Adult fruit garden
Many gardeners ask me how the correct planting of fruit trees is carried out, taking into account their compatibility, how to place fruit and berry crops on their site so that they grow and bear fruit well. As in a small area of the garden, the proximity of different varieties and species of fruit trees will influence each other.
V this material I will try to reveal the basic principles of organizing an ideal garden, where all trees and shrubs are built according to the principles of harmonious neighborhood and vertical arrangement.
An example of placing and planting fruit trees on the site
Planting trees in the country is a very crucial moment, however, a lot of preparatory work always precedes the laying of a garden. The assessment and selection of sites is carried out taking into account the suitability of the soil for planting, and the mistakes made in the future are already difficult to correct.
Our gardeners most often do not have to decide on the choice of plots - what we give is what we cultivate. But it is important to know their features and, if possible, try to correct the shortcomings.
Bad soil for planting fruit trees
Undesirable for the garden sprayed, highly podzolized soils, waterlogged, stony and dense clayey. Swampy, closed pits and hollows are completely unsuitable for laying a garden.
For fruit plants dangerous areas with a high groundwater table. In such areas, plants are short-lived. The roots of fruit trees, reaching the water, die off from lack of air, then the ends of the branches dry up, and the skeletal branches begin to die off.
Placement and planting of fruit trees - their compatibility on a plot of 4 acres
Groundwater level when planting fruit trees
When planting apples and pears, the groundwater level should be no closer than 2 m from the soil surface. Cherries and plums with less deep roots can be planted at a depth of groundwater no closer than 1.5 m, and currants, gooseberries, raspberries - in the presence of groundwater no closer than 1 m.
Useful and harmful trees - neighbors of the garden
It has been experimentally established that if tree species such as oak, maple, linden, bird cherry grow near the garden plot, then fruit plants will grow well. But if alder, sedge grasses, horsetails grow in the vicinity - all this indicates swampiness and increased acidity of the soil.
Fruit tree compatibility - table
Compatibility chart for planting fruit trees
Usually in a small garden area, various pome, stone fruit, walnut and berry crops grow. Apple trees, pears, cherries, plums, raspberries, gooseberries, currants and strawberries are compatible with each other, which made it possible to grow them together for centuries in a limited area of the garden.
Thickened plantings - a mistake
A big mistake when placing fruit trees is thickened plantings. Each fruit plant needs a sufficient volume of soil and air throughout its life for normal growth and fruiting. Therefore, it is initially important to distribute cultures according to their area in adulthood.
Distance between seedlings when planting fruit trees
When establishing the distance between fruit seedlings when planting, one must take into account, first of all, the size of the crown in width. Closing the crowns of neighboring trees, and even more so the intertwining of branches, impairs the lighting inside the crown.
As a result, premature death of overgrowing and fruit branches inside the crown occurs. In addition, spraying, pruning, and harvesting is much more difficult with closed, intertwined crowns.
Temporary compaction of landings
You can carry out temporary compacted planting by placing currants, gooseberries, strawberries in the rows of young fruit trees. As the trees grow, the latter are removed from the aisles of the garden.
An excessive increase in the distance between berry bushes and fruit trees is also impractical, since the number of plants per unit area decreases, while the total yield of berries and fruits decreases.
Placing fruit trees on a site in height
Fruit crops have different winter hardiness, therefore, their location must be organized so that tall apple trees, pears grow from the northern or northeastern side of the site, do not shade other plants and protect them from strong winds.
On household plots, where processing is carried out mainly by hand, the apple and pear can be placed at a distance of 4-5 m from each other, and the cherry and plum - at a distance of 2.5-4 m.
Pollination of fruit trees
In addition, the placement of the varieties of each crop should be such that it promotes the best cross-pollination, or, as they say, the best cross-pollination. In fruit species (apple, pear, plum, cherry), self-fertile and self-fertile varieties are distinguished.
Self-fertile tie fruits when pollinated with their own pollen, self-infertile- only when pollinated with pollen of another variety. Almost all of our fruit are self-sterile, and several different varieties must be planted for normal pollination and fruiting.
Distance 20-25 meters
Observations have shown that between different varieties fruit species that should pollinate each other, the distance should be no more than 20-25 meters. Consider this when planting them. Bumblebees and bees carry pollen from one variety to another.
Cherries, sea buckthorn, raspberries give growth, so strawberries cannot be planted in the immediate vicinity. In addition, raspberries and strawberries have a common pest - the strawberry-raspberry weevil.
Lime on the ground is a protection against ants. Netting on the tree - protection from rodents.
Correct placement of fruit trees on the site
Often a gardener has a question, how much and where to plant plants of a particular breed? Placing plants on the site is everyone's personal business. Most of the garden plots are of consumer value, that is, they receive a variety of garden products to meet the family's needs for berries and fruits.
Some gardeners deliberately choose a particular crop, such as strawberries, and get a crop that exceeds their own needs for sale.
There are gardeners who are interested not only in the harvest of fruits, but in the cultivation of some rare species and varieties grown in an unusual way, for example, grapes, walnut and etc.
How and when to plant fruit trees correctly
Fruit trees have a long life. Errors made when choosing a place and soil under fruit trees, appear over the years and are usually difficult to correct.
When choosing a place for a garden, it is necessary to consider topography, soil conditions, groundwater level and the presence of upstream. In the conditions of Central Russia in unfavorable winters, even relatively winter-hardy varieties of apple trees often freeze slightly.
The results of overwintering to a large extent depend on the peculiarities of the location of the garden.
V winter period the air becomes heavier as it cools. On the slopes, it flows down. On level ground, the air has nowhere to drain and it cools down at night. In low places (closed valleys, hollows, depressions, "saucers"), not only is there no runoff of cold air, but, on the contrary, cold air additionally flows into them from areas located above.
Production experience shows that apple trees grow and bear fruit well on soils that provide free penetration of roots to a depth of at least 60-90 cm. Therefore, when choosing a soil for a garden, you should pay attention to both the topsoil and the underlying soils.
What soils are suitable
In the conditions of the Middle Belt, the most suitable for fruit trees are sod-podzolic soils, developing on light loams and cohesive sandy loams, underlain at a depth of about 1 m by waterproof moraine loam.
