How to distinguish a blooming apple tree from a pear tree. Simple tips before buying pear seedlings, mistakes when buying

Nice garden will delight its owner for many years.

But to get such a treasure, you first need to work hard.

At any stage you can make a mistake, which will bring all efforts to naught.

The “wrong” seedling may simply not take root. Taking an apple tree seedling yourself without a clear understanding of how to choose an apple tree seedling is too risky.

In this article we will tell you how to avoid these mistakes and successfully grow an apple tree that will delight you for many years.

This first step should not be underestimated. It is the choice of seedling that largely determines whether you will be able to grow a healthy tree.

Take this issue seriously:

• Find out which apple tree varieties suitable for your region. This is very important, because a young tree, unadapted to such a climate, can die long before it begins to bear fruit.
• It is best to contact your local gardening organization or nursery with this question. Their addresses can be found on the Internet.
• Pay attention to customer reviews. Choose a company responsibly.
• The most difficult stage of selection is practical. It all depends on knowledge and attentiveness.

Selection of seedlings in the nursery.

First of all, everything seedlings can be divided into three groups depending on the level of the rootstock, i.e. the stem and root system. When choosing one type or another, you need to take into account the characteristics of the site.

There are these types:

IMPORTANT! If the seedlings have thorns, do not buy it. Most likely they are passing off a wild apple tree as a varietal apple tree.

Contact of the root system with groundwater is extremely undesirable. Such an apple tree will be weak and sickly, its harvest will be extremely meager. When purchasing a seedling, do not forget about the importance of this factor.

The ideal age of a seedling is 1–2 years. The youth of a tree is a guarantee that it it will take root better in a new place.

How visually determine the age of the seedling? annual plant It should not have developed branches; in a two-year-old, you can count 2-3 additional branches.

Inspect the root system. It must not be damaged. Healthy roots a little damp, but by no means rotten; they should be elastic, not brittle.

The state of the cortex also has great importance. Gently pick off the bark with your fingernail - the stem should be green.

Better do not buy trees that have leaves. They most likely will not take root.

How much do apple tree seedlings cost?

Saplings with an open root system are cheaper than those sold in a container. The cost of an apple tree seedling depends on the variety and quality of the tree, as well as specifically on the selling company. On average, focus on a price of about 300 rubles, although some nurseries may ask for 800 rubles.

Watch the training video on how to choose the right apple tree seedling:

How are apple tree seedlings grown?

Daring gardeners can try grow a seedling yourself. This is not so difficult, especially if you have at least basic knowledge of a school biology course. Let's look at the main methods.

Growing apple tree seedlings from seeds

Method one - . Even small children wonder whether an apple tree will grow from an accidentally dropped seed.

In reality, everything is not so simple. There have been cases where a seed grew beautiful tree with tasty fruits, but there is a possibility that a grown apple tree will not lose its “maternal” wild properties and all your efforts will be in vain.

But if difficulties and possible risk Don't be scared, follow our advice:

1. Rinse the mature brown seeds in running water to remove the substance that prevents it from germinating. The best thing place the seeds in water for 3 days.
2. Then place the seeds in the refrigerator (this process is called stratification). To do this, you need to prepare a bowl filled with slightly damp sand. The seeds should last about two months in the refrigerator. It is best to start stratification in early January..
3. The seeds should germinate in the refrigerator. They need to be planted in specially prepared boxes (drainage should be poured at the bottom and a nutrient mixture on top). The boxes should be placed on a well-lit windowsill.
4. It's easy to recognize a wild one still on early stages: its leaves are bright green, and the shoots already have short spines. It's better not to waste your time on them. Or use the wildflower as a rootstock, to which the desired variety can be grafted.

From a cutting

Apple trees can also be propagated by cuttings.

How to make a seedling from an apple tree branch has been known for a long time. In order to grow a tree in this way, you need prepare the rootstock– choose a tree grown from a seed or (which is much better) a wild one.

Preparing cuttings for rootstock.

You need to graft a cutting from the tree you want to the roots of such a tree. It is very important to correctly combine the rootstock and cuttings.

For wild dwarf tree would be better suited a cutting of a columnar apple tree, and an apple tree grown from a seed will take well to a cutting of an ordinary tall tree.

The stalk must be no older than one year. We will tell you in detail how to make a seedling from an apple tree below.

