All about the root system of apple trees

Roots are the foundation of fruit trees. From the material of this article, you will learn what their types, growth and formation in apple trees are, whether it is worth insulating them for the winter, and what is needed for this.

The root system of an apple tree, belonging to the fibrous type, has its own structural features. Thanks to this, it keeps the tree upright, supplies water and nutrients to all parts of the plant.

Under satisfactory growth conditions, the size of the root system of apple trees is quite larger. Sometimes the roots go 3-4 m deep. The branching in width can vary within 5-8 m.

However, the northern regions are not so deeply buried. The same can be traced in areas with a predominance of moist and heavy soil. Here, the roots are usually located under a small thickness of the soil.

In the North Caucasus, they reach 6-7 m with a crown diameter of 1.5 m. At the same time, the network of small root processes does not exceed 60 cm, and the lateral branches - 5 m.

The root system of the tree is quite developed, it is distinguished by the direction of growth. It is formed over the course of many years, periodically stopping its development during transplantation.

By the type of origin, apple roots are main and adventitious. They are initially formed from the root of the embryo of the seed. The formation of the latter begins with the stems.

The horizontally positioned roots facilitate the supply of air and essential nutrients. The vertical ones are responsible for strengthening the trunk in the soil, as well as supplying moisture and minerals from the deep layers.

Roots of the second type occur at different depths. This is due to the region where the tree grows or its variety. In this regard, the depth of occurrence can be shallow or deep.

Conventionally, the roots of the tree are basic and overgrown. Each of them has its own structural features. The first are called skeletal, the second - fibrous. The main rhizomes are thicker, but there are more overgrowing ones on the apple tree.

They release decomposition products into the environment. Located close to the surface (within 50 cm).

The roots of the apple tree grow very unevenly. An increase in their growth is noted twice a year: in spring and autumn. In the springtime, the roots come to life after the ground part. In the fall, they grow after the leaves fall off.

The rate of growth and formation of the rhizome depends on various factors. The key ones are: the temperature of the earth, the degree of its humidity, air saturation, nutrients.

Comfortable growth conditions - values ​​from +7 to +20 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is lower or higher, the formation stops. This harms not only the crown, but also the rhizome.

Skeletal roots extend from the root collar. They are involved in the development of second-order processes. Roots of the third order develop from them in the future, and so on. With each subsequent branching, the roots become smaller and thinner.

Root lobes are the most distant (peripheral). In active shoots, the young part is covered with root hairs, which actively extract water for the tree. The ratio of vertical and horizontal roots may vary due to varietal and external factors.

The tree can have skeletal and semi-skeletal roots several meters long and more than 10 cm thick. If the root system is formed with a strong development of a vertical root and a weak lateral rhizome, it is called a taproot system.

In columnar trees, the root system is not pivotal, but located in the surface layer of the soil. It grows weakly relative to the trunk.

Depending on the variety and place of growth, an annual seedling can have up to 40,000 roots with a total size of up to 230 m. The length of the roots of an adult apple tree can be tens of kilometers. The number of roots exceeds several million.

During the formation of the root system, individual shoots die off. It is steady and consistent from the beginning of growth to the end of the tree's life cycle.

Dying root nets are replaced with new ones. The number of such roots can range from several tens of thousands in young apple trees (for example, trees 1-2 years old) to millions (in adults and large trees).

On average, the diameter of the root system, starting from the second year of growth, and further increases relative to the crown by 1.5-2 times.

Warming apple trees in winter is a necessary procedure aimed at preserving the rhizome. It is vulnerable to cold, therefore it is necessary to provide the fruit crop with proper insulation.

This can be done in different ways. Moreover, special attention should be paid to young apple trees. How they survive the winter depends not only on their growth, but also on productivity.

The roots of the tree should be covered with earth. However, the degree of insulation depends on the variety. For example, a five-year-old frost-resistant apple tree does not need additional shelter. Trees 3-4 years old of the columnar type need to be insulated annually.

With early warming, the growing season increases, and the growth of culture is accelerated. In this case, apple trees (especially young ones) do not have time to adapt to the onset of cold weather and freeze, regardless of how well they are insulated.

With late warming, damage to the bark cannot be avoided. Preparation begins in late September - early November. In the middle zone of our country, apple trees are sheltered in late September - early October.

Branches, foliage and rotten fruits are removed away from the roots. The bark is treated with a mixture of vitriol (copper, iron). It is unacceptable to have moss or lichen on it.

The barrel is wrapped in paper or other material. If necessary, the winding is fixed with tape. The seedlings can be additionally insulated by raking up the soil tubercle.

In addition to paper, spunbond, roofing felt, fabric or burlap can become a heater. In the absence of these materials, spruce or reed can be used. To prevent the trunk from freezing during the winter, you can cover the ground in the root zone with peat or straw.

When using natural covering materials as insulation materials, they are treated with fungicides. This treatment will prevent infection of the crop and protect it from rodents.

If the winter in the region is frosty, the root area should be covered with spruce branches and snow. Someone insulates trees using old stockings, rags, plastic bags.

Columnar apple trees are completely insulated. A pyramid is created around the tree, humus is poured inside. The pyramid is wrapped in polyethylene or tarpaulin.