Features of watering an apple tree at different times of the year
Fruit trees in the garden need to comply with the basic rules of agricultural technology. It is important to properly water the apple trees so that they produce a good and healthy harvest every year. The biological features of culture require certain knowledge.
Features of watering an apple tree at different times of the year
When to water apple trees
Apple crops need regular watering throughout the growing season.
It is important to take into account the growing region: the hotter and hotter the weather, the more often the need for moisture arises.
Lack of moisture in the soil can provoke crushing of fruits and their premature fall from the branches.
3-4 irrigation procedures are carried out per year:
- in early spring - before budding on the tree;
- during the flowering period;
- in the phase of active formation of ovaries and fruits;
- during the mass ripening of apples.
In a particularly dry period, it is recommended to carry out additional irrigation of plants or their external moistening.
Sometimes it is watered in the fall, no later than October (in the case of a dry season), to protect the wood from excessive drying, which threatens to freeze out in a particularly frosty winter.
Humidification rules
Watering the apple tree must be carried out in compliance with certain rules: take into account the amount of water and additional procedures.
An excess of moisture in the root zone is just as dangerous for a tree as a shortage - this has a significant impact on yield indicators.
- When planting an apple tree, it is necessary that the root collar is 2-5 cm above the soil level. The outflow of excess moisture to the edges of the crown of the plant will not allow it to accumulate at the root area. Stagnant water can lead to decay of the root system, which threatens bacterial diseases, and in especially advanced cases - the death of the culture.
- After moistening, when moisture is completely absorbed into the soil, it is recommended to carry out loosening and further mulching. This will improve the access of moisture and oxygen to the root system and will allow it to keep the required moisture level in it for as long as possible. Dry straw, hay, sawdust are used as mulch. It is necessary to scatter it at a distance of 10-15 cm from the tree trunk, so as not to provoke the occurrence of fungal diseases of the rhizome.
- Near the apple tree, which grows in the garden on the slope, it is advised to make special shafts and holes that help retain water, allowing the roots of the plant to get a sufficient amount of it.
Water temperature
It is not recommended to use cold water for irrigating apple trees. This leads to a sharp temperature drop in the root zone, which threatens the emergence of bacterial, fungal diseases. It can also provoke the death of thin roots, moisture, despite its presence in the soil, is not absorbed by the plant in sufficient quantities.
The plant will slow down growth and development, and fruiting can begin much later than usual.Watering with boiling water is unacceptable for the same reasons.
Irrigation should be carried out as far as possible with settled, heated water.
Most popular ways
Trees are best watered with warm water.
Watering apple trees correctly involves several basic methods. It is necessary to choose the most suitable and harmless one - this will allow the plant to receive a sufficient amount of moisture without the danger of waterlogging.
Surface method
The essence of this method is that water is brought into special ditches located in the aisles of the apple orchard.
Irrigation is carried out using hoses that supply moisture to the crown of the tree, and not to the root. This allows the small roots to get the required amount.
To do this, a shallow ditch (10-15 cm) is dug around the circumference, into which water is gradually poured until the moment when it ceases to be intensively absorbed into the soil.
Sprinkling
This method involves the introduction of moisture using special devices - sprinklers.
The movements should be impulsive, fan-shaped, and the sprinkling method should be small, but moderately abundant. When using this method, the soil should be moistened to a depth of 50-80 cm.
Shallow moisture, especially in hot weather, will only aggravate the tree's condition.
Drip system
The drip method of watering apple trees is the most common. Its essence lies in the fact that moisture lends itself directly to the root. At the same time, the risk of waterlogging is minimal, everyone can regulate this process independently, focusing on the condition of the soil.
It is recommended to use this method in combination with external irrigation.
Liquid top dressing
To create a humid microclimate, irrigation is combined with external irrigation of green mass. This is especially true in the southern regions, where the climate is dry and the air humidity is low.
The main requirement is that it must be carried out in the morning or evening hours, when the activity of the sun's rays is minimal. This will prevent the occurrence of burns on the foliage of the plant, especially if the fruit is planted in areas exposed to the sun.
Irrigation technology at different times of the year
In summer
Fruiting of apple trees occurs in the summer. Special attention should be paid to moistening the soil at this time. Rational irrigation is especially important for young seedlings, which are 1-3 years old.
During the period of formation and ripening of fruits, the tree needs more frequent moisture. This affects not only the amount of the crop, but also the taste of the fruit.
special instructions
- For young seedlings (up to a year), it is required to make 2-3 liters.
- Trees that are 5 or more years old need 60-80 liters.
- Older specimens (over 10 years old) need 130-150 liters.
The amount of water should be appropriate for the age of the tree.
Proper watering during flowering and fruit formation can increase crop yields by 35% or more. A positive result is obtained by combining internal and external irrigation, carried out with minimal sun activity.
In the spring
Fertilization is recommended before watering.
Spring soil moisture is especially important for maximum saturation of the root system. The number of ovaries will depend on this, and as a result - yield indicators.
Young and annual seedlings need to be watered more frequently in spring than already mature trees with a highly developed root system.
The first procedure, after winter rest, is carried out until the kidneys swell. To do this, choose a quiet warm day that does not threaten subsequent night frosts. This is especially important in those cases when the winter was little snow and the precipitation in the spring is not enough for high-quality soil moisture.
The second time is during the period of active flowering. This time, depending on the type of crop, falls on May-June. To check the need to moisten the soil, gardeners dig a small depression (about 10 cm) near the root zone.The soil must not be dry.
Also, before adding moisture to the soil, gardeners recommend feeding the crop with dry fertilizers. Subsequent moistening will help nutrients evenly penetrate into the soil and reach all parts of the root system.
In autumn
The autumn period is characterized by high humidity and a sufficient amount of natural precipitation. Watering apple trees during this period is not always advisable. The only exceptions are those cases when autumn is dry, without enough rain.
- In September, it is not recommended to do this, this can lead to the beginning of the vegetative development of the culture. Subsequent cold weather will soon lead to the fact that the plant does not have time to prepare for them, it will be damaged or die.
- Autumn watering can be done after the fruit has dropped the foliage. This time falls on the beginning - mid-October. Use warm water.
- Making an autumn planting of a young apple tree, at least 6 buckets of settled and heated water should be poured into the hole.
Nutrient formulations
Complex and organic substances are added to the water for irrigating apple trees, which, together with moisture, are evenly distributed over the root system of the culture. They can be purchased ready-made or prepared by yourself.
To make a nutritional composition, you need:
- capacity for 20-25 buckets;
- 1.5-2 buckets of nettles or other weeds;
- the same amount of chicken droppings.
All components are placed in a container, filled with water, and placed in a shaded place for infusion for 10-14 days. Stir the solution periodically. For irrigation, take infusion and settled water (1:10). It activates the formation of ovaries, increases their number.
Ash water is also popular. 2-3 tbsp of sifted ash is insisted in 10 liters of water, after which the solution is filtered and fed to fruit trees.
A weak solution of potassium permanganate shows a good result. It is used to prevent fungal diseases, as well as to stimulate the growth of the root system. Watering is recommended once every 30-35 days.
Correct and rational watering of a young apple tree is one of the components of competent care for horticultural crops. Without it, it is not possible to obtain maximum yield indicators. Time spent on moisturizing and preparing water for this will certainly be rewarded with an abundant harvest of high-quality, tasty fruits, and an aesthetically attractive type of culture.