Boggy soils and all soils with high level groundwater, or with prolonged perching in the spring months.
Soil cultivation methods
However, the cultivation of fruit crops on such soils is possible with appropriate domestication and micro-melioration. The oldest and most widespread methods of soil cultivation are: building ramparts, creating hills, using ridges, draining soils with open ditches, etc.
Ramparts and Hills are created in order to raise the root system of cultivated plants as high as possible above the water table. With this method, like no other, the soil is well warmed up and aerated, which increases its microbiological activity, and, consequently, fertility.
The shafts are arranged in various widths - from 2.5 to 4 m. The height is also different and depends on the level of groundwater and the degree of waterlogging of the soil. Most often it is 0.6-0.9 m. It is possible to arrange shafts from the existing soil, as well as from the imported one. The size of the shaft depends on the water table in June. The upper edge of the shaft should rise 1.5-2 m above this level.
A more acceptable way is to grow fruit crops in the hills
Hills are being built in waterlogged places from imported mineral soil humus horizon. The height of the mound should be 0.9-1 m, the width or diameter in the upper part should be 0.5-0.6 m, in the lower part - 2.5-3 m.The larger the embankment, the better, since as the garden grows the hill has to be increased.
Planting fruit trees in permanent ridges
On excessively moistened household plots, the planting of fruit trees on permanent ridges, up to 4 m wide, is widespread. Excess moisture flows from ridges into furrows, and from furrows into ditches. The ridges are better warmed up by the sun. Fruit trees should be planted in small holes equal to the size of the root system of the tree to be planted.
Drainage of soils with open ditches
can also be used in the cultivation of fruit and berry crops. The most common and reliable way drainage of swampy soils - closed drainage from pottery pipes. But the high cost of this method does not allow it to be widely used in household plots.
Benefits of tree planting on shafts
The study and comparison of the root system of apple trees showed that the mass of roots, the zone of their distribution was much larger in trees on the ramparts than on flat surface... A powerful root system ensures good crown growth and fruit bearing of trees.
Autumn planting of fruit trees on the site
Preplant soil preparation
Optimal conditions for the growth and development of fruit trees are created on soils rich in organic matter, with a high moisture capacity and with good gas exchange. It is very important not only to choose the appropriate area for the garden, but also to properly prepare the soil on it.
It is possible to cultivate the soil before planting fruit trees in future ordinary strips, approximately 1.5-2 m wide. Organic fertilizers (manure, compost) are immediately applied to the entire area at the rate of 0.8-1 tons per hundred square meters.
In areas where continuous plowing with manure incorporation is carried out, this cannot be done. Large planting holes are dug here (up to 1-1.5 m in diameter, up to 80 cm deep). Then the pits are filled by about three quarters with the upper, more fertile layer of soil.
Sod soil is taken first from the edges of the pit, and then from the row spacing. 50-100 g are added to the bottom of the pit active substance phosphorus fertilizers, 10-15 kg of humus or peat compost. In any case, the fertilizers are well mixed with the soil.
When entering peat pits it must be remembered that peat very slowly and poorly passes water through itself. Therefore, if dry peat is poured into the pit, it will remain dry for a long time, sometimes years when watering from above. So, it is necessary to introduce either already sufficiently moist peat into the pits, or water the peat in the pit even before planting the trees and be sure to shovel it for uniform moisture.
Planting seedlings
The earlier the seedlings are dug up in the fall, the longer the period will be - favorable for the formation of new roots when the aerial part is at rest. However, digging up seedlings too early is not good, since by this time the tree will not accumulate stocks, and it will not end the maturation of its tissues.
Unripe tissues retain water much worse and suffer greatly from freezing and drying out. Therefore, the seedlings should be dug up in the fall as soon as the ripening of the aboveground parts ends.
Late planting of an apple tree in autumn, less than 20-30 days before a strong drop in soil temperature, that is, later than October 15-20, gives poor results. The consequences of winter damage to late transplanted trees can be observed in plants even during subsequent years ( worst height, delay in the beginning of fruiting).
Transplanting mature trees
With such a transplant, it is important to ensure a sufficiently tight adhesion of the soil to the roots of the transplanted trees. Usually, the developing roots and small roots of the plant push the soil particles apart, coming into close contact with them.
The transplanted trees do not retain small lobes. The need of the tree for water at this time is especially great. Careless planting often leaves air-filled voids between the main skeletal roots, causing the roots to grow moldy.
It is convenient to land together, when one holds a tree, and the other gives the earth, which the planter carefully stuffs under the roots and between them. After the soil is packed between the roots, the planter gets into the hole and tramples the ground thrown by the second worker with his feet.
At first, the tree has to be lightly supported by the hand. In order to avoid breaking the roots, the ground is trampled from the edges of the pit to its middle (heels should be directed to the edges of the pit, and the worker should be facing the tree all the time).
The seal must be such that the planted tree cannot be pulled out, even with some force.
The proper planting depth must also be ensured.
Planting too shallow will expose the roots after the soil subsides and dry out. If planted too deep, especially on heavy, clayey, poorly ventilated soils, trees will also suffer and grow poorly.
The tree must be planted to such a depth that, after settling, its root collar coincides with the soil surface. The root collar of a tree is the place where the trunk transitions to the root. It can be determined by a change in the brown color of the trunk, which has greenish tones in its composition, into an orange-yellow color of the root.
When landing, remember that the main skeletal roots will thicken in the future. If you leave them knitted together, and even more so twisted, intertwined, they will interfere with each other in the future. To avoid this, the roots must be straightened when planting.
In very strong winds, especially after heavy rains or watering, transplanted trees may fall under the weight of the crown. The larger the transplanted plants, the higher the danger. Therefore, when transplanting fruit trees older than two years of age, a stake is firmly driven into the bottom of the pit and a tree is tied to it.
When planting, high soil moisture is required
If the soil is moistened to a great depth and the trees are transplanted in rainy weather, they do not need to be watered. Pouring water when watering should be closer to the edges of the pit to avoid gullies at the base of the tree. When the water is completely absorbed into the soil, holes are made around the trees in case of further watering.
