Garden care in spring. Caring for fruit trees throughout the year

Fruit trees after winter damage

Apple tree “changes skin”

Spring is not far off. She brings a lot of joy to amateur gardeners. The plants also hid in anticipation, anticipating clear sunny days...

Unfortunately, spring brings not only joy to our gardens, but also problems. One of the most troublesome and painful - winter damage to trees. How to treat our green friends? The answer to this question can be found in almost all gardening books. But many of the recommendations are quite complex, not available to the average summer resident.

I decided to describe a few proven techniques from my practice. The methods that I suggest are quite effective. They can be adopted even by novice gardeners.

Bridges and rings

One of the most destructive is ring damage to the bark of young trees. It happens, as a rule, through the fault of hungry and toothy mice.

The classic way to repair- bridge grafting. But she can only experienced gardener. And that doesn't always bring success.

Textbooks are usually full of pictures. Bridges on them stretch up- therefore, the mice gnawed at the bark at a decent height. But in my area, everything happened exactly the opposite. The bark of the tree was damaged at the bottom, at the very root collar. There was practically no place for the installation of cutting bridges. But I still tried. The bridges did not take root, and the tree died.

This incident taught me a lot, prompting me to look for other ways. I began to treat ring damage by applying bark from a healthy branch of another tree. did it in early spring, at the beginning of intensive sap flow. The result is excellent, and the first time.

Donor and patient

I act like this. First, I prepare a piece of a branch, preferably- without ramifications, and necessarily- with healthy skin. This is a donor.

I clean the damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe “patient tree” to healthy wood, treat it with a weak solution of iron sulfate. I mark the height of the insert, stepping back 0.5-1 cm up and down from the most distant places of damage. cut from any dense material a rectangular sheet whose width is equal to the height of the insert. The length should not be less than the diameter of the trunk of the tree being repaired.

This sheet serves as a template for sizing the bark insert to be transplanted. Having wrapped the donor branch with this template, I make ring cuts along the ends to the wood. I remove it and make a longitudinal incision. Wrapping the wound with a template, I make annular incisions and remove the remnants of the bark along the edges of the damaged area, exposing the cambium.

I apply the bark prepared for transplantation from the branch to the site of damage. If necessary, add another piece of bark until the surface is completely covered. I tightly tie the “patch” with a strip of film (it is better to use polyethylene, then it will be easier for you to control the accuracy of the fit of the bark). To protect from sunlight, I cover the strapping with a white film or paper.

Unilateral non-annular cortical lesions are usually easier to treat. The wounds are cleaned, covered with garden pitch. And quietly waiting for them to heal. But keep in mind that when large area damage in their place may appear hollow. Such wounds are best treated in the manner I have described. Only the curly template for cutting the bark will be of a different size and configuration.

Look at the photo at the top of the page. On her- young apple tree. The picture was taken in the spring of the following year after the repair, carried out by the annular insert of the bark from two pieces (under the branch) and the bark-shield (at the root collar). Groove on the front side of the shield- not a flaw at all, but the result of a mismatch of the bark throughout its thickness. Below, the surface of the damage is completely covered with new bark.

Now imagine what a tree with bridge cuttings would look like. Clumsy, right? And after the method that I use, in a year or two there will not even be any traces left on the tree. So choose what you like best! Two years after this repair, the mice completely gnawed the bark of the tree above the insert. May be asked- what kind of gardener is he who leaves his pets to be torn to pieces by rodents? But what are you supposed to do? The site is far from home, in winter it is abandoned, as they say, by chance. One way or another, I had to cut down the tree, reluctantly. And what do you think? Longitudinal and transverse sections of the bark were completely clean, without any damage. By the way, in this way you can not only treat a tree, but also reduce its growth. There is information from experts that a change in the polarity of the stem bark in a 10-20 cm high area contributes to a decrease in plant height. We cut out the bark of the required size with a ring and make an insert “feet up”, that is, aligning the upper edge of the ring with the lower edge of the cutout.

Tree without a trunk

I am often asked: what to do if a tree needs to have its trunk removed? The need for such an operation is most often associated with freezing or sunburn of the bark of a young seedling. Such incidents are not uncommon, especially in winters with frequent thaws. The bark can also freeze slightly due to the gardener's excessive care.- when the tree is overfed, and it does not have time to prepare for winter.