How to grow apple tree seedlings from a branch

Another way is bury a branch in the ground.

In autumn, the tree is planted at an angle so that the young shoots touch the ground. In spring, the branches are attached to the bud with staples. During the summer they need to be earthed up, and in the fall ready-made seedlings are obtained.

Air layering or how to get seedlings from an old apple tree

Provide soil with a place where new soil will form. root system.

It is more difficult to graft a seedling from a branch, so it is often more advisable to use the air layering method.

For the twig to begin to take root, you need to surround her wet soil. To begin, select a twig that will become a seedling - healthy, without branches, as thick as a regular pencil.

When the snow melts, this branch needs put on a polyethylene sleeve. It is advisable to attach it with electrical tape. It will remain on the apple tree until it becomes stable warm weather. Then the sleeve is removed.

Need to find the boundary between an adult branch and new growth– from this point about 10 cm is retreated and a circular incision of about 1 cm is made, small incisions are also made to the left and right of it. All buds above the incisions must be removed.

Then a sleeve with a container is put on the branch. In the first three days in a container (you can use trimmed plastic bottle) place root growth stimulating liquid, then specially prepared soil, which must be kept moist at all times.

You can try any of these methods yourself at home. It is advisable to additionally consult with competent specialists.

Look detailed video on how to get a seedling from an apple tree using the air layering method:

You can take a seedling from an apple tree yourself. You don’t have to be an experienced gardener to do this.

If you want to receive varietal apple tree, then you can use the parent shoot, which sometimes just needs to be dug in correctly.

The procedure is carried out in the spring. You can use young shoots no more than 1 year old.

They are placed in a hole about 10 cm deep. The branch is attached to a peg. Thus, a shoot of 30–40 cm should remain above the ground. It also needs to rid the nearest area of ​​weeds.

To be sure, root several branches in this way. In a year, some of them will take root. In the fall, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting.

IMPORTANT! Remember that large-fruited apple trees root worse in this way than other varieties.

Pruning an apple tree seedling

Do not forget that this is a rather complex process that must be carried out strictly according to agrotechnical instructions.

The seedling needs to be pruned when it is dormant.

In warm climates perfect time There will be an autumn-winter period, in a moderate one - the end of winter. Anyway, Pruning cannot be carried out at temperatures below -10°C.

The first pruning takes place in the first year after planting. Trimming in this early age will provide the laying of future skeletal branches.

One-year-old seedling needs to be removed side shoots located up to 70 cm from the ground level. Above this point, only those branches that form an acute angle with the trunk are removed. If the angle formed by the branch with the trunk is close to 90°, the branch is cut to the fifth bud.

Two-year-old seedling looks almost like mature tree. How to prune such apple tree seedlings? In this case, the following goal is pursued - to leave from 3 to 5 of the strongest shoots, forming a wide angle with the trunk.

In the future they will become the main branches of the tree. It is necessary to form and center conductor. It is best to do this from the most developed bud, which is located about 3 buds higher than the others. The lower branches should be longer than the upper ones. So wood.

Next 3–5 years It is better not to touch the apple tree, let it develop on its own.

How to distinguish a pear seedling from an apple tree?

Distinguish different types Trees at such a young age are sometimes difficult even for experienced gardeners.

This is almost impossible before the leaves appear.– the seller at the market could experiment with vaccinations. Let us remind you general rules , which will allow you not to become a victim of deception and determine how to choose an apple tree:

1. Annual apple trees have dark red-brown shoots, while pears have yellowish-green shoots.
2. The shoots of apple trees have slight pubescence; pears usually do not have this feature.
3. The shoots of pears have more pronounced geniculation.
4. The buds of apple trees are wide and large. They fit tightly to the shoot. Pear buds are pointed and small, and do not fit tightly to the shoot.
5. The buds of apple trees swell and bloom later than those of pear trees.
6. The root system of apple trees is more branched, while that of pears is stem-like.

There is no need to know about the characteristics of pear and apple tree leaves when purchasing a seedling. If the seedling already has leaves, you should not buy it. It is unlikely to take root successfully, and your efforts will be in vain.

How to grow an apple tree from a seedling?

First to any gardener you need to choose the time to plant the apple tree.

This may be spring or autumn - depending on the specific circumstances and climatic conditions your region.