The level of occurrence of groundwater has a great influence on the choice of horticultural crops. If they are closer than 2 m, then this place is unsuitable for apple trees on vigorous rootstocks and pears. Cherries, plums and apple trees on dwarf rootstocks feel satisfactory when the waters are no closer than 1.5 m, berry bushes - up to 1 m.
If the water reaches 0.5 m, then it will be possible to grow only garden strawberries... If the water is close, but you still want to have fruit trees, then you can plant them on ridges or mounds.
In order to maximize the use of the sun's heat, layered planting of horticultural crops is recommended: in the south of the site - low strawberries, then currants and gooseberries, then stone fruits; in the north - the tallest: apple and pear.
At the southern walls, where the plants receive additional heat, which is reflected by the wall, the most heat-loving plants are planted - grapes, cherries, apricots. Dessert varieties, in which the main thing is appearance, taste and aroma, also require the sunniest places.
Crown and stem care
The trunk and main skeletal branches of the tree are conductors of nutrients. They should thicken evenly and match each other. Their uniform thickening depends on the condition of the bark. Sick, coarse bark compresses the conducting vessels, which prevents the supply of nutrients from the leaves to the roots and vice versa. A layer of dead cortex makes it difficult for cambium cells to divide. In addition, dead bark is a refuge for pests.
Dead bark, mosses and lichens are removed from the trunk and the main skeletal branches in the fall, preferably in cloudy weather. Metal scrapers and wire brushes are used for cleaning. On young trees, the trunks and bases of skeletal branches are wiped with coarse burlap or straw bundles.
Before cleaning under the tree, underlay the film
The bark is first cleaned with scrapers and then with brushes. After cleaning, the bark, mosses and lichens are burned, and the stem and crown bases are whitewashed lime mortar(1.5-2 kg of lime, 0.5 kg of clay and a little mullein are taken for 1 bucket of water). When whitewashing Special attention it is necessary to pay to the places where skeletal branches leave the trunk, where pests usually hibernate and there are foci of fungal diseases.
Fertilizing young fruit trees
In the first years after planting, the trees either do not give fruit at all, or give them little. At this time, the crown of the tree is laid. The gardener's attention should be directed to ensuring good growth shoots. It is desirable that a powerful crown be formed as soon as possible short term... During this period, special attention should be paid to good (but not excessive) nutrition.
Mineral enrichment
There are a number of methods for enriching the soil with phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter. First, the topsoil is filled with nutrients. trunk circle(around the tree) with a radius of 2 m.
On it, phosphorus, potash and organic fertilizers are applied in increased quantities. This work must be completed quickly - in three or four years. During this period, it is desirable to increase the potassium content on heavy soil up to 15 mg, on medium - up to 12 mg, on light - up to 8 mg per 100 g of soil. The amount of available phosphorus on all soils is up to 12-15 mg. These figures are approximate.
It would be better to set the amount of necessary fertilization depending on the initial fertility of the soil. The less it contains this or that nutrient, the more you need to apply the appropriate fertilizer. And vice versa. If there is no soil analysis data, it can be recommended to make 15-20 g / m2 of active ingredient phosphorus and potassium, i.e. 50-70 g / m2 of superphosphate and 30-40 g each of potassium chloride.
If there is only fruit and berry or some other ready-made mixture, its make at the rate of 250 g / sq.m. In addition to mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizers should also be given - by 4-5 kg / sq.m. When applying organic fertilizer, the potassium dose is reduced by one third. It would be better mineral fertilizers punch (or, in extreme cases, just mix) with organic.
Fertilizer is annually applied for digging in the fall
When the top layer turns out to be enriched in phosphorus and potassium (approximately, in the fourth year), the site is dug deep in this place (by 22-25 cm). To reduce the damage to the roots, a shovel when digging is placed along the radius of the circle, and not across.
The upper layer, filled with fertilizer, must be placed down, where the roots of the tree will then develop, and the lower (poor) layer up. In the future, it will be easy to enrich the turned-out bottom layer with nutrients by applying fertilizer in usual doses - 6-7 g / m2 of active ingredient.
Some amateur gardeners improve the soil near a tree in one go:
first, fertilizers are applied in full, as indicated above, then around the tree (a little further than the periphery of the crown) they dig a groove 35-40 cm deep and about 50 cm wide.This is done completely (in a ring) or intermittently, so as not to disturb part of the roots.
The grooves are covered with soil from the arable layer, taking the missing one from the aisles. Phosphorus, potash, and organic fertilizers are added to the soil intended for filling the groove. The amount of phosphorus, potash and organic fertilizers per 1 square meter increase by 2-2.5 times.
Plot layout 24 x 40 m from the Ideas of Your House
Site plan 25 x 40 meters
Video tips for garden planning and planting fruit trees
In conclusion, I suggest looking at the advice of an expert at the Greensad garden center on planning a garden plot.
A rare owner of a private house prefers not to plant fruit trees on his site. Everyone usually wants to have a fruit garden - in spring, trees delight with wonderful flowering and aroma, and fruits and berries from their own garden always seem much tastier than those bought in a store or at the market, and you also know that these are organic products. In the art of Feng Shui, the image of a blossoming fruit garden is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. The layout of the garden is a responsible matter, on how correctly you plant trees, their growth and ability to bear fruit will depend, so this task needs to be treated with great attention.
If you want to grow vegetables in your garden as well, the layout of the garden and vegetable garden must be considered together. It is better to take a place for the beds at the southern border, from north to south, it is better for crops growing in the middle lane. Some gardeners recommend placing the beds from east to west. Behind the vegetable and strawberry (strawberry) beds are fruit bushes - currants, gooseberries. Trees are planted behind the bushes, the light shade from the trees will not hurt the berry bushes, and the vegetable beds should be in the sun.
An example of the design of vegetable beds - they do not have to be square or rectangular, the original beds resemble flower beds
Before you start planning your garden, you need to take into account the following important factors:
- What is the size of the area can be allocated for an orchard. For trees with spreading crowns, a distance of 4 sq.m. will be required.
- Terrain relief... For an orchard, flat terrain or a gentle slope will be ideal, cold air is retained in the hollows, excess moisture, these areas are unfavorable for fruit trees.
