Gardener's secrets: how to preserve an apple tree seedling before planting in the spring

The best time to plant a young apple tree is autumn.

If for some reason it was not possible to implement the idea, but a fruit tree seedling has already been purchased, you can leave it until the weather warms up.

Read the article about how to properly preserve an apple tree seedling at home in the winter before planting it in the spring.

Preparation for storage

Before sending seedlings for storage, they need to be prepared correctly:

1. All illiquid roots must be removed. Dry or diseased areas are cut off with pruning shears.

   If some roots have grown longer than expected, you need to shorten them to normal size.

   Bare areas are treated with brilliant green or sprinkled with powdered coal.

2. Check for living roots. If they are dry, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for several days.
3. Plants with bare roots are treated with an antiseptic. Copper sulfate is used for this purpose. It, in an amount of 10 g, is diluted in 10 liters of water.
4. If leaves appear on the branches, they need to be removed.

Before sending the seedlings for storage, they need to be watered. The bundle is lowered into a barrel of water, with a weight in the form of a stone tied to it. After 3 hours they are removed. During this time, the trees will be saturated with moisture, which will be enough for them until spring.

How to store in winter?

There are several ways to store planting material. Gardeners leave them to spend the winter on the site, buried in the ground, in the cellar and even on the balcony.

Under the snow

To dig, you need to choose the driest place on the site where water does not stagnate.Some gardeners make a dig at the site of the future planting hole.

Procedure:

1. Dig a suitable trench in the ground. Its depth should be about 50-70 cm.

   The width depends on the initial size of the future apple tree. For one seedling, a hole is made up to 20 cm wide.

2. Place the seedlings in the ground. Their roots should be closer to the steep edge. The tops point south. This will protect them from the cold wind.
3. If the soil is clayey, it is diluted with peat or sand. There should be no voids in the tunnel. Plants are covered to a height of 20 cm and watered with clean water.
4. Work is completed only with the arrival of the first autumn frosts. The excavation is completely covered with soil, making a small mound.
5. Additionally, the workpiece is covered with straw or sawdust. This will help protect the seedlings from cold and rodents. Mice are well repelled by thorny rosehip branches.

The seedlings are left in the ground until spring. However, this method is not suitable for all gardeners. It is not relevant for summer residents who live in cold regions with low precipitation and severe frosts.

In the cellar

Another option for storing seedlings is in the cellar. An important condition is the presence of a stable temperature in it, which is 0 degrees. If it is higher, the kidneys will awaken. In case of frost, on the contrary, they will die.

On the balcony at home

Sometimes seedlings are left on the balcony. This method has its own characteristics:

• the roots are placed in a bag with holes made in it;
• The polyethylene is wrapped in newspaper on top and secured with a rope or rubber band;
• the trees are placed in plastic containers and covered with cloth - this is necessary in order to protect them from bright light;
• under such conditions, the roots of the seedlings will not dry out or rot.

Each purchased container with a seedling contains information on the conditions under which it should be stored. These recommendations should not be violated.

What should you not do?

Basic prohibitions that should not be violated when sending a plant for storage:

1. Seedlings affected by mold should not be stored for storage. They will die on their own and infect healthy plants. Such cuttings must be disposed of by burning them away from fruit-bearing trees.
2. It is not recommended to disturb future trees every time you go to the cellar. If no temperature changes occur, they will keep well until spring. It is enough to inspect them once during the winter.
3. Do not cover above-ground branches of seedlings with roofing material or film. This will negatively affect the plant immunity.
4. After purchase, you should not bring small trees into a warm room. Until they migrate to their permanent wintering place, they are kept cool, for example, on a loggia. If you bring seedlings into your apartment, they will immediately begin to grow.
5. You cannot dig up seedlings before April.

You will find a lot of useful information about storing apples Here.

Video on the topic of the article

The video will show you how to preserve seedlings until spring:

Conclusion

Preserving an apple tree seedling until spring planting is not difficult. There are several ways to prevent the plant from dying.

For gardeners living in a temperate climate zone, the digging method is excellent. Summer residents who keep a vegetable garden in northern latitudes are better off using their own loggia or cellar.