The sun can dry out the young stem of a seedling. Given this, it is better to play it safe: when forming skeletal branches, leave one at the bottom, in reserve. In winter, it will be covered with snow and will be preserved in any case. And you can remove it after the tree begins to bear fruit.

Usually the trunk is damaged above this branch. In this case, it will be the basis for the formation of the crown.

We cut the trunk with a well-sharpened garden saw. Secateurs should not be used, even if the tree is completely “thin”- the bark is wrinkled from it. By the way, in order to avoid this incident, you can also wrap the bark with adhesive tape, which will protect it from delamination. Now, stepping back a little, we cut the barrel into a ring.

At a short distance from the trunk, we drive a stake into the ground. It should be opposite the branch we left. We install a spacer bar between the stake and the tree. To prevent the branch from breaking off when it is straightened, we firmly tie the tree to the stake: at the bottom of the branch, placing a piece of dense material so that the bark does not wrinkle. Carefully bending the branch up, bring the bottom to a vertical position and fix it with a garter to the stake. Top part branches at the same time also lean towards the stake.

Behind the branch, at a small distance from it, we drive in the second stake. Straightening the branch, we tie it to a new support, just above the previous garter. Now we are sequencing- then to one stake, then to another, completely straightening the branch. And we fix its thin upper end in vertical position between two supports, tying it with a twist of twine.

In this way, you can straighten the branch not only in the vertical, but also in the horizontal plane. In this case, the lateral branches are evenly straightened in different sides with stakes and twine. Thus, we form the skeletal branches of the tree.

If in one season it was not possible to straighten the branch at the base, it should be periodically, with an interval of 2-3 weeks, to pull bottom straps. The branch will gradually straighten.

When will the kidney wake up?

Let's consider other cases. If there is no branch below the site of damage, the trunk should be cut to a well-developed kidney. Do not forget to tie the shoot developing from it to the stake in a timely manner- this will protect it from breaking.

If there is no branch or buds below the damaged area, the trunk must be cut arbitrarily, to clean wood and covered with garden pitch. And then wait for the awakening of a sleeping kidney (the process can last until mid-summer). It is important not to miss the moment of her awakening. The dormant bud is usually thick and grassy. It is loosely attached to the trunk, holding as if on the tip of a needle. Therefore, in the green cone stage, it must be wrapped with a film in the form of a funnel (under the kidney - tightly, above- free). Then the shoot will be well preserved and will not go away from the trunk. And when he grows up, he should be tied to a stake. In the next season, it will be possible to begin the formation of the crown of the tree.

Before the onset of spring, the trunks of fruit trees are rubbed with lime milk. In addition to everything White color reflects Sun rays, which avoids overheating during intense sunlight and a sharp drop in temperature at night, especially below zero.

In the spring, the moisture-proof bowl around the tree is covered with dry soil, compost, peat or plant residues, this prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture.

During the growing season, especially during dry periods, fruit trees are carefully and plentifully watered. Watering often, but little by little, is useless. Moisture does not reach the roots, lingering in the surface layer of the earth, on which a crust then forms. To retain moisture around the tree, even before it begins to bloom, it is useful to lay peat, straw manure or grass in a layer of 5-10 cm.

If a tree does not bloom in the spring, it must be dug out of the ground, shortened the roots and for several days (best in the cellar) lower the roots into the water or cover them with moist earth. Only after it turns green can it be planted again in the ground.

During the growing season, especially after rain (before the formation of a dried earth crust), the soil around the tree must be finely loosened several times. It is necessary to loosen in May-July, when shoots and fruits are mainly formed. In August and September, the soil is not disturbed, which ensures better ripening and coloring of the fruit.

In autumn, the earth is dug up around the tree to a depth of no more than 10 cm, and between rows - up to 15 cm. Around the tree, digging is carried out only with a spade-fork, which does not damage the roots so much. Even better than loosening, a shallow trench. In summer, loosening the ground is generally not recommended. After the soil dries up in the spring, it is treated with the reverse side of the rake (also in order to reduce moisture loss from evaporation).

To enrich the soil with humus, under fruit trees you can grow a variety of plants. Field peas, fodder vetch, white mustard, buckwheat, phacelia, white clover, multi-flowered chaff, annual ryegrass, etc. are most suitable for this purpose, and lupine on sandy soils.

