Gardener's Secrets: How to Save an Apple Tree Sapling Before Planting in Spring

foto14512-1The best time to plant a young apple tree is in autumn.

If for some reason it was not possible to implement the idea, but the fruit tree sapling has already been purchased, you can leave it until the onset of heat.

How to properly preserve an apple tree seedling at home in winter before planting it in spring, read the article.

Storage preparation

Before sending the seedlings for storage, they need to be properly prepared:

  1. foto14512-2All non-liquid roots must be removed. Dry or diseased areas are cut with pruning shears.

    If some of the roots have grown more than they should be, you need to shorten them to their normal size.

    Bare areas are treated with brilliant green, or sprinkled with powdered coal.

  2. Check live roots. If they are dry, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for several days.
  3. Plants with open roots are treated with an antiseptic. For this purpose, copper sulfate is used. It, in the amount of 10 g, is diluted in 10 liters of water.
  4. If leaves appear on the branches, they must be removed.

Before sending the seedlings for storage, they need to be watered. The bundle is lowered into a barrel of water, tied to it a weight in the form of a stone. After 3 hours, they are removed. During this time, the trees will be saturated with moisture, which will be enough for them until spring.

How to store in winter?

There are several ways to store planting material.... Gardeners leave them to winter on the site, buried in the ground, in the cellar and even on the balcony.

Under the snow

For digging, you need to choose the driest place on the site in which water does not stagnate. Some gardeners are digging at the site of the future planting pit.

You can use the free land on which there were previously beds with cucumbers, potatoes or other vegetables.

Procedure:

  1. foto14512-3Dig a suitable trench in the ground. Its depth should be about 50-70 cm.

    The width depends on the original size of the future apple tree. For one seedling, a pit is made up to 20 cm wide.

  2. Place the seedlings in the ground. They should be rooted closer to the sheer edge. The tops are directed south. This will protect them from the cold wind.
  3. If the soil is clayey, dilute it with peat or sand. There should be no voids in the tunnel. The plants are covered with 20 cm in height and watered with clean water.
  4. The work is completed only with the arrival of the first autumn frosts. The ditch is completely covered with soil, making a small mound.
  5. Additionally, the workpiece is covered with straw or sawdust. This will help protect the seedlings from the cold and rodents. Mice are well scared away by thorny rose hips.

In the ground, seedlings are left until spring. However, this method is not suitable for all gardeners. It is not relevant for summer residents who live in cold regions with low rainfall and severe frosts.

In the cellar

Another option for storing seedlings is in the cellar. An important condition is the presence of a stable temperature in it, which is 0 degrees... If it is higher, the kidneys will awaken. In case of frost, they, on the contrary, will die.

In the cellar, seedlings are stored in containers with sand. If not, then they are wrapped with a covering material of natural origin.

On the balcony at home

Sometimes the seedlings are left on the balcony. This method has its own characteristics:

  • foto14512-4the roots are placed in a bag by making holes in it;
  • on top, polyethylene is wrapped with newspaper and fixed with a string or elastic band;
  • the trees are placed in plastic containers and covered with a cloth - this is necessary in order to protect them from bright light;
  • under such conditions, the roots of the seedlings will not dry out and will not rot.

Each purchased container with a seedling has information in what conditions it needs to be stored. These recommendations should not be violated.

What can not be done?

The main prohibitions that should not be violated when sending a plant for storage:

  1. Do not store seedlings affected by mold. They will die on their own and infect healthy plants. You need to get rid of such cuttings by burning them away from fruiting trees.
  2. It is not recommended to disturb future trees every time you go to the cellar. If no temperature changes occur, they will last perfectly until spring. It is enough to examine them once during the winter.
  3. Do not cover the above-ground branches of seedlings with roofing material or film. This will negatively affect plant immunity.
  4. After the purchase, you cannot bring small trees into a warm room. Until that time, until they move to their permanent wintering place, they are kept cool, for example, on a loggia. If you bring the seedlings into the apartment, they will immediately grow.
  5. You cannot dig out seedlings earlier than April.

You will find a lot of useful information about storing apples here.

Related videos

How to keep seedlings until spring, the video will tell you:

Conclusion

It is not difficult to save an apple tree seedling until spring planting. There are several ways to prevent the plant from dying.

For gardeners living in a temperate climatic zone, the digging method is excellent.... Summer residents who keep a vegetable garden in the northern latitudes are better off using their own loggia or cellar.

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