- Analysis of the soil of your site. Fruit crops have a strong root system, the soil must be fertile in order to provide it with good nutrition. Stony, clayey, sandy soil is not suitable for a garden. The proximity of groundwater negatively affects the growth of trees.
- The presence of heat and light. For most fruit trees, it is important that there is plenty of light and heat; in the shade, they grow and bear fruit much worse. It should also be said about the area with constant strong wind- the wind interferes with normal pollination, dries the soil, often damages the crop and breaks tree branches. A high fence or green spaces can partially protect from the winds.
Planning starts with a diagram on paper. If there is already a house on the site, you need to start planning from it. A plot of the site, the outlines of a house and other buildings, as well as places where trees are already growing, are applied to the paper on a scale.
The area is protected from the wind by trees planted around it, which have already grown enough to provide protection.
If the site has not yet been built up, a place for building a house is plotted on the diagram. The layout of the garden on the site assumes the presence of a front garden. The house should face the street, in front of it there is a strip of land for the front garden. Its size depends on the area of the site - for some it is only a meter, for others - 6-8 meters. Flowers, raspberries and berry bushes are usually planted in a small front garden, in a large one - ornamental trees, flowers or several fruit trees at the discretion of the owners.
For large fruit trees - apple trees, pears, set aside a place in the northeastern side of the site, between them and fruit and berry bushes- a place for smaller trees - cherries, plums.
An example of the layout of a garden and a vegetable garden - the site is divided into two parts. In the first - a house surrounded by a front garden and vegetable beds, the second half - an orchard with trees planted in rows
In general, it will be convenient to draw a plan of the site, put on it all the existing buildings, the proposed location of the garden and vegetable garden. On the site, you need to make a marking of holes for planting trees. Try to plant trees at a distance so that they do not shade each other as they grow. Heap-growing bushes and trees in the garden do not grow well, in addition, conditions are created for diseases of horticultural crops. Fruit trees have a powerful root system, it must develop freely.
Advice. If your site is overgrown with wild shrubs, there are stumps on it that need to be uprooted, do necessary work and burn the wood debris. Collect the ashes in a dry place, it will come in handy when creating fertile beds.
Usually, the layout of an orchard involves planting trees in such a way that they do not shade the areas of neighbors, but there are often cases when a tree grows near the fence itself, providing fruits to both owners and neighbors, while no one has any complaints.
Today it is fashionable to give the beds an original shape, for example, a pizza garden. The highlight is that from the round bed in the center, the others radiate out like slices of pizza, forming a circle
At the borders of the site, raspberries, blackberries or berry bushes are usually planted, which bear fruit well when shaded.
Landscaping and regular planning
Below are examples of garden planning for lovers of order and clarity of forms and for those who like it when plants in an orchard are also planted according to the scheme, but create the impression of natural zones.
Landscaping assumes the arrangement of trees and other crops in a free order, close to natural. In such a garden, in addition to fruit crops, decorative ones are also widely used.
An example of a free garden layout - vegetable beds on the left and above, fruit trees are planted in groups in the center and on the right
With regular planning, trees and shrubs, as well as vegetables in the garden, are planted in strict rows at the same distance. The landing pattern also has a strict geometric shape - a square for sections whose length and width are almost equal, and a rectangle for sections whose length is much greater than the width.
An example of a regular layout of a garden with a vegetable garden - clear geometry, the site is divided into regular squares, rectangles, plants are planted in rows
Where are the best crops to plant?
These are trees and shrubs that grow and bear fruit well in your latitudes. For middle lane these are pears, apple trees (it is advisable to plant several trees of different varieties), different varieties of plums and cherry plums, cherries. In warm latitudes, cherries and apricots will ripen. Berry bushes - all varieties of currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries. With a small area of \ u200b \ u200bthe plot, it is convenient to arrange shrubs around the perimeter.
If you plant several apple trees, among which there are summer, autumn and winter apple trees, the fruits will delight you at different times of the year.
Example interesting layout vegetable gardens - paths diverge from the square of slabs in the center, between which the beds are located, different crops are planted on each of the beds. It is convenient to approach any of them
On vegetable beds nearby, you need to plant crops that grow well in close proximity to each other:
- cabbage, cucumbers, peas;
- white cabbage, dill, potatoes, onions, lettuce, celery;
- tomatoes, peas, carrots;
- horseradish, potatoes, beans, onions, cabbage.
When you draw a diagram, decide which plants to plant and in what quantity, you can start marking the garden on the ground, buy seedlings and prepare the soil.
When placing fruit plants on a site, it is necessary, first of all, to take into account that fruit trees and shrubs are perennial plants and that mistakes made when placing them for the most part it is not possible to fix it, since they are not detected immediately, but many years later, when the plants enter a period of full fruiting.
The biggest mistake, the harmful consequences of which can very often be observed in individual gardens, is planting trees too thickly. Where only one tree can grow, several are often planted.
While they are still young and have not grown, the mistake made is not felt, but over time, when the trees grow, the consequences of the mistake become obvious: the branches of neighboring trees begin to intertwine with each other and shade each other.
Due to insufficient access of light and air, trees stretch upward, exposing themselves in places where fruiting organs should have developed. In such thickened plantings, harmful insects settle, fungal diseases develop.
Too thickened planting negatively affects the life of the roots. They are also intertwined with each other and prevent each other from developing normally. Over time, such gardens present a very unsightly sight, causing a feeling of regret about the wasted time and the waste of money on growing them.
Therefore, the most important condition for the successful cultivation of an orchard is to establish correct distance between trees in rows and aisles.
To avoid overly dense planting of trees, in which a continuous tent can form, depriving trees of light and air, it is necessary to take into account possible maximum dimensions crowns of mature trees in the given soil and climatic conditions.
Fruit trees should be planted at such distances from each other that would provide an adult tree with sufficient clearance between its crown and the crowns of neighboring trees. However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the excessively rare placement of trees also does not justify itself, since this significantly reduces the yield per unit area.
In an effort to get as much production as possible from a unit of area, many gardeners who have small individual plots (500-600 sq. M.) Resort to mixed landing trees, in which stone fruits are planted in the rows of apple and pear trees.