Sowing material is applied from early July to early August in moist soil. Plants are planted only in spring. In winter this planting material protects the soil from severe freezing and helps to better hold the snow. It is not recommended to grow green manure plants in areas with rainfall below 500 mm, as well as in young fruit plantations.

Vegetables can be grown between newly planted trees, and between dwarf plantings in the case when they have not reached 3 years, and among taller seedlings - up to 8 years. The most suitable vegetables for this purpose are bush beans, peas, lettuce, early cauliflower, kohlrabi, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, carrots and early potatoes. However, it is impossible to plant vegetables directly under fruit trees.

Fertilizer

The basis of fertilizing fruit trees is organic fertilizers. As a rule, well-packed or composted manure is used; in autumn it is introduced into the soil to a depth of 10-15 cm or over the entire area of ​​cultivation under the trees, sometimes along the diameter of the crowns under each tree. Lighter soils are fertilized annually or every other year, heavy soils are fertilized every 3-4 years. Large doses of fertilizers are applied under weakly growing trees. Instead of manure applied in autumn, often in spring, compost can be used. Dry bird droppings are also used (100-200 g per 1 m 2).

Simultaneously with organic fertilizers, mineral and chemical fertilizers should also be applied to the soil. If green manure plants are also grown under the trees, the dose of manure or compost can be reduced by half.

One tree at the age of 2-3 years requires 12-15 kg of fertilizer; every year the dose of fertilizers increases, i.e. for an eight-year-old tree, it requires 40-50 kg, and older trees with a crown diameter of 6 m consume 120-160 kg of fertilizer.

Mineral fertilizers are used taking into account the reaction of the soil, the age and fruitfulness of the tree. In autumn, when plowing the soil, phosphate and potash fertilizers are usually applied so that these substances are already absorbed during the growing season. With the onset of spring, nitrogenous fertilizers are applied. You can also use combined fertilizers in autumn and spring, which gives a tangible effect. During the growing season, nitrogenous fertilizers are applied additionally, and they are applied shallowly into the soil.

In the year when the soil is fertilized with a full volume of compost or manure, the dose mineral fertilizers is reduced by half. If the trees grow too vigorously, and the shoots do not mature well, the amount of nitrogen fertilizers applied is reduced, and more phosphorus and sulfur fertilizers are added. If previous crops are grown under the trees, the amount of fertilizer applied should be increased according to their needs.

For top dressing of weakly growing trees, it is allowed to use liquid fertilizers during the growing season. Useful, for example, fermented bird or rabbit droppings, diluted in 10 parts of water. You can also use a solution of complete fertilizers that dissolve well in water. These liquid fertilizers are poured into grooves 10-15 cm deep around the circumference of the crown. After the liquid is absorbed into the soil, the grooves are leveled.

Lime is applied to the soil in accordance with its reaction. It is especially necessary for stone fruits; berry crops less demanding in this respect. It should not be overlooked that calcium fertilizers and manure, as well as superphosphate and chemical nitrogenous fertilizers, should not be introduced at the same time.

In case of an acute lack of nutrients, when their intake from the soil is somehow limited (waterlogged soil, damaged roots), spraying the leaves with a nutrient solution can be recommended. 400 g of ammonium nitrate with limestone or 500-600 g of urea, 500-600 g of potassium bisulfate and an extract of 3-4 kg of superphosphate are dissolved in 10 liters of water. The most favorable for such spraying is the period after flowering. With a clear lack of nutrients, spraying is repeated one or two more times in 10-14 days. As necessary, such spraying is combined with spraying against tree diseases and pests.

Protection against diseases and pests

The best protection is prevention. If fruit plants create good conditions and accordingly take care of them, they will not cause much trouble to the gardener.

And if you also provide for everything in order to attract birds as your helpers, then worries will be completely reduced. To do this, it is enough to install bird feeders in the garden for the winter, replenish the feeders with food, and put titmouses and birdhouses for some useful birds so that the birds take the chicks directly to the site. Birds will repay their owners with kindness - they will do useful work: the destruction of pests.

However, if any contentious issues, you need to try to find out the cause and, after consulting with a specialist, make appropriate adjustments to care for the garden and in the fight against pests. Chemicals used only as a last resort.

Garden care in the spring is not only about caring for fruit trees and other plants on the site. It is also necessary to pay attention to the lawn, soil, buildings and structures.

