Probably you, like me, enjoy a beautiful and warm autumn. Because the weather keeps steady with us and it is a very pleasant winter, I thought it would be useful to discuss the planting of trees in autumn and the advantages of this activity.
Why planting trees in autumn?
When it comes to fruit trees, autumn is the ideal period for planting, especially that period after the fall of the leaves and before the first wave of a freeze.
First of all, it is advisable to plant trees in autumn because they have time to develop their roots during autumn rains and keep them protected during the winter so that spring can start directly with trees that have not undergone transplantation. Thus, they will enjoy throughout the vegetation period having time to accumulate reserve substances in branches and to bear the winter frost.
The results? You will notice in the spring that the sprouts of these trees will grow larger than the trees planted in the spring. In essence, everything is limited to the time the autumn trees planted to mature and grow healthy so as to cope with frosts in the coming winter.
The optimal period for planting autumn trees? As for the period after the fall of the leaves, we can estimate it is after October 15th. The end date until the first freeze wave comes, I think it is December 10, so, until that time, you have a free hand in planting trees.
How to plant fruitful trees in autumn?
I wanted to give you these tips from the experience of planting autumn trees that I have in my garden. So here are the steps I have taken to make sure that the planted trees will have a long and fruitful life:
1. Find the right place
It is said that any action must be preceded by a plan. The same is true when you want to give life to a plant: if you have found the right planting time, then you need to study the right field.
The place where you plant the tree must not be prone to water because the root of the tree can drown and rot. It also takes into account how the sunlight will come to light in that place: it does not need to be too shaded.
TIP:
Each fruit tree has specific requirements for the growing environment. Inform yourself and find out each fruit tree’s requirements to give it the right conditions. For example, plums and sour cherries prefer shadows, but apricot, peach, and cherry prefer more sun. Keep this in mind!
2. Soil fertilization
Young trees need minerals to grow. They must already be present in the soil to give them the food they need, especially during the cold season. That’s why this is a step you need to make sure it happens at least a month and a half before. If for example, you want to plant in November, then you must fertilize the soil by mid-September at the latest.
How is fertilization done?
Very simple: uniformly spreading manure, mixed with a little potash and superphosphate in the places where you want the trees to be planted. These two substances are optional. Even if you don’t use them, it does not mean that the tree will not grow properly.
3. Digging the pits
At the stage of soil fertilization, it is recommended that you already dig up the pits and apply the nutrients there. It is important that the place where the tree is planted should be well ventilated so that the microflora can also develop in the soil. Believe me, when I found out this information, it was a surprise for me too. Not only did I make the mistake of digging the pit shortly before the planting itself and I was then disappointed with the results.
That’s why I tell you not to repeat the same mistake and to take into account that digging of the pits should be done at least one month before planting.
4. Planting trees
The pit must be deep enough so that the root of the tree is not exposed to air or the wind. Otherwise, the root can shed.
There are two things you need to do before planting: shaping and mudding roots.
Shaping involves shortening sections of the root that are longer than 10 cm and thicker than 4 mm so that they are between 3 and 10 cm long. If for example, a section had 20 cm, then it can be shortened to 10 cm, but if it was 12 cm, then it can be shortened to 5 cm.
After molding, it is muddy – this popular term means soaking the roots in a consistent paste made from beef dung, soil, and water so that they already have nutrients right at hand right after planting.
Finally, the root of the tree is inserted into the pit and the earth is mixed around it with the manure to create a solid foundation for the tree and withstand the wind.
TIP:
If you notice, after a while, that the tree grows in a crooked position or that it can suffer in the case of a strong wind, fix it by binding it to a resistant aura so as to help it rise straight and resist to a strong wind.
And having all this in mind, let’s get it planted! If you need further advice on this topic, read our article on how to have fruitful fruit trees. Have you ever gone through planting the trees in autumn? If so, what trees did you plant and what results did you have?
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