Mixed planting of trees is associated, however, with some inconveniences. They consist mainly in the fact that by the time when summer spraying of apple and pear is applied in orchards, fruits are already ripening on stone fruits, which are difficult to protect from the ingress of poisonous liquid on them.
Another disadvantage of mixed planting is that when the time comes for the renewal of less durable species (stone fruits), the crowns of vigorous trees (apple and pear), with an insufficient distance between them, may close by this time, and planting stone fruits in the places of old, obsolete trees will be impossible.
All these drawbacks are eliminated by clean tree planting, when the species are placed separately. Although with this method of planting on an individual site, several fewer plants than with a mixed landing, it should be recognized as more appropriate.
Mixed planting of fruit trees justifies itself in the case when cherries and plums are planted between the main species (apple and pear) only as temporary compactors, which are removed as the main species develop. With such a tree planting, in the first 8-10 years after the garden was laid, the area of the site is most fully used and the trees develop well.
When determining the density of planting trees, one should take into account the soil and climatic conditions, the location of the garden and the agricultural technology used.
For example, in all zones, when laying gardens on slopes, smaller distances between trees are required than on a flat area; in conditions of systematic irrigation of a garden, the distances between trees should be greater than in non-irrigated conditions.
This means that when establishing the distance between trees, it is very important to take into account the specific conditions for the growth and development of trees in individual areas. But whatever these conditions may be, the distance between the planted trees should not be less than 7 × 7 m for vigorous and 5 × 4 m for low-growing species.
The group of vigorous plants mainly includes: 1) in Polesie and Forest-steppe - apple and pear; 2) in the western, central and southern Steppe - apple, pear, sweet cherry and apricot.
In small areas, in order to increase the number of pome trees, it is possible to place some of the pear trees (grafted on vigorous rootstocks) of certain varieties, which differ in their low growth force and the pyramidal shape of the crown, somewhat thicker in comparison with the apple tree.
With a clean planting in rows of apple and pear trees, you can plant dwarf trees of the same species or shrubs (currants, gooseberries).
It is also very important, when placing trees on an area, to give a uniform direction to rows along a strip of plots throughout the entire massif of a collective garden and to achieve the same planting density.
Despite the crushing of the massif into numerous small areas, this will make it possible to form compact rectilinear strips of fruit plantations, which is of great importance for the creation of garden massifs, as well as for the convenience of carrying out individual agrotechnical works on this massif in the event of their mechanization.
Therefore, you should not plant the boundaries of the plots with shrubs. They must be left free. To facilitate the planning of the collective garden, the following four approximate layouts of fruit and berry plants and grapes approved by the Ukrainian Research Institute of Horticulture are given, in which four plans of individual sites are given in relation to the conditions of individual zones.
The first scheme. With this scheme, on a plot of 500 sq. m in the conditions of Polesye and Forest-steppe, you can plant 11 fruit trees, 15-18 bushes of currants and gooseberries, 53-56 bushes of raspberries, 6-9 bushes of grapes, strawberries on an area of 70 sq. m. Pome plants make up more than 50% of the total number of trees on the site.
An increase in the proportion of pome fruits in such a site is also possible as a result of planting two or three dwarf apple and pear trees between vigorous trees instead of bush berries. Wherein specific gravity pome fruits on the site and, therefore, in the garden as a whole, will reach 60%, which is quite enough for a collective garden.
Strawberries are placed here in row-spacing so that in 4-5 years they will change places with vegetables. In the conditions of Polesye and Forest-steppe, grapes are planted in one or two rows, in the direction from south to north in the least shaded place - on the side where the guardhouse (gazebo or summer house) is located. Raspberries are placed between the grapes and the extreme row of trees, as a more shade-tolerant crop. Currants and gooseberries are located in the spaces between the trees.
The laying of gardens according to this scheme in the conditions of the northern and central Steppe is associated with a change in the species composition of plantations towards an increase in grape plantings due to a decrease in the number of raspberry bushes. According to this scheme, in the conditions of the northern and central Steppe, 11 fruit trees and 12 grape bushes can be planted on the site.
In the conditions of the southern Steppe, the number of trees decreases to nine, but the number of grape bushes increases to 22 pieces.
For planting trees and bushes, the following distances are taken: for apple and pear trees - 7 × 7 m, cherries and apricots in the northern, eastern and southern Steppe - 7 × 6 m, and in other zones - the same as for cherries and plums - 5 × 4 m.
The second scheme is intended for an individual plot of 580 - 600 sq. m. On such a site in the conditions of Polesie and Forest-steppe, you can plant 14 fruit trees, 25 currant and gooseberry bushes, 42 raspberry bushes, 8-10 grape bushes and strawberries on an area of 70 square meters. m. Pome fruits here make up about 60% of all trees. As in the first scheme, strawberries are placed in row spacings, grapes - in the least shaded place, and currants and gooseberries - between trees.
In the conditions of the northern and central Steppe, the number of trees decreases slightly (up to 12 pieces) and the number of grape bushes increases. In the conditions of the southern Steppe, only 11 trees are planted, but the number of grape bushes is brought to 30. The distances between trees and bushes are the same as in the previous scheme.
The third scheme is intended for collective gardens, arranged outside the city, where the size of individual plots can be more than 600 square meters. m. This scheme is designed for a collective garden with individual plots of 800 - 900 square meters. m.
In the conditions of Polesye and Forest-steppe, on such a site, it is possible to plant 19 fruit trees with a large specific gravity of pome species, 27-29 bushes of currants and gooseberries, about 50 bushes of raspberries, 10-18 bushes of grapes and strawberries on an area of 100-150 sq. m. In the northern, central and southern Steppe, fruit plantations are reduced by 2-3 trees, and the number of grapes increases to 35 bushes in the northern and neutral Steppe and to 48 bushes in the southern Steppe. The placement of rocks and the distance between trees and bushes are the same as in the previous diagrams.
The fourth scheme is intended for the largest individual plots with an area of over 1000 sq. m. According to this scheme, designed for a plot of 1100 - 1200 sq. m. m., 22-24 fruit trees, 33-35 currant and gooseberry bushes, 90-110 raspberry bushes and 15-20 grape bushes are planted in the conditions of Polesye and Forest-steppe.
