with the fact that the development of the plant will be slowed down. In the worst case, everything will end with his death. It is possible to shorten the waiting time if a site is chosen with a close occurrence of groundwater, with loamy or peaty soils.

If a young seedling has already been planted on the site, it is advisable to extract it with a lump of earth for transplanting. First, it should be watered abundantly and carefully dig in from all sides. If it is necessary for transportation, it is worth wrapping the root part in a damp cloth so that it does not dry out. If this could not be done, then before planting in the ground, you will have to soak the roots in water for a day.

Practice shows that the younger the tree, the easier it is to replant. The reason lies in the structure of the root system. In apple trees, it is built according to the core principle, where many horizontal core processes depart from the main root (core), which are subdivided into skeletal and fibrous. The latter type of roots performs a suction function, the rest are conductive.

Severe root damage will make it difficult for the tree to get nutrients. As a result, it will either die or spend a lot of time recovering, which will affect the timing and abundance of the harvest.

It should be borne in mind that in adult apple trees, the root system is more developed, so it will be more difficult to dig them out with minimal damage. Therefore, the features of the transplant differ depending on the age.

This is the name of a young tree 1-2 years old, which develops from a seed. They are usually bought from nurseries or horticultural farms. Moreover, a small apple tree with a small root system is preferable due to its high survival rate. Older options are attracted by the fact that they yield earlier.

A young seedling is placed in the ground under the following conditions.

1. The root collar is located above the ground surface... But in the final version, it should not stick out more than 5 cm, otherwise growth will go slower. When planting, it can be placed at a height of 7-9 cm, taking into account the subsequent shrinkage of the soil.
2. The closed root system can be gently placed in the center of the fossa along with the ground. If it is open, then when planting, you will need to spread the roots and sprinkle them with earth so as to exclude the formation of air voids.
3. The trunk is sprinkled with soil from all sides.

In conclusion, you will need to tie the trunk to a peg, water abundantly (usually 2-3 buckets are required) and mulch. Correction of the crown is made as needed.

At two and three years of age, apple trees are still considered young, therefore they take root well and recover in new conditions. But their root system is more developed compared to annual seedlings. Therefore, their transplantation is carried out in a closed root system.

The apple tree is dug in with a shovel in a circle with a gradual deepening until the end of the taproot is reached. Then it is transferred to a new place in a bag or plastic.

Landing is carried out in a similar way. If the procedure is carried out in the spring, then after moving to a new place, the tree will need abundant watering (2-3 buckets of water per week). With an autumn transplant, more attention should be paid to warming the root zone.

Digging a four-year or five-year-old apple tree will be an order of magnitude more difficult. The root system of the tree by this age reaches a meter in diameter. Therefore, this work will require 2 people, and transportation will not be complete without a trolley. You will also need to trim the protruding roots and shorten the shoots by a third.

The transplant is carried out in a similar way, but it should be borne in mind that the pit under the apple tree for 4-5 years should be wider and deeper. You can calculate the dimensions of the recess according to the following scheme:

• the depth should correspond to who the earth is;
• the width is 40 cm greater than the diameter.

In addition, an adult tree will need 3-4 stakes to support it. They are driven in a circle.

Large apple trees are rarely transplanted, if absolutely necessary. The reason lies in the volumes of the ground and root parts. In addition, such trees are replanted only in spring, before bud break. In autumn, such procedures are not carried out due to the risk that the apple tree will not have time to take root before frost.

Given the volume of the root system, it is dug up to a depth of 60 cm. And the width is determined by the age of the tree:

• 120-130 cm at 6-8 years old;
• up to 180 cm at 9-12 years old;
• up to 200 cm at 10-15 years.

The roots that stick out from the earthen coma are cut off, and the cut sites are treated with garden varnish to exclude infection. The apple tree moved to a new place is fixed with twine, which is pulled around the skeletal branches.

In conclusion, it is worth considering the recommendations on how to replant apple trees so as to ensure their correct development and a bountiful harvest.

• Columnar apple trees are best transplanted at one year of age.... At the same time, it is important to choose a seedling with a smooth bark without damage, the root system of which is well developed, not overdried. The optimal place for a tree is on a hill, with sufficient lighting, without drafts, including areas next to a fence or buildings. Representatives of this variety are recommended to be planted in groups in compliance with the placement scheme. Planting pits are prepared 20-30 days before disembarkation, their bottom is necessarily covered with a drainage layer that prevents moisture stagnation.

• Dwarf varieties tend to grow densely to the sides... Therefore, other trees and shrubs should not be closer than 3 meters to them. These apple trees are very sensitive to lack of water. Therefore, for transplanting, it is better to choose places with a close occurrence of groundwater. It is better to plan work in the fall, at the beginning of the dormant period.

• Creeping apple trees, on the other hand, are best replanted in the spring. The best option would be annual seedlings with unblown buds, which can quickly take root in a new place. The tree is planted vertically or at an angle of 40 degrees.

To summarize: the apple tree is transplanted more often when a new seedling is brought to the site from the nursery... Older trees are moved if initially a mistake was made in the choice of location, or if a major redevelopment of the garden is planned.

Regardless of age, when transplanting an apple tree, attention is paid to the integrity of the root system. Trees over two years old are usually dug up with the ground to facilitate adaptation to a new location. The success of the procedure also depends on the timing of the procedure, the thoroughness of soil preparation, maintaining the required distance from other trees and shrubs. Sufficient watering is equally important, as well as protection from frost if the apple tree is transplanted in the fall. If everything is done correctly, after a while the tree will grow, and then it will please with a rich harvest.