In any case, tree care begins in the spring.

Before planting you need to prepare the soil. This means that the soil needs to be loosened well, rid of weeds, fertilized (depending on the time of year) and dug up again.

The planting hole will be a house for the seedling, it will reliably nourish it.

Choose your location responsibly. This should be a well-lit place, preferably protected from the wind.

IMPORTANT! Preparation landing pit you need to start 2 months before the actual planting.

The seedling is still too vulnerable. Our task is to protect it from negative weather conditions. The tree needs to be secured to a stake. It will be possible to remove it 2 years after planting. This must be done with extreme caution so as not to damage the root system.

In the first week after planting, regular watering is very important, which will not only help saturate the tree nutrients, but also compact the soil. Gradually watering intervals needs to be reduced, but in hot weather it is impossible to spare water for a young tree.

A near-trunk area is a must mulch. To do this, use compost, chicken manure, vermicompost and rotted manure; put a small layer of straw on top of this layer.

Watch the video on how to mulch trees:

Necessarily One-year and two-year apple trees need to be pruned to form its skeletal branches.

In summer, all care consists of regular watering and protecting the tree from pests. To avoid using chemicals, try attract birds to the garden.

It's easy to do - Arrange feeders on tree branches. This will let the birds know that there is a tasty treat waiting for them in your garden.

If pests appear, you can collect them by hand from a young tree. In hot weather, do not water the tree during the day to avoid burns.

To allow air to flow to the root system, make punctures 30 cm deep at a distance of 60 cm from the trunk.

Preparing apple tree seedlings for winter.

• A young apple tree needs to be hilled to a height of 10–20 cm;
• The area near the trunk must be mulched with humus or peat;
• You can apply nitrogen or potassium fertilizers. The lack of these substances will affect the quality of future fruits, so it is best to use complex fertilizers;
• The trunk of the apple tree must be whitened with a chalk solution;
• To avoid breaking the weak young tree, it can be done in advance.

An apple tree seedling is drying up, how to save it?

Before you can solve a problem, you need to understand it reason, due to which the apple tree may begin to dry out. Then you can understand how to save a dried apple tree seedling.

Growing too much can prevent a seedling from developing. close trees or bushes. In this case, you can transplant the tree to the required distance.

The problem can also be caused by lying too close groundwater . Excess water it simply displaces excess air from the soil, which is so necessary for the young root system. The problem can also be solved by replanting or regularly loosening the soil.

If groundwater is disturbing more than just one apple tree, you can dig drainage ditches which will help get rid of excess water.

IMPORTANT! Pledge successful growth apple trees provide air access to the root system, so loosen the soil regularly. Do not plant an apple tree in a sandy or clay bud.

Gardening is not only difficult, but also very interesting. To grow from a seedling good apple tree, you need to show both intelligence and care.

• Remember the most important stage is the choice of seedling.
• It is better to buy them from professional breeders. In a spontaneous market, you can unknowingly purchase another tree (an apple tree can easily be confused with a pear tree before the leaves appear).
• In the first year, do not overuse fertilizers. The tree only needs watering and mulching.
• Do not forget to rid the young apple tree of weeds. In the autumn period you can add.
• A very important procedure is tree pruning. Remember to do this to form the “skeleton” of the apple tree.
• Pests can negatively affect the development of an apple tree. However, try not to poison them in the early years chemicals. Attract to this matter of birds.

Attract birds for natural pest control.

• Be responsible where you plant. Groundwater lying too close and trees and shrubs growing nearby can destroy an apple tree.
• Provide sufficient air access to the root system. She really needs him.

A responsible approach to business will ensure your success.

In contact with

Popular wisdom says that it is impossible to grow good wood from a bad seedling. Therefore, when choosing and purchasing seedlings for our plant, we must remember this. In this article, we will try to give some tips on how to choose seedlings: apple trees, pears, cherries.

But it is recommended to plant peach seedlings only at one year of age. This is explained by the fact that older trees lose most of their fibrous roots when they are dug up. And the “health” of any plant largely depends on the condition and viability of its underground part - the root system.