Every host country house wants to have an orchard on his land: apple, cherry, from different varieties and types of crops. In the spring, trees and bushes bloom delightfully, smell fragrant, self-grown fruits and berries are always tastier than those purchased at the market or in a store. In addition, the products are environmentally friendly. A blossoming fruit garden is perceived as a symbol of prosperity and abundance.
Where to locate the orchard
Growing a garden is not easy. The main mistake novice gardeners are in a hurry to master the site without studying the culture of planting. Seedlings planted without taking into account the characteristics and compatibility, over time, begin to become infected with diseases and oppress each other. Competent placement of fruit in the garden, taking into account sunny and shady areas, soil types, depth of groundwater is the key to a successful future garden.
The suitability and unsuitability of land for gardening helps to determine the nature itself. Maple, mountain ash, wild pear grow on richer soils, alder, willow, sedge - in wetlands. Dense clay and rocky soil is not suitable for planting a garden. Perfect option- black soil, but more often the plants are planted on medium acid soils. The main thing is to do this away from conifers and birches, on the territory freed from fallen leaves.
In areas with high groundwater, plants also cannot develop well, since the roots will constantly be in the water, rot from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. The optimum water level for fruit trees should be no closer than 15 m from the surface. But for shrubs (gooseberries, currants and raspberries), the water can be 1 m and not harm the plants.
There are no trifles in the organization of gardening. Listen to the opinions and advice of experienced gardeners and gardeners. Decide on your preferences in advance. There is no need to follow the lead of your dreams and buy twice as many seedlings than you can then grow. Below are the options for planting horticultural crops in small household plots.
Best compatibility of fruit trees and shrubs
The best compatibility of fruit trees in the garden is achieved if they are arranged in homogeneous groups (apple-to-apple, pear to pear). But such opportunities are available only to owners of large plantations or production cooperatives. Therefore, you will have to study in detail the compatibility of plants and the rules for planting them in small areas.
Compatibility is influenced by light, nutrition, soil, feeding, allelopathy ( negative impact). In the table, cells are highlighted in red, indicating an undesirable neighborhood of plants, green - a favorable one. Empty cells indicate the neutral nature of the neighborhood.
Apple tree- the most unpretentious fruit tree. It gets along with many garden and garden crops, has a powerful root system. While the apple tree is young, the raspberry bushes have a beneficial effect on its development (they loosen the soil). Apple trees develop faster and bear fruit abundantly if in apple orchard plant a couple of deciduous or conifers... Ash-leaved maple releases phytoncides and protects the apple tree from pests.
Many kinds pears are sterile, so they need to be planted in pairs. They do not tolerate apple trees, plums, currants, gooseberries growing nearby, but they favor mountain ash, oak and poplar. The most harmful neighbor is the juniper.
Cherry does not tolerate currants, raspberries, gooseberries and easily gets along with cherries and plums. Superficial cherry roots can fill the entire area.
Different varieties plums(Russian, Chinese, Amur) cannot be planted together, but they get along well with sweet cherry and maple. And the black elderberry saves the plum from aphids.
Grape goes well with Chinese lemongrass, pear, goes well with raspberries and cherries, cherries and apple trees. Does not tolerate the neighborhood of quince and hazel.
Cherriesgrows well in the same garden with cherries and plums, but is not happy with the neighborhood of apple and pear. It has strong roots and takes away nutrients from weaker plants.
Honeysuckle and black currants are good neighbors, but they don't get along with red currants. But gooseberries are friends with her.
Sea buckthorn compatible with many shrubs and trees, but it must be planted carefully, otherwise it will clog any plant with its long roots. To limit the spread of roots around the sea buckthorn, slate or iron shields are dug in. Sea buckthorn is a useful medicinal plant.
Currant different varieties are not planted side by side. Red berries need more intense lighting. Plant blackcurrants near honeysuckle, away from cherries, apples, and raspberries.
Gooseberry gets along well with red currants. He needs a lot of sun. The main external enemy of the shrub is the gooseberry moth. Gooseberries grow well next to plums and pears.
Raspberries will sweep out many neighbors in the garden. It is light-requiring, with an aggressive root system. Raspberries are usually planted in two rows and suppressed overgrowth to adjacent beds. Gooseberry and currant bushes next to raspberries will wither away.
In the garden between trees it is useful to sow anise, tarragon, basil, parsley, coriander, lemon balm, thyme. Their odorous substances, repelling pests, restrain the spread of many diseases.
What trees and shrubs cannot be planted together
The main reasons for suppressing one plant by another are:
- shading of the crown;
- competition for nutrients;
- occurrence of the root system at the same depth;
- the release of unpleasant or harmful substances;
- pathogens transmitted in close proximity.
Place incompatible plant species in the same area should be in opposite corners of the garden. It is not recommended to plant on garden area bird cherry, hawthorn and hazel. They act depressingly on neighboring plants.
Fruit and berry crops can be affected by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and become infected by insects. Tip: carefully study the tables indicating the unwanted neighborhood of plants in your garden plot.
Planting schemes for an orchard
It is more practical to plant the garden from the south or southeast side, lining up rows of trees from north to south. So fruit crops will be illuminated by the sun most of the day. To reduce shading, the outer rows are filled with low-growing crops, the inner rows with taller specimens.
Ornamental shrubs (viburnum, wild rose, mountain ash, hawthorn) are best placed outside the garden area along the perimeter, since they inhibit the growth of fruit crops.
Trees are planted three meters from buildings, and young trees are never planted next to old ones, so that the root system of the latter does not oppress the young growth. Fruit species with a seed stock take root well in elevated areas in a small group or separately standing tree... With shallow groundwater it is desirable to use planting crops on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks (columnar apple trees).
With thickened plantings, fruit crops begin to fight for lighting, food and space. To correctly calculate the garden planting scheme, consider the following indicators: the diameter of the crown and root system of the future tree, the biological characteristics and the timing of its ripening.
When planting apple trees in a row, observe the distance between them at least 3 m (for plums - 2 m, for pears and cherries - 2.5 m), for circular plantings - 5-7 m from each other. This is necessary for better cross-pollination, greater fruit setting and easier harvesting.