Spring inspection of the garden: what to look for

Even if there is still snow outside the window, already in the first weeks of March it is worth starting to take care of the garden and prepare for the new season. Many works need to be done before the start of active sap flow and the awakening of the kidneys.

Inspection of the orchard

Every gardener should know where pests and plant diseases winter. Many of them descend from the trees in autumn and easily endure the cold under fallen leaves. These include weevils, bark beetles and some types of caterpillars. Raspberry beetles and moths go to hibernate in the soil to a depth of 6-8 cm. Therefore, it is advisable to dig up the ground when it has already thawed enough, but not to wait for warming.

Last year's leaves remaining on the trees indicate the presence of spider mites in the garden. Codling moth and aphids hibernate on the surface of the bark and in its cracks; their eggs can be seen on the trunk and branches. Inspect the garden for ants, these insects can cause a lot of inconvenience and destroy the crop.

In last year's fallen leaves, pathogens of diseases such as scab, black rot, spotting and many others also tolerate cold well. On the bark of trees and lawn grass, fungus and lichens can often be seen.

Problems on the site after winter

With the advent of spring, problems can arise not only with plants, but also with the site itself. Most often they are associated with the rapid melting of snow and stagnant water.

• spring flood: flooded area and soil washout;
• poor soil drainage: water has nowhere to go;
• waterlogging of the soil due to uplift ground water;
• spring frosts.

These are just the main and most common problems that can be faced with the arrival of spring. Each of them requires surgical intervention. Garden care in March and April is the most crucial period, which determines what the next season will be like.

Typical spring problems in the garden and how to fix them

After inspecting the trees, you must immediately begin to care for them. Prepare the tools and tools for processing in advance.

Bark cracks and frost holes after winter, frozen branches

Carry out sanitary and restorative pruning: remove dead, frozen and affected branches during the winter, treat cracks in the bark. When the snow on the site begins to melt, you need to remove the ice crust in the stem circle.

Sunburns of the bark

It is necessary to whitewash tree trunks and thick branches to protect them from the bright spring sun. Do not delay with the removal winter shelter from ornamental crops, as they can rot and die.

Hollow in a tree

If a hollow is found, the cavity should be cleaned, disinfected and sealed cement mortar to prevent breakage.

Large amount of snow

When the snow begins to melt quickly, there is a possibility of floods. In such cases, it is recommended to take measures to retain melt water: trample snow around the perimeter of the site, creating artificial barriers to streams (while there is still snow, do not forget to prepare melt water for watering seedlings).

swampy terrain

If your garden has water every spring, or the soil is washed out due to uneven terrain, you should organize the drainage of the site: clean and repair drainage ditches and drainage well, dig out new ones if necessary.

spring frosts

Equipment should be prepared to create artificial fog, or special smoke bombs should be used to protect a flowering garden from spring return frosts. You can also use the most cheap way- burn weeds and spruce forest, which was used to shelter perennials for the winter.

These are just the basic measures to protect the garden in the spring, which will help make it easier to care for it in the future.

Disease and pest control, prevention measures

Plants wake up quite quickly after winter, which is why it is necessary to have time to protect them from insects and diseases. Before bud break and the first leaves appear, many pests and pathogens are still sleeping. Some of them hibernate in the soil, others - right on the plants.

plant protection

It is worth remembering that the leaves remaining on the branches are a breeding ground for diseases, such branches must be cut and burned. The bark of trees is carefully cleaned of fungi and lichens, and treated with lime mortar or a special paste. It will also help to burn out the eggs of insects located on and under the bark.

Further care behind the garden in the spring is to spray the plants with insecticides. These drugs are able to fight diseases such as: black cancer, scab, moniliosis, and pests: codling moth, caterpillar, spider mite, soil insects. It is necessary to carry out such spraying before flowering, so as not to damage the buds.

Already blooming garden processed only for the purpose of increasing protective functions plants. There are preparations with which they treat the soil with insects sleeping in it. All further sprayings are preventive, since aggressive preparations can harm the color, leaves and fruits.

Ants in the garden

Ants in the garden can destroy all berry crops, especially raspberries and strawberries. You can fight them folk remedies, so as not to disturb the ecological balance, or more aggressive, but fast-acting chemical solutions.

