Is it possible to transplant an adult apple tree to another place, when and how to do it correctly
If a decision was made to transplant an adult apple tree, then you need to know how to do it correctly. There are many reasons why it became necessary to transplant a tree. For example, lack of space, flooding of the site or damage from diseases. First, you need to carefully prepare a new place and the apple tree itself, given its age. If the measures are not followed, the culture in the new place may not take root.
Why are apple trees transplanted
Transplanting large apple trees to another place is carried out for the following reasons:
- the place is not suitable for the development of culture due to lack of light, poor soil, the presence of drafts;
- damage or thinning of the place where the trunk passes into the roots;
- lack of space;
- infection with diseases.
In order for the tree to take root in a new place, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Trees that are no more than 15 years old are subject to transplant. After this period, it makes no sense to carry out the procedure, since the probability of survival is very low.
Landing site selection criteria
Before replanting an apple tree, you need to choose the best place with good soil:
- It is necessary to choose a piece of land where surface groundwater does not pass close.
- The site should be well lit and warmed up by the sun, as well as protected from the through wind.
- There should be no fruit trees and powerful shrubs nearby.
- Loamy soil is ideal. Ground with gravel and rubble can kill the tree. Clay, peat and sandy soil is not suitable.
Under these conditions, the tree will get stronger faster and begin to bear fruit. In case of non-compliance with one of the conditions, it is necessary to apply fertilizers and drain the soil.
The 5-year-old apple tree already has a large root system and crown, so it will not be possible to cope with the transplant alone. To pull out the roots with an earthen clod, they put a scrap or a wide wooden board. The roots that will go beyond the earthen coma are cut off. To hold the trunk in a new place, four supporting pegs are installed.
When to replant a tree
To start the transplant, it is better to wait until the apple tree is dormant. The stage coincides with early spring or late autumn. Transplanting an adult tree is also possible in winter, but only if the air temperature does not drop below -5 degrees.
If the air is very dry, with a low temperature, then the transplanting process is better to postpone to the spring. If the soil on the site is depleted, then it is better to transplant in the fall.
The procedure is carried out only in the evening, since plants during this period complete the processes of photosynthesis.
In the spring
The spring period for transplanting is suitable for those areas that are not rich in minerals and other useful substances. In the spring, the culture is transplanted until the buds begin to bloom.
In autumn
Experienced experts advise replanting an apple tree of any age in the fall. During this period of time, the culture prepares for the winter cold, so it becomes less sensitive to various influences, and increases resistance to stress.
In the fall, they start work only after the leaves have completely fallen off, but you need to try to be in time before the onset of cold weather. The roots of the transplanted tree should adapt to the new place, there should be no frost for another month.
If there is no time to wait for the foliage to fall off, then they are cut off. This is necessary in order for the apple tree to save energy for adaptation.
Summer
The best time for transplanting is the autumn or spring months. Summer is the best time to feed or vaccinate. If there is a need for a summer transplant, then the following recommendations will come in handy:
- winter-hardy apple varieties are most suitable for transplantation;
- an apple tree transplanted in summer requires additional fertilizing and watering;
- be sure to mulch the soil around the trunk;
- it is advisable to remove most of the leaves;
- foliage should be healthy and branches should be intact.
The most suitable time is the beginning of July. A cloudy, windless day is suitable for transplanting, or evening hours are chosen for work.
Preparatory work
A hole is being dug at the new site. If the transplant is carried out in the fall, then the deepening is done 4 weeks before the proposed procedure. For transplanting in the spring season, the pit is prepared in the autumn.
All damaged branches and roots are removed from the tree to be replanted. Too long parts of the root system should also be pruned.
Required tool
The following inventory is useful for work:
- garden shovel and pitchfork;
- metal or wooden stakes;
- strong ropes;
- thick cloth or bag;
- garden shears for pruning branches.
It will take several people to transplant an adult tree.
Preparing the tree and transplanting site
In order not to damage the culture, you need to prepare for the transplant procedure:
- The branches on the tree must first be cut. If this is not done, then in the future there is a high risk of drying out of the shoots. The procedure improves immunity. The length of the pruning is determined by the age of the apple tree.
- Be sure to remove dry, damaged branches. The cut site is treated with a special healing agent.
Before digging up a mature tree, you need to prepare a hole for planting in a new area. The hole is usually dug a couple of weeks before transplanting. It should be more than a third deep than an earthen lump. In apple trees at the age of 10 years, the width of the earthen coma is 1.5 meters, at the age of 11 to 15 years - 2 meters.
A small layer of earth is laid at the bottom of the pit, which will settle in a month and will not pull the roots down. Then fertilizer is introduced into the pit. A composition of manure, river sand, compost and sawdust is suitable.
If there is groundwater close to the surface of the earth, then first it is required to make drainage 1.5 meters high (drainage from gravel is installed at the bottom of the pit). Only after that they start digging a hole.
Tree transplanting process
You need to replant the tree correctly:
- an apple tree is dug up together with an earthen lump;
- pry the apple tree with a wooden board or crowbar;
- having fixed the crown and roots, the culture is moved to the planting pit.