Scheme of regular placement of fruit trees:
It is best to buy seedlings in a nursery, paying attention to the length of the roots (at least 25 cm), their branching and the absence of outgrowths. The leaves should be carefully torn off, leaving the stem part, buds and main branches intact, and the roots should be wrapped in burlap to reduce moisture loss. Disembarkation is carried out no later than three weeks before the onset of stable cold weather.
Fertilizers, ash, humus are added to the planting pits with a diameter twice as large as the root system of the seedling. Then the seedlings are immersed in the holes, leaving the root collar at a level of 5 cm above the ground, and sprinkled on top with sawdust and peat. Seedlings in a container are planted in a planting hole without deepening the seedling, without breaking an earthen lump.
When to plant fruit: in autumn or spring?
Most of the trees and shrubs are planted in the ground after the completion of vegetation processes - in the fall, until November. The exception is the period of leaf fall. Once the plants have shed their foliage, they are ready to be transplanted. For young seedlings, such an operation is very responsible. They should have time to take root before the topsoil is frozen.
Autumn plantings do not require special care from the gardener, except for watering, but that is often replaced by autumn rains. Injured seedlings easily recover themselves, and in the spring they begin to grow actively. Summer residents have free time to perform other garden work. Well tolerated autumn planting apple, pear, cherry, cherry plum, mulberry, a significant part of varietal plum. Typically, these trees produce larger fruits.
Some seedlings with a lower frost resistance, brought from other climatic regions and not having passed the wintering stage in similar conditions, are planted in spring. These include all stone fruits (peach, cherry, apricot), chestnut and walnut. Spring planting is carried out until the buds have blossomed and the moisture has not left. Planting pits are prepared in the fall or a couple of weeks before the planting procedure.
When will the fruit garden start bearing fruit?
The fruiting times of horticultural crops depend on the variety of seedlings, the type of rootstock, as well as the correct and timely planting of trees and their care.
So, apple trees of varieties White filling, Simirenko, grafted onto a dwarf stock (M 9), and Williams, Forest Beauty pears bear fruit already in the third or fourth year, and some even in the second. Sweet cherries and cherries of the Lyubskaya variety begin to bear fruit even in the nursery. But you can get a bucket only after 3-4 years. Berries of black and red currants, irgi, gooseberries, viburnum, the first crops are harvested in the third year of life.
A fruit garden is not only tasty fruits, but also a whole medical arsenal. Roots, seeds, bark, leaves, shoots and flowers can all be useful for treatment. Infusion of apple leaves lowers blood pressure, gooseberry cleanses blood vessels, and pear buds remove salt and toxins from the body. A decoction of cherry cuttings helps fight cystitis. Apricots and plums have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract and heart. Quince heals joints. Black currant is a storehouse of vitamins.
If the garden is grown over a large area, it can become a business object. Apple trees, for example, with the use of modern intensive technologies, give a sufficient harvest the next year. The apple orchard business brings stable profits every year. And yet, the food issue is not the main goal of the gardener.
In winter, we are looking forward to the new summer season in order to return to evening tea at sunset, pleasant conversations, childhood memories and complete freedom of thought and deed, the silence and fragrance of our own garden and juicy apples on the table.
The harvest has long been harvested, and it is snowing outside the window. It would seem that it's time to take a break from the dacha troubles, but the thoughts of many gardeners are already devoted to the future. summer season: what and where to plant, what fertilizers and seeds to buy, how much and what kind of film is needed for greenhouses and greenhouses ... And it seems that there is nothing complicated here - just place potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beets, onions and garlic on your hundred square meters , green crops, because everything else: trees, shrubs, raspberries and strawberries have long had their legal planting sites.
But in practice, everything turns out to be more complicated - you have to compare a lot of different factors in order to make, sometimes, just one single correct decision. Moreover, for this it is not enough to know which cultures are light-loving and which are shade-tolerant - it is also necessary to take into account the fertility of this or that site, which crops grew here in the past, and preferably, and not only last year, and which crops will grow nearby peacefully and without conflicts.
Therefore, truly enthusiastic gardeners and gardeners have to plan and record in their garden no less painstakingly than accountants do their reporting. For example, my grandfather had a huge ledger with detailed plans garden-vegetable garden for several decades, starting from the 50s. In fact, for so many years, information is not needed - in most cases, it is enough to have data for 3-4 years, but here the truly accounting nature of the grandfather affected. Everything is easier for me, since I have a computer at hand, and it is enough for me, on a plan drawn once in the corresponding program, to simply record the year and mark where and what cultures I grew up with. But most probably still have to draw such a plan by hand - in this case, it is wiser to draw a plan once indicating trees, shrubs, greenhouses, greenhouses and permanent ridges, then take a dozen photocopies, and on each one already mark the crops planted in this or that year - it will be so much faster.
How to reconcile all the pros and cons
Even with all the information you need, finding the right solution can be tricky. You start posting, and it seems that almost everything was planned out, but here on the last stage it turns out that, for example, there is a bed for cabbage, on which this cabbage grew the year before last and at the same time was sick with keel. So, you can't plant her here, and everything starts over. Again you have to redo the plan, look for a new solution and re-draw it.
If you know similar situation and every year you bring yourself to a headache, planning and re-moving crops around the garden, then try an interesting solution that I recently read about (I don't need it, since I do everything on a computer, but most gardeners will probably be very useful ). True, to use this approach, you must have rectangular ridges of similar size, and each vegetable must be planted on its own ridge (that is, not in company with others).
In this case, you can plan as follows: take last year's site plan (and better plans 3-4 years) and a blank sheet of paper. Draw this sheet into identical rectangles and write on them: potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, etc., listing everything that you plan to plant. Moreover, if you always occupy two ridges with garlic, then, accordingly, there should be two rectangles with the name "garlic", and so on. Cut the paper into separate rectangles and begin to collect the puzzle called "entertaining vegetable garden" on your plan, placing the ridges-rectangles in the right way in the chosen places of your plan. It is not scary to be mistaken here, tk. it's easy to fix everything by moving the "wrong" rectangle to a new location. Try it, and it will be much easier to play all the situations in your head and redraw your plan many times over and over.
What factors need to be considered when planning a vegetable garden?