Lawn protection from diseases

Lawn grass exposed to diseases as often as trees and shrubs. With the advent of spring, you may encounter lawn rotting and grass being replaced by various weeds and moss. Such problems are solvable, but in the future it is necessary to apply preventive measures so that the diseases do not return, and the green lawn always has a healthy and well-groomed appearance.

Having found mold and rotted spots on the lawn, you must carefully cut them out. It is advisable to burn the turf so that the disease does not spread to cultivated plants. After that, the earth is treated with a 3% solution of iodine and left for a day. Before proceeding, carefully inspect the sod section for mold or mildew. If it remains or has grown, it is necessary to cut a larger piece of lawn cover.

The resulting pit should be sprinkled with a mixture of sand and black soil, and then sow fresh grass. The soil may settle a little and it will need to be added again in a couple of days, but not tamped, which is why the seeds are left almost on the surface, deepening them by only 0.5 cm.

Fertilizing horticultural crops in spring

After winter, the plants in the garden are exhausted and need good nutrition. It is recommended to monitor the condition of the soil and select fertilizers individually for each crop and tree, based on its age, variety and condition.

soil top dressing

organic fertilizers, such as: manure, compost, bird droppings or green manure infusion are introduced into the near-stem circle of trees and dug up along with the ground. Mineral additives (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements) are used in the same way.

foliar top dressing

foliar top dressing gardening is carried out by spraying the crowns of trees with nutrients. Apples, pears and stone fruits are treated with a solution of urea of ​​different dosages.

Pruning fruit crops and shrubs

Garden care also includes proper pruning of trees in the spring. Each culture has its own characteristics of development, so the approach should be individual. First of all, restoration pruning of the garden is carried out in the spring.

• The apple tree is the main fruit crop in any country house, so every gardener should be able to take care of both young and adult trees.
• The fast growing plum also needs spring pruning, it is necessary to restore trees and thin out thick branches. The health of the trees and their fruiting depend on the correctness of the procedure.
• Apricot needs special care and individual formation of branches, since access is required for fruit ripening a large number Sveta.

Outcome

Garden care in the spring includes not only pruning, fertilizing and controlling pathogens, but also measures to protect the soil from leaching and waterlogging, while retaining moisture for plant development. It is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection and cleaning of the site, process the plants and prune. All efforts will eventually be rewarded with a bountiful and healthy harvest.

Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.

Succulents are very versatile. Despite the fact that “kids” have always been considered more fashionable, the assortment of succulents with which you can decorate modern interior, it is worth taking a closer look. After all, colors, sizes, patterns, degree of pricklyness, influence on the interior are just a few of the parameters by which you can choose them. In this article we will talk about the five most fashionable succulents that miraculously transform modern interiors.

Mint was used by the Egyptians as far back as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils with high volatility. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will look at the most interesting varieties mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in the open field.

People began to grow crocuses 500 years before the advent of our era. Although the presence of these flowers in the garden is fleeting, we always look forward to the return of the heralds of spring in next year. Crocuses - one of the earliest primroses, whose flowering begins as soon as the snow melts. However, the timing of flowering may vary depending on the species and varieties. This article focuses on the earliest varieties of crocuses that bloom in late March and early April.

Shchi from early young cabbage in beef broth is hearty, fragrant and easy to prepare. In this recipe, you will learn how to cook delicious beef broth and cook light cabbage soup with this broth. early cabbage it cooks quickly, so it is placed in the pan at the same time as the rest of the vegetables, unlike autumn cabbage, which takes a little longer to cook. Ready cabbage soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Real cabbage soup is tastier than freshly cooked.

Looking at the variety of varieties of tomatoes, it is difficult not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners he is annoying sometimes! However, it is not so difficult to understand the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself”. The main thing is to understand the peculiarities of culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest tomato groups to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been appreciated by those gardeners who do not have much time and energy to care for the beds.

Once very popular under the name of room nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleuses today are one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. They are not in vain considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are looking primarily for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.

Salmon backbone baked in Provence herbs is a "supplier" of delicious pieces of fish pulp for light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. The mushrooms are lightly fried olive oil and then drizzle with apple cider vinegar. Such mushrooms are tastier than ordinary pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Ramson and fresh dill coexist perfectly in one salad, emphasizing the flavor of each other. Garlic sharpness of wild garlic will saturate both the flesh of salmon and pieces of mushrooms.

