Garden in winter: how to take care of fruit trees?

Fruit trees require special attention from the gardener. Not all their varieties are suitable for growing in our climate, and those that do not do well coping well in the winter season, need to be protected from pests, heavy rainfall and changing weather conditions. Check out how to take care of fruit trees in winter? Fruit trees in winter?

Proper protection of fruit trees for winter

Remember first of all young fruit trees, planted in the autumn. Their root system is not yet fully developed, so they require additional protection. Protect the base of the trunk and the site of caulization, which is important because of the vegetative reproduction of plants.

If you have cherry, apricot or peach trees on your plot, do not forget that they are very sensitive to frost, so you need to protect from also the crown of of these trees.

We protect fruit trees for the winter not only from low temperatures, but also from damage by rodents or forest animals, such as deer.

How to take care of fruit trees in winter: bleaching

Although the bleaching of fruit trees should be done already in December, before the the arrival of the greatest frosts, it is worth repeating this procedure in February. Especially if you notice that precipitation has removed most of the The mixture of lime and water.

Whitening is intended to protect the trunks of fruit trees from frost. The white color reflects the sun's rays, which inhibits the process of heat accumulation. During the pre-winter the trunk heats up easily, and the tissues under the bark begin to live. In contrast, at night, the temperature drops below 0°C and the tissues in the bark of the tree die off.

How to take care of fruit trees in winter: pruning

There are several types of pruning of fruit trees: technical, nursing, corrective, formative, sanitary and screening. The last two should be be carried out in mid or late February, when the days are getting longer and nature is slowly waking up from its winter sleep.

Sanitary pruning involves removing shoots and branches in the crowns of trees. We eliminate those parts of the crown that are diseased, dead or broken.

Clearance cuts are intended to thin out the overly dense tree crown. Thanks to this type of treatment, the tree will benefit more easily from spring sunlight; there will be better airflow between the branches of the tree.

Overpruning of fruit trees

From the second half of February you can start planning pruning of fruit trees fruit trees. Choosing the right time to clear the crowns of trees has a big influence on their fruiting and proper growth and shape. If you do it too early or too late the fruiting of the trees will be less abundant.

Trim those fruit trees that are frost-tolerant at first. Start with an apple tree called antonovka or frost-resistant varieties of pear and plum, gooseberry and currant. Remember that pruning should be limited to 15-20% of the branches of the of the tree. Larger pruning will be unfavorable for the tree – it will start to sprout wild shoots that do not bear fruit.

We only trim thin branches of fruit trees. We avoid removing thick branches and branches of trees, as this can lead to fungal infection.

It is worth remembering that the second half of February is the final moment for pruning Actinidia and vines. This will make the vines fruit more abundantly in summer. Later pruning will cause the branches to leak sap.

What not to do when pruning trees – basic rules.

1. do not trim a tree branch in a random place, but where the above is a living branch that will stay and produce assimilates, i.e., the compounds necessary to heal the pruning wound.

2. improperly performed pruning is very harmful to the condition of the tree. Take care not to leave the so-called stool or back.

3.If you make reduction cuts, which are to significantly reduce the crown of the of the tree, remember to maintain its symmetry, which will ensure the tree's proper stabilization.

4. your cuts must not leave any abrasions, thresholds, breakouts, hinges or cuts of the so-called cul-de-sac.

5. avoid smoothing out old wounds or growths.

How to take care of fruit trees in winter: Prepare tools properly.

In February you will start working in the garden, for which you need pruning shears. Before you trim your fruit trees, check that your pruning shears are well sharpened and oiled. Then cutting trees and shrubs will be safe for the tree and easy to perform. You will avoid unnecessary abrasions, breakage or wounds, Which are harmful to any tree.

Spring fertilization of fruit trees

Already in late March and early April we can apply spring fertilization of of fruit trees. To fertilize wait for a not too warm, preferably rainless and cloudy day.At this time the trees are preparing to bloom, so they need nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

A good solution is to use BioGarden natural preparation, which increases the concentration of of natural phosphorus in the soil. This element is essential for the proper development of the root system of plants. In addition, BioGarden stimulates the biological activity of the soil, accelerates the decomposition of organic components organic components and increases humus content.

Check also:

Winter in the garden – how to take care of the plot?

Planting fruit trees in the fall

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