When to plant apple trees in the Urals with seedlings, in spring or summer, variety selection and recommendations for plant care
The weather in the Urals is unstable, especially in summer: winds, drought and heavy rains. In winter, the orchard is threatened by frost, summer does not please with an abundance of heat. Nevertheless, gardeners are successfully planting seedlings of apple trees in the Urals. The varieties bred for this region are as close as possible in their characteristics (frost resistance, adaptability to weather conditions) to wild forms.
Choosing a variety of apple trees for the Urals
Summer residents of the Urals should choose apple varieties bred for their climatic zone. It is worth paying attention to the winter-hardy apple tree of the Papiroyantarnoye variety. L. A. Kotov (breeding station in Sverdlovsk) was engaged in breeding, he crossed Papirovka and Yantar.
Summer variety, winter hardy (up to -30 ° C). An adult tree is 6 to 7 m high. The skeletal branches are strong, from the trunk they go almost at right angles, forming a strong, rounded crown. Fruiting is regular. Fruit parameters:
- weight 150 g;
- the skin is light yellow;
- pulp (color) cream;
- the pulp (structure) is fine-grained;
- sweet and sour taste, score 4.4 points;
- the purpose is universal.
Disadvantage: leaves, fruits are prone to scab if summer is cold and damp.
Aksen's apple tree is another work of L.A. Kotov. The variety is late summer, ripens by mid-August, the shelf life of the fruits is short. The yield of an adult tree is 18 kg. Fruits are medium-sized (90 g), round. The skin is creamy with a solid red blush. The pulp is dense, fine-grained, creamy, sweet and sour. Taste score 4.3 points.
Reference! The Raika variety is planted as a pollinator in the Urals.
Of the autumn varieties of apple trees growing in the Urals, Sokovoe-3 deserves attention. The form is obtained from the crossing of the Ural Bulk with the Yrozhainoe apple tree. Fruit parameters:
- weight about 80 g, the largest specimens 120 g;
- flat-round shape;
- the skin color is cream, the blush is pink, striped-speckled;
- the color of the pulp is creamy, the structure of the pulp is granular, the juice content is high;
- harmonious sweet and sour taste, score 4.5 points.
Fruiting from the 3rd year of life, the period of fruit ripening is September (from 1 to 20). Apples are stored for 3-4 months. The yield of an adult tree is high (up to 100 kg). Advantages of Juice-3: winter hardiness, resistance to scab pathogens.
Other varieties grown in the Urals are shown in the table.
| Name | Yield | Fruit (weight, g) |
| Blush Sverdlovsk | 350 | 180 |
| Spring | 300 | 150 |
| Good news | 200 | 80 to 100 |
| Screen | 250 | 90 |
| Pervouralskoe | 360 | 160-200 |
| Persian | 320 | 145 |
Landing dates
Most of the Ural gardeners plant seedlings in mid-spring.By the end of April, stable warm weather sets in, and the soil warms up. You need to plant before the buds open. Over the summer, the apple tree will get stronger and survive the first winter without problems.
They are not planted early in the fall so as not to provoke kidney awakening. They are guided by forecasts of weather forecasters and their long-term observations of the weather. It is necessary to have time to plant a seedling a month before severe frosts, it is optimal to plant an apple tree in early October.
Ideal soil for apple trees
Planting an apple tree in the wrong soil causes diseases, irregular fruiting, and low yield. Not suitable for growing apple trees:
- heavy soil;
- soils with high acidity;
- areas with a high level of groundwater.
Signs characterizing the ideal soil for the apple tree: structuredness, porosity, moisture capacity. The pH level is in the range from 5.1 to 7.5, the carbonate index is from 12 to 15%, humus is at least 2%. For an apple tree to live a long life, groundwater must lie deeper than 1.5 m. Methods for increasing the fertility of garden soil are given in the table.
| Way | pros | Implementation |
| Add organic | The apple tree receives nutrients in an assimilable form | Manure, sapropel, low-lying peat, compost (vegetable) |
| Sowing the site with green manure | The structure of the soil improves, the% of humus increases | Mustard (white), phacelia, vetch, clover |
| Mulch | Protecting roots from overheating, hypothermia, creating favorable conditions for the development of soil microflora, maintaining optimal soil moisture, improving air conditions | Lawn grass, chopped green manure, ready-made compost, compost peat |
The simultaneous use of several methods accelerates the accumulation of humus in the garden soil.
Seedling selection rules
For planting, it is worth purchasing seedlings from the age of 2 years. The root system of a healthy tree is branched, at least 30 cm long, the length of the central shoot is at least 1.5 meters. The roots should be free of outgrowths and should be white in the cut.
Several shoots should grow from the trunk of a 2-year-old seedling. They should be located at different levels and at different angles. There should be no mechanical damage on the trunk and branches. It is best to purchase a seedling with a closed root system.
How to plant an apple tree seedling correctly?
Preparatory work begins 3 weeks before planting the seedling. The preparation of the landing pit takes the most physical effort and time. It should be at least 80-90 cm in diameter and 70 cm deep.
In order for the seedling to receive good nutrition after planting, the soil is prepared for backfill, it should include:
- humus;
- compost;
- peat;
- garden land.
Everything is taken in equal shares. If the garden soil is clay, then sand is added to the mixture. Before planting, fallen leaves and small branches can be poured to the bottom of the pit, re-cooking, they will feed the apple tree as organic fertilizer.
Reference! Superphosphate is added to the soil for backfill, it contributes to better rooting and development of the seedling.
A stake is driven into the center of the pit, a mound of fertile soil is poured around it, on which a seedling is placed. The roots are straightened and evenly covered with soil. At the end of planting work, the root collar of the apple tree should be 5-7 cm above the ground. A root hole is formed, the soil is watered abundantly and covered with mulch (humus, peat). The trunk is tied to a peg in several places.
Preparing for winter
The stem is whitewashed, a chalk solution is used. Before the very frosts, the apple tree is watered abundantly, this increases its frost resistance. The trunk is protected from frost with old newspapers or burlap. The branches are wrapped with a covering material. The trunk circle is thrown with spruce branches.
Simple activities help the seedling to overwinter.In the spring, before bud break, all covering materials and spruce branches are removed from the tree. The near-barrel circle is cleared, loosened. Further care for a young apple tree is reduced to watering, fertilizing, and disease prevention.