Conifer tree or a shrub on the site is always great, and a lot of conifers is even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils, secreted by plants, not only flavor, but also make the air cleaner. Generally, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require competent care and attention.

Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the shade flowering trees have long been an integral attribute of the meeting of spring in the Country rising sun. Financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent sakura blossoms. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese pass under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain types can be successfully grown even in Siberia.

It is very interesting for me to analyze how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and traded lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century BC. e. about 6 varieties of quince were known and even then the methods of its reproduction and cultivation were described.

Make your family happy and make themed Easter egg-shaped cottage cheese cookies! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - they will sift the flour, combine all the necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as the pieces of dough turn into real ones. Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read in our step by step recipe!

There are not so many decorative and deciduous favorites among tuberous crops. And the caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of the interiors. Not everyone can decide to start a Caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all - to care. But still, the rumors about the unusual capriciousness of the Caladium never justify. Attention and care allow you to avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And a plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.

We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it will suit every side dish: vegetables, pasta, and anything. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can make this ahead of time to keep it hot), add gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.

Among the many different varieties of these most popular vegetables, we will talk about three that are distinguished by excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of eggplant varieties "Diamond", "Black Handsome" and "Valentina". All eggplants have pulp medium density. In "Almaz" it is greenish, and in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united by good germination and excellent yield, but in different time. Everyone's skin color and shape is different.

A healthy, blooming garden that brings a rich harvest largely depends on proper, high-quality care, especially in spring period. The time of awakening of all living things is important and troublesome for gardeners. Perform all work depending on weather conditions and climate zone.

First work in the garden

Work in the garden begins with the release of planting branches from melted snow, if at the end of winter there was an abundance of precipitation. From the spring sun, the snow becomes loose and heavy, it can easily break thin branches. To avoid this, shake it off. If the branches have already sagged and fallen, build supports to support them.

The following advice is relevant for sloped areas. So that the melt water lingers, and the flood does not erode the soil, build shafts of snow across the slope.

Stock up on melt water - it is rich in useful trace elements. To do this, the containers must be filled with snow and added as it melts.

With the advent of spring, not only vegetation wakes up - rodents and pests are ready to become more active. Inspect existing bait poisons, prepare new ones if necessary.

The snow has melted - start cleaning the garden. Collect old leaves and other debris, get rid of weeds if they have appeared.

Whitewashing - protection of horticultural crops

How to whitewash trees

Even before the snow has completely melted and the trees “wake up”, choose a dry day and whitewash.

Before work, prepare trees with damage: clean the trunk with a brush, remove dead bark, at the same time pests that have overwintered and survived in it will be destroyed. Growths, lichens are also cleaned off. Cover all open cracks with garden pitch. Whitewash after the treated areas are completely dry.

Early whitewashing - a double benefit for the tree:

1. It will prevent burns that can appear on the bark from bright spring rays, so only white is used.
2. Protects the tree trunk from insect pests.

Which solution to apply is up to you. acrylic paint rains are not terrible - this whitewash is the most resistant. You can use special store solutions and self-prepared ones, with the addition of any adhesive.

How to whitewash fruit trees

The most common is whitewashing with lime:

• 2.5 kg of lime is diluted per bucket of water;
• half a liter of copper sulfate;
• wood glue is added - 200 grams, so that the solution on the tree lasts longer.

Whitewash based on manure and lime:

• 1 kg of lime and manure;
• 200 grams of copper sulfate;
• mix these components in 8 liters of water, leave for about 2 hours.

Clay-based whitewash solution:

• mix 1 kg of oily clay in 10 liters of water;
• 2 kg of slaked lime;
• a shovel of cow dung;
• 250 grams of copper sulfate.

Leave for 2 hours Whiten young trees with a mixture based on chalk, under such a solution the bark will breathe freely.

Spraying trees and shrubs in the garden

Garden care in the spring is a mandatory prevention of the appearance of pests and the fight against diseases.

When to Treat Trees

Processing fruit crops use special preparations at least 3 times:

• before vegetation (bud swelling);
• before flowering;
• 7-10 days after flowering.

How to spray fruit trees

Early spraying of trees Bordeaux mixture or blue vitriol, urea, (urea) will save plants from many problems. There are other means of processing: chemical, combined, but the above are effective and one of the most budgetary. Which drug to choose, the gardener decides.

