Description and characteristics of the creeping apple tree, planting and care features
The apple tree, not ordinary, growing up, but creeping, was the result of numerous experiments of Siberian gardeners, systematically trying to grow a garden with high productivity of trees. In other words, stanzas are low-growing apple trees, only half a meter high, with an artificially formed crown, spreading its branches horizontally above the ground.
Content
- 1 Benefits of the creeping shape
- 2 For which areas is it recommended for growing
- 3 Specificity of growing stanza apple in Siberian conditions
- 4 Is apple variety important?
- 5 Landing rules
- 6 Annual plan for the formation of stanza
- 7 How to properly care
- 8 Rootstocks for stanzas
- 9 Reproduction
- 10 Growing errors
Benefits of the creeping shape
The apple trees are low, only half a meter tall, which allows them to be sheltered for the winter. And in the Siberian climate, it is a guarantee of plant survival and stable tree yields. Already by 3-4 years, you can get the first fruits. And the tree itself will bear fruit for more than four decades, if the agricultural technology is correct.
For which areas is it recommended for growing
Siberian gardeners were engaged in raising the creeping apple tree specifically in order to grow and bear fruit apple trees successfully in Siberia, with its winters with severe frosts and snowfalls.
Specificity of growing stanza apple in Siberian conditions
If a thermophilic tree is planted vertically, it will die from the cold, and the owners will not wait for apples. Local varieties survive in such conditions, but they do not differ in good taste, moreover, they are small.
In the Siberian climate, it is possible to grow stanzas, when the crown of the tree is as close as possible to the ground, so that the snow covering it becomes a real protection from severe frosts. Only from creeping varieties of apple trees will the owners be able to wait for good harvests, and their fruits will be large and tasty.
Is apple variety important?
Stlanz is not one particular grade. This is the name of cultivated apple trees, the crowns of which were formed in a certain way.
This can be done with any variety. Moreover, the ripening time for them may be different. The main thing is to know how to grow them correctly.
Landing rules
To grow such a tree, you should know the specific rules of agricultural technology. She has its own subtleties in trees with a creeping crown.
Preparing the seedling
According to the recommendations of experienced gardeners, preference should be given to seedlings grown specifically for the area. An apple tree on the rootstock of local wildfowl will take root better. And you can graft any selected variety. A one-year-old seedling with a fibrous root system and a trunk of 80-100 millimeters is suitable. Its roots should be kept moist. They are usually dipped in an earthy chatterbox.
Choosing a landing site
Pay attention to how protected the area that you mapped out for the creeping apple tree seedling is. It should be on a hill, well protected from the piercing wind, and not swampy. It's great if the snow begins to accumulate around the tree, and not blown off the site. Now about the soil. She must be fertile.
Preparing the soil and hole for the apple tree
A deep hole is not needed, since the roots of the apple tree will be covered with surface soil. 2/3 the hole is filled with soil mixed with humus. The earth is covered with a cone, and the roots of the seedling are evenly straightened along it when planting. They are covered with soil, which should be compacted and poured with 2-3 buckets of water.
Dates and scheme of disembarkation
Shale apple trees are planted in autumn and spring.
- Start of work in September-October. With frost, the rooted trees are tilted to the ground, fixing them with hooks. Any protective material will go for shelter. They are freed from fastenings with the first spring days, allowing them to grow freely.
- But the most favorable time for planting is early spring. The moment is selected while the buds have not yet blossomed. After watering with peat, humus and other improvised materials, the holes around the tree are mulched. And on the south side, a pile of straw is applied to the trunk of the seedling to protect the bark from sunburn.
Annual plan for the formation of stanza
Saplings of apple trees are planted in different ways:
- at an angle of 40;
- straight.
A creeping apple tree scatters branches directly above the ground. Therefore, it is extremely important for each skeletal shoot to have its own direction and sufficient illumination for fruit buds to form better.
Sprouted shoots are superfluous, therefore they are turned into fruit ones, pinned over the 4-5th leaf. As soon as new shoots grow, the pinching should be repeated.
In winter
The apple tree is covered with material for protection. Snow will be an excellent way to protect it from Siberian frosts. If the tree is not covered enough for them, the gardener will have to do it.
In the spring
To free the overwintered apple tree, the earth is raked from its trunk. Extra shoots are trimmed. It is possible not to do this, but it is better to shorten it by 1/3 of the length of the annual growth. And do it in the first days of spring. This will make the tree branch well.
Summer
July is the month when it begins crown formation, and apple tree bend down.
In autumn
All grown and elongated shoots are pressed to the ground with hooks. The trunk should be earthed 8-10 centimeters to protect the root collar from freezing.
How to properly care
It's time to talk about the intricacies of caring for a creeping apple tree.
Sanitary pruning and crown care
A novice gardener should especially carefully study how to prune fruit trees.