It must be remembered that the loss of a tree’s root system must be compensated by cutting off its above-ground part. In this way, we promote the further growth of the tree. This rule must be followed when replanting trees. Considering that when digging up an adult tree, many fibrous roots are lost and, as a result, many of its branches are cut off. When transplanted, such a tree will lose a lot of energy and will be more susceptible to disease. Naturally, in this case the fruitfulness of the tree will be quite low.

For quality fruit seedlings characterized by a developed root system - skeletal and overgrowing roots without cancerous growths, which must have a length of at least 35-40 cm. The above-ground part of the seedling must have at least three well-developed lateral branches. The seedling trunk itself must be smooth, without mechanical damage. The thickness of the plant near the root collar should be at least 15 mm.

Some gardeners prefer to choose wildly growing seedlings that have thick trunks and long branches that have not completed their growth. Or they simply choose seedlings with a trunk height of more than 1.5 m and without branches. In this case, it is necessary to remember that when choosing a low-quality planting material, in the future our trees will often get sick. And we will not be able to form the necessary crown, which can significantly affect not only the shape of the tree, but also its productivity.

The height of the future tree directly depends on the height of the seedling trunk. A seedling with a taller trunk will grow more tall tree. And therefore they allocate optimal height standard for each species of fruit tree. For example, for apple trees and pears it should be 70-90 cm, for cherries - 50-70 cm, for medium-sized cherries - up to 60 cm, for low-growing cherries - 40 cm, for apricots - 50-70 cm, for peach - 50-60cm.

Most the best option is to purchase seedlings that were dug up on the same day and plant them immediately. But this is not always possible. And therefore experienced gardeners It is recommended that the roots of seedlings be immersed in a solution prepared from humus and clay. So that the seedling can survive after it has been dug up, to replenish lost moisture, it is placed in water with a temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius. You can add a few tablespoons of bee honey to the water. In this way, the seedling is preserved for 8 hours.

Video: How to choose seedlings

To ensure that juicy ripe apples and pears delight the gardener all year round, he should familiarize himself with the varieties of these fruit trees and the features of caring for them. It is important to understand that proper pruning, planting, watering, fertilizing and spraying against pests are effective ways to maintain the beauty and health of the garden.

What is a garden without an apple tree? This fruit crop can be found in every corner of Russia. Gardeners grow pears less often: they are more heat-loving and are not always successful in the northern regions. Despite their undoubted differences, these cultures still have a lot in common. The main thing is that in your garden they become friends and bear fruit well!

Apple and pear tree in the garden

Apple and pear trees are the most prominent representatives of pome-bearing fruit tree species. Caring for them is almost the same: watering, fertilizing, pest and disease control, complete and timely harvesting.

On a traditional plot of six acres, it is quite possible to place several apple and pear trees various varieties. When choosing, follow not only your tastes and preferences, but also take into account the degree of winter hardiness of these crops, their resistance to the fungal disease to which they are susceptible - scab. Pay attention to the time of the appearance of the first harvests, the regularity of fruiting, and the size of the tree.

We will pay special attention to the correct selection of apple and pear varieties.

The most important question when choosing an apple or pear variety is the ripening period.

Summer varieties are especially necessary for families with children spending the summer at the dacha. However, it is not at all necessary to grow a whole tree of each variety! It is better to regraft half of the apple tree of one summer variety with other summer varieties that differ in ripening time. Or half a summer pear - for autumn.

As for apple trees, family garden It makes more sense to grow more autumn varieties. Then the family will be provided with their own apples until late autumn - straight from the tree!

Early ripening varieties of apple and pear trees

They are so long-awaited and delicious, but, unfortunately, they are short-lived! And practically non-transportable. Therefore, I recommend removing summer apples and pears from the tree a little earlier than they are completely ripe.

Grow apples different terms maturation.

The apple season in the garden opens with Summer Striped, Red Early, Arkad Yellow, Kitayka Golden Early, Cypress, Iyulskoye Petrova, Grushovka Early, Iyulskoye Chernenko.

About a week later, Grushovka Moscow, Mantet, Papirovka, Korobovka, Solntsedar, Ottawa ripen.

Successfully fills the “empty” period from the end of summer to the appearance of autumn varieties Dessert Budagovsky, ripening 10-12 days later than Melba.

And the first harvest of sweet and fragrant pears is given to us by Skorospelka from Michurinsk, which ripens at the end of July. By mid-August, other annuals such as Avgustovskaya Rosa, Kosmicheskaya, Lada, Severyanka, and Chizhovskaya also ripen.

