Preparing fruit trees for winter

It is only primordially city dwellers who can think that after harvesting in garden-orchard works a long-awaited calm sets in. No, with the onset of autumn, the hassle in the life of the gardener becomes much greater. What is worth only preparing the fruit trees for the winter, from which depends not only the future harvest, but the life of the garden as a whole. About how to properly prepare young fruit trees for the winter, we'll talk today.

Do I need to water the fruit trees for the winter?

In order to recover after a period of active growth and fruiting, and also to accumulate the forces necessary for a successful wintering, fruit trees should receive a certain amount of water. Therefore, in conditions of dry autumn, water-discharge irrigation is a matter of primary importance. If the autumn turned out to be rainy and soaked the earth to a level of 20-25 cm, then it is quite possible to do without them. If necessary, such watering is carried out in the middle of October, pouring under each tree from 60 to 150 liters of water. To water is better absorbed, the ground in the stump circle is preliminarily loosened. Not at all superfluous will be laid on top of the loosened soil and a layer of organic mulch (peat, sawdust, lapnik), which will save moisture in the soil and protect the roots from frost. But only lay it can be only when the first frosts come, otherwise it will cause overheating and rooting of the root neck and surface roots.

Protection of fruit trees from rodents for the winter

That the tender bark of young fruit trees does not become a dinner of mice or hares, their trunks need to be additionally protected. For this you can use both special materials and helpers. For example, wrap trunks with strips of white or newsprint, or use for These purposes are kraft paper, from which sacks for cement are usually made. To make a protective layer, the paper is cut into strips 20-30 cm wide and tightly wraps the trunk, starting from the ground itself. Such protection not only protects tree trunks from rodents-lacquers, but also will not allow the bark to get burns from the sun or frost.

Will help protect trunks from pests and their timely whitewashing . For this purpose, a solution of hydrated lime is traditionally used, but with an incorrect concentration, it can cause burns. Therefore, in recent years, more popular ready-mix for whitewashing trees based on acrylic paint.