Pruning features
Pruning is usually done in early spring. The cut points are covered with garden varnish, and the dead branches are removed. If the saw cut is large enough, use oil paint, red iron or ocher. This can be done in the last days of spring and the first days of summer. The warmer, the sooner the wounds heal. Saplings are cut to 4 or 5 buds. In this case, the crown is formed from newly emerging young branches, which are fixed horizontally with hooks. The branches should not touch the ground.
Objectives
What is pruning for? Due to the especially dense crown of the creeping apple tree, it is often:
- the tree begins to bear fruit late;
- diseases develop and pests spread quickly;
- apples become smaller and taste worse.
Scheme and terms of work
Pruning begins in the spring, until the process of sap flow has begun. Professional gardeners manage to prune apple trees even in winter. But don't even try. Autumn pruning is allowed only after leaf fall. And yet it is worth tackling this spring, since the place of the cut will not have time to heal before the onset of frost.
Fertilization timing
The apple tree needs feeding. When determining the amount of fertilizer, the age of the tree and the area it occupies should be taken into account. After flowering, you can feed the elite by diluting a mixture of nitrophoska and sodium humanate in water. It is much easier to soak green cut grass for a great green fertilizer.
At the same time, the trees are sprayed with urea. Then the apple tree will receive the required elements through the leaves.
In the summer, the feeding should contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It should be brought in several times, every couple of weeks. For autumn feeding, substances rich in potassium and phosphorus are used. Nitrogen fertilizers are contraindicated.
Watering
The slates will have to be thoroughly watered, having previously lifted the tree branches with props. From the end of August, watering should be limited. This contributes to the maturation of the wood.
Load control
Timely, high-quality pruning creates a strong skeleton. It will give the tree the ability to withstand the stress of large yields, provide the apple tree with large tasty fruits rich in vitamins and other nutrients.
Graft
There are no differences in grafting stanza. It is enough to choose the right stock. Cut off the annual stalk in the fall and store it until spring. The inoculation is done on a hard branch, without waiting for the buds to bloom.
Treatment of the near-trunk circle of soil
In late autumn, it is recommended to dig up the soil around the trunk. Mulching is also advised with a layer of up to 5 centimeters - a material that is at hand.
Diseases and pests of stlanes
Among the most common:
- Scab of leaves and fruits - collect and burn diseased leaves, spray the tree with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
- Moniliosis - destroy infected fruits and leaves, in the fall, collect all the apples and leaves that remain on the tree, and use Bordeaux liquid or copper chloride.
Mice pose the greatest threat to apple trees. But you can successfully fight them.
Rodent protection
The easiest way is poison. It can be added to a whitewash mixture, packed in plastic bottles, and left on the ground by the tree trunk. Rodents do not like pungent odors, and a strong-smelling grass tied to apple branches should scare them away. Alternatively, cover the tree with spruce branches. Any of these methods is quite effective.
Whitewash
This procedure is required for the apple tree in the fall. The solution is prepared from lime, clay and paste (fresh mullein can play its role). By applying the solution to the stem and skeletal branches, you protect the tree trunk from the sun and all kinds of pests, such as pupae and insect eggs.
Weed control
Deep digging will be appropriate in the fall. Loosening and mulching will help preserve moisture. In spring and summer, the soil should remain clean and free of weeds.
How to shelter for the winter?
To cover the crown, gardeners use insulating materials and what will be at hand:
- spruce branches;
- dry foliage;
- land;
- snow.
As soon as warm days come, the insulation must be removed.
Rootstocks for stanzas
For stanza apple trees, any variety can perform the role of a rootstock. The main thing is not fragile and resilient.
Reproduction
It is enough to dig in the apple tree stanza so that small roots form at the point where the branch touches the ground.Usually a small incision is made in the branch, it is deepened into the ground and fixed with a wire clip. Sprinkle on top with earth and water it a couple of times a week. In the fall, the mother branch can be cut off, and a new place can be allocated to the rooted plant. Another breeding method is grafting.
Growing errors
If the skeleton has taken the wrong shape, you will have to correct it. To do this, the growing shoots are tilted to the side and literally pinned to the ground with hooks.
Causes of infertility stanza
When purchasing an apple tree sapling, be curious when the tree begins to bear fruit. If you chose an early variety, wait for the harvest after 3-4 years, if the late one - 8.
Abundant fruiting can not be expected if:
- landing is incorrect;
- the crown was formed in violation of the rules;
- agricultural practices were not followed;
- the variety does not grow in Siberia.
Ways to save a frozen apple tree
If you notice that the lamb has suffered from bitter frosts, take action immediately.
Main signs:
- small whitish leaves;
- weakened state during the spring blooming.
A rejuvenating pruning is required to save the tree. As a result, new wood will appear very soon, and the apple tree will restore its functions. It is not easy to grow such a heat-loving tree as an apple tree in Siberia. And to wait from her noble harvests - and even more so. Yet local gardeners have learned to cope with the Siberian climate, when winters are particularly cold and frosts often return in spring. And this thermophilic culture pleases Siberians with abundant harvests.