First- all vegetables love sunny place... Only green crops, which include onion on a feather, and perennial bows such as chives and slimes, partially put up with penumbra. This means that in a small shade of the house, fence, trees and shrubs, you can sow and plant onions and some herbs. Although you will not get a large harvest in this case, you still cannot grow anything else in these places.
Second- compatibility of vegetables: who is with whom it is good or, conversely, it is bad. Cabbage doesn't live with tomatoes and beans. Cucumber - with potatoes. Tomatoes - with fennel. Potatoes - with tomatoes and pumpkin. Peas and beans are very unpleasant onions and garlic, radish - hyssop. Only now the carrots get along with everyone, although from the point of view of protection against carrot flies, it is preferable to sow it in the company with onions. It was about bad neighbors.
And the good ones? Here are other examples. All vegetables of the celery family (carrots, parsnips, parsley, celery) go well with the onion family: onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots. White and black radishes work well for other vegetables. Radish grows very well between rows of bush beans - it becomes very large, tasty and not wormy. Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish and onions do not interfere with potatoes. But each separately, because there are several irreconcilable couples in this group.
Compatible with cabbage, onions, celery, potatoes, dill and lettuce. Tomatoes can be planted alongside greens and cabbages, asparagus and beans. Peas can coexist with carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, corn. Etc.
Third rule no less important - it must be borne in mind that phytoncides secreted by some plants scare away pests of other crops or prevent some diseases from developing. For example, onion phytoncides scare off carrot flies, and carrot phytoncides scare off onions. Dill protects cucumbers from disease, while onions and garlic protect tomatoes. Planting strong-smelling plants such as celery, thyme, or sage near the cabbage will drown out the smell of the cabbage and make it less attractive to pests. And basil is a good idea to plant near beans for protection from legume weevil, garlic - near roses to protect against aphids, parsley - near asparagus.
When planning we must also take into account the predecessors, that is, whether a suitable vegetable grew last season in the place where you will plant another in the spring. And here again there are numerous schemes! And the most important thing to learn is that you cannot plant the same culture in the same place. And, in addition, cabbage cannot be placed after any cabbage and beets. Beets - after beets, cabbage and tomatoes. Tomatoes - after all the nightshades and peas.
Fifth, which has to be taken into account - d long-term crop rotation, perspective for 3-4 years. It's even more complicated here. Agronomy teaches you how to rotate vegetables according to their nutrient needs, in particular organic. Conventionally, in the first year (i.e., on fresh organic matter), cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage of medium and late ripening periods, leeks, etc. are grown, that is, those crops for which a lot of organic matter needs to be applied. In the second year, they are replaced by onions, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. The third is the turn of root crops (carrots, beets, radishes, etc.), which have to add a hefty portion of mineral fertilizers.
Garden planning features
With the garden, it is still more difficult, because we plant vegetables every year, and if one year your layout turned out to be unsuccessful, then perhaps the next year everything will turn out to be much better.
We place trees and shrubs in permanent places for a long time, and once planted apple trees will supply you with fruits for the rest of your life. Therefore, when drawing up a garden plan, it is imperative to allocate separate permanent places for each tree species, for vegetables, for flowers, and everything must be correctly calculated in advance where and what will grow in 10-20 years. And there are a lot of rules here too.
Rule one consists in the presence of each group of crops (fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetable and decorative crops) of a permanent place. A common mistake is the combined arrangement of crops, when vegetables, strawberries, berry bushes are placed among young apple and pear trees. At first, everything turns out well: the trees do not take up much space, there is enough light and nutrition for other plants. But over time, the trees grow, and then the catch crops fall into the shade, their productivity becomes low. Therefore, the first rule of site planning is to allocate a separate permanent place for each crop. Of course, you can temporarily grow berry bushes, strawberries and vegetables among the vigorous tree species, but then, when there is a strong blackout, they will have to be removed and moved somewhere else, which you need to think about in advance.
Second rule is to provide for the possibility of renewing strawberries, berry bushes, cherry and plum trees. Say, strawberries bear fruit well in one place for 2-3 years. In the fourth or, in extreme cases, the fifth year of fruiting, it must be completely eliminated. Therefore, one garden bed is vacated annually so that vegetables can be grown here the next year, and the vegetable bed is planted with strawberries. Therefore, it is more convenient to refer strawberries not to the garden, but to the garden and to change the strawberry ridges with vegetable ridges. Currant, gooseberry and raspberry bushes can theoretically bear fruit for a very long time in one place, and everything here depends on proper care. It is more profitable (from the point of view of saving your own time) to look after these crops well and regularly prune and spray, then in one place, subject to rejuvenating pruning, they can bear fruit for 10, 15 years or more. And everything will be fine. And if you take care of it badly, then they will not last long, the bushes will weaken from diseases, pests, malnutrition and thickening, and you will have to look for another place for them and start growing and shaping again.
The third rule of planning- respect for the rights of a neighbor. Your trees should not shade much of the adjacent area. The distance from the tree trunk to the border should be at least half of the generally accepted row spacing: for vigorous trees 3.5-4 m, for medium-sized trees - 2.0-2.5 m.In the strip between the trees and the border, you can plant currants, gooseberries, raspberries ... And in no case should you plant tall trees and shrubs 20 cm from the border, which, alas, is not uncommon.
Fourth rule of planning- decrease in the height of plants as they approach the house. In order for the housing to be dry and light, the lowest plants should be placed near the house - flowers, lawn grass, part of strawberries, vegetables, shrubs, and tall trees should be taken further, deep into the site.
Fifth rule- taking into account the characteristics of certain plants. From berry bushes in drier, but well-lit places, it is better to plant red currants, gooseberries, and black currants on lower, more humid (but not swampy) places. Raspberries and sea buckthorn are planted separately in specially designated areas of the site, since the former gives many root suckers, and the latter develops long roots that interfere with the growth and development of other plants; strawberries are planted in places where snow lingers well in winter. Growing strawberries between fruit trees is undesirable.
Chokeberry and sea buckthorn look good when planted in groups closer to home. Lemongrass and actinidia are planted near the wall of the house so that there is protection from the wind and the possibility of creating reliable vertical supports... Barberry and lilacs are planted away from all other crops (somewhere apart), because their root secretions do not give life to other plants.
Svetlana Shlyakhtina, Yekaterinburg