1. Start the first treatment when the temperature has reached 5 °C. During this period, spraying will destroy successfully overwintered pests.
2. The use of special preparations before flowering will help protect the buds, cope with pest larvae and fungal diseases.
3. The next treatment is needed to destroy the emerging insects and fruit rot.

Remember that it is not recommended to spray trees during flowering.

tree nutrition

Garden maintenance includes spring top dressing trees, contributing to the nutrition and improvement of soil quality. All the necessary elements for plant growth are obtained through mineral fertilizers, so do not forget about them every year. Organic: compost, peat, manure is enough to use once every 2-3 years. Usually, in the spring, the soil is fed with nitrogen, and in the fall, manure, phosphorus, and potassium are used.

Timing of fertilizer application

Apply the first fertilizer in March. Mineral mixtures dissolve well, they can be sprinkled on the snow. Together with melt water, useful substances are absorbed into the ground. On a plot with a slope, such top dressing will not be effective: it will be carried away by melt water.

Another option is relevant for all fruit and berry crops: apply 2/3 doses of nitrogen fertilizers when you dig up tree trunks.

Dosage of organic and mineral fertilizers for the garden

Be attentive to the process of fertilizing: fruit-bearing trees will be negatively affected by both a lack and an excess of minerals. For example, the irregularity of such a useful element as nitrogen can affect frost resistance and overall plant growth.

More accurate fertilizer application data is shown in the table.

In addition to mineral fertilizers for top dressing, use organic matter: manure and compost. Decayed manure improves soil properties. Clay in structure becomes less viscous, and light, free-flowing increase their moisture capacity. Organic fertilizers not only have a positive effect on the soil, but also nourish with useful elements.

Valentina Kravchenko, expert

How to properly fertilize plants

Do not feed young plants, start this useful process from the second year of the trees' life.

When applying fertilizer, consider the following factors:

• plants better absorb the liquid form of fertilizers;
• do not fertilize near the trunk: the roots that absorb nutrients are located along the perimeter of the branches;
• apply fertilizer in the evening or on a cloudy day;
• so that the roots do not get burned, first moisten the soil, only then apply liquid fertilizers;
• keep the earth near the tree in a loose state, so the plant “breathes” better;
• after applying dry fertilizer, water the near-stem area along with top dressing.

Pruning - effective sanitary cleaning

Trees and shrubs that are not pruned during their growth look worse, age faster, and their yield decreases.

When to prune fruit trees

Finish all pruning work before the buds begin to swell. Before performing the procedure, wait until the temperature column drops to minus 5 °C, and night frosts to minus 10 °C will not return.

During pruning, material is also collected for subsequent grafting of fruit trees. Selected shoots are cut, grafted immediately or stored in a dark, cool place until sap flow occurs.

The Basics of Successful Pruning of Garden Plants

• start pruning before the start of sap flow;
• first of all, free the tree from shoots damaged during cold weather, this is an extra burden that only hinders the development of the plant;
• remove dry and broken branches;
• cover the cuts with garden pitch if branches with a diameter of more than 15 cm are cut;
• first cultivate fruit-bearing plants, and young growth 10-15 days later.

Care and planting seedlings

Inspection and treatment of trees in spring

If the frosts have receded, remove the heaters from the stems. Inspect the trees to see if they are intact, if rodents have reached them.

If there is an injury, heal the tree:

1. Clean the bark spoiled by mice and treat with iron sulphate (for this, a 5% solution is taken), then cover with garden pitch.
2. The tree that the hares have reached receives more serious damage. In this case, "bridge" vaccinations are used.

Planting seedlings in spring

Planting work in the garden in the spring, start as soon as the snow recedes, 2 weeks before the growing season. Until the trees “woke up”, planting will be more efficient.

• Check the soil so that it is not frozen; seedlings will not survive in such soil.
• Dip the roots of the tree in a clay mash, this will increase the adhesion of the bottom of the tree to the ground.
• Prepare pits for new plants in the fall, then you can fill them with fertilizers.
• If fertilizers were not applied before winter, then at the bottom of the pit where you plant the tree, fill in the rotted manure. Apply a nitrogen-based fertilizer some time after planting.

Qualitatively carried out spring care will affect how trees and shrubs will be prepared for the new season. A responsible approach to work in the garden will ensure a high result - a well-groomed, beautiful, healthy, fruitful garden.