Stakes are driven in around the planted tree, humus is poured in mid-October, the soil is mulched and the trunk is tied up.
During planting, you need to maintain the same orientation of the tree as in the old place, so a mark is made on the trunk. The branches should be turned in the same direction of the world as before transplanting.
Digging technology
In order not to damage all parts of the tree, it is necessary to dig it up correctly:
- Young and adult trees are dug up together with an earthen clod. First, the ground around the trunk must be well watered to make it easier to pull out the roots.
- The tree is inspected before planting. Rotten roots and dry branches are cut off. Young seedlings are left in a bowl of water for several days.
- It is recommended to make a mark on the trunk in the place where it starts to be seen from the ground. This will position the tree correctly in the new hole.
The diameter and depth of digging up the root system depends on the age of the tree. So that it does not get damaged, they begin to dig in at a great distance from the trunk.
Transportation rules
The transportation features depend on how far you want to move the apple tree. You need to dig the apple tree carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
If the distance is small, then the dug tree is placed on a dense fabric, and then dragged to the desired place.
If it is supposed to move to a long distance, then the crown is tied up with thick ropes, and the earthen ball is wrapped in a dense material. In this form, they are dragged to a new site.
Landing in a new location
When transplanting apple trees, a number of rules are observed:
- trees that are more than 15 years old should not be touched;
- trees with a broken trunk cannot be transplanted;
- in the fall, a culture is transplanted, leaving without leaves and fruits;
- a tree transplanted in autumn is insulated and mulched;
- the first year it is necessary to prune branches, controlling growth.
Features of planting an apple tree in a new place depend on its age:
- It is easiest to replant an annual tree, as it is less susceptible to damage and gets used to a new place faster. The best time for digging is the end of September. The root, after digging up, is shortened by a third. This promotes the emergence of new root branches, which will better absorb moisture and nutrients. It is better to replant in early spring.
- An apple tree takes root well in a new place at the age of 2 to 3 years. Seedlings are planted in the prepared pits together with an earthen lump and a peg is placed next to it, to which the trunk is tied.
- An adult tree at the age of 4-5 years is planted in the same way as a young one, but it has its own characteristics. Do not replant in spring. Choose a wide plank that will act as a lever while pulling roots out of the ground. Then the trunk is fixed with pegs.
- Trees over 5 years old are transplanted according to the same rules as young ones. Better to transplant in the spring. After transplantation, pruning is mandatory.
If you follow all the requirements and follow all the recommendations, the process will not be traumatic for the garden culture.
Features of transplanting various types of apple trees
Basically, all types and varieties of apple trees are transplanted according to the same scheme. There are minor differences in the course and choice of the location for the transfer. The easiest way is to transplant columnar apple trees.
Columnar
The columnar apple tree is transplanted in the same way as other types of this culture. The main thing is not to damage the root branches and leave as much soil as possible on them. The first decade of April is considered the best time. The root system of this type of culture is compact and superficial, so the transplantation procedure is easier.
Columnar apple trees develop poorly if there is an excess of moisture in the soil, therefore, a drainage layer is arranged at the bottom of the pit. Since the root system is shallow, a thick layer of mulch is required.
Dwarf
Dwarf apple trees grow in both well-lit and shady areas. The distance between the seedlings should be 3 meters. The width of the dug hole is 58 cm.
The transplant takes place according to the standard rules. After transplanting, the ground around the trunk is trampled down and mulched. In a radius of 65 cm from the trunk, a recess is made for irrigation.
Dichka
Wild apple trees take root well in the spring, so the transplant is carried out in the last days of March. For a new place in the garden, choose a site that is as close as possible to the conditions of the previous growth. It is about the composition of the soil, the orientation of the tree branches.
Tree care after transplanting
The transplanted apple tree needs to be provided with great attention and care. Therefore, the following tips come in handy:
- the first time after transplanting, the tree is watered once a week;
- the first year after transplanting, there is no need to dig up the soil near the trunk;
- in the fall, the soil is mulched with humus or peat;
- the trunk is tied with a warm covering material;
- in the spring they do renewal pruning of branches;
- in the first year, all color must be removed from the trees;
- be sure to remove the weeds.
A transplanted tree requires more care, it is imperative to protect the culture from frost, diseases and rodents.
The timing of settling in a new place
Taking root of a transplanted tree in a new place is a long process. The survival time is influenced by the age of the tree and compliance with the conditions of care. The younger the transplanted apple tree, the faster it will adapt to a new place and begin to bear fruit.
There are several reasons why the transplanted apple tree did not take root:
- buying an unsuitable seedling (for example, sick, weak or grown in the wrong conditions);
- excessive pruning of the root system before planting;
- inappropriate width and depth of the planting pit;
- excessive deepening of the root collar;
- landing on a site where groundwater passes too close;
- waterlogged soil (heavy rains or improper watering);
- planting an apple tree near other fruit bushes and trees;
- incorrect or untimely pruning;
- the transplanted tree was planted in a place where another tree had already grown.
If we take into account all these points, then the adaptation time of the apple tree to a new place is reduced.