Long-term storage varieties of apple and pear trees

Apples and pears of these varieties are distinguished not only by their high taste, but also by their long shelf life.

Apples from the good old Antonovka store well until the New Year. A modern varieties apples until spring! Among them are Lobo, Mekanis, Orlik, Zvezdochka, Beforest, Memory Michurin, Uelsi, Calvil golden, Student, Polinka, Noris, Berkutovskoe, Spartan, Bogatyr, Kulikovskoe, Mekintosh, Imrus, Stroevskoe, Bolotovskoe, Celandine.

Record holders for keeping quality: Moscow later, Moscow winter, Rossiyanka,
Northern synap, Orlovsky sinap, Belarusian synap, Palm tree, Winter beauty, Freshness. Their fruits last almost until next summer!

And among pears there are “long-livers”. All of them are autumn and winter varieties. I recommend the following: Moskvichka, Memory of Yakovlev, Lyubimitsa Yakovlev, Elegant Efimova, Memory of Zhegalov. You will keep these pears until mid-winter.

Sweet varieties of apple trees

Having such apples in the garden is especially important for people who do not like regular, sweet and sour apples or who are contraindicated for them.

Among the sweet varieties, Bessemyanka Michurinskaya, Vityaz, Candy, Medok, Melba, Pepin saffron, Rozovoe excellent, Renet Chernenko stand out.

Intensive apple varieties

These varieties are distinguished by early fruiting, abundant and regular harvests. For example, while most varieties begin to bear fruit in the 5-7th year, intensive varieties begin to bear fruit already in the first 3 years after planting. Choose Folk, Winner, Student, Melba, Lobo, Welsey, Dessert Isaeva, Mekanis, Young naturalist, Orlik, Zhigulevskoye, Northern Synap, Antey, Darunak, Imant, Memory Kovalenko, Pospeh.

The so-called spur varieties are famous for their super intensity. Low-growing trees with shortened internodes are completely covered with “fruiting points” - ringlets. Most of them come from American varieties and are grown mainly in our south: Delicious, Golden Delicious, Mekintosh.

Apple varieties with annual fruiting

Do you want to have an apple harvest every year, and not once every 2 years, as usual? Then choose varieties such as Narodnoe, Autumn Joy, Zhigulevskoe, Northern Sinap, Rossiyanka, Pepin saffron, Antey. Trees of such varieties are characterized by moderate flowering, are less tall, and relatively compact. This makes it possible to plant them more densely, increases productivity per unit area and makes them easier to care for. Relatively small size The different varieties of wood are Narodnoye, Brusnichnoye, Young Naturalist, Zhigulevskoye, Studencheskoye.

Apple and pear varieties resistant to scab

Scab - common fungal disease fruit trees. It especially often affects apple and pear trees in rainy springs. The only salvation from it is to spray the trees with chemicals.

Plant more scab-resistant varieties. From apple trees I recommend Bessemyanka Michurinskaya, Autumn Joy, Cinnamon New, Renet Chernenko, Winner, Dessert Isaeva, Wellsie, Young Naturalist.
Of the pear varieties, the most resistant to scab are Kosmicheskaya, Lada, Severyanka, Severyanka red-cheeked, Skorospelka from Michurinsk, and Chizhovskaya.

How to care?

The main thing in caring for apple and pear trees is proper watering and fertilizer. I suggest you effective method their watering is through pipes. We retreat from the trunk a distance equal to the radius of the crown projection onto the ground. Use a rotary hammer to make a hole in the ground and dig a piece into it. plumbing pipe with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 1 m. Its upper edge should rise slightly above the ground. Through this pipe we will water the tree and add liquid fertilizers to the soil. After each watering, we close it with a lid to prevent dirt and fallen leaves from getting inside. There should be at least four such pipes around each tree. With such a watering and fertilizing system, the nutrient solution immediately goes directly to the roots of the tree!

And a few more words about watering. Apple and pear trees require at least 4 abundant watering. How much water should I pour? To answer this question, estimate by eye the dimensions of the tree trunk circle in square meters and multiply the resulting number by 3. That’s how many buckets of water a tree needs!

What to do if the apple tree does not bear fruit?

An apple tree, with the exception of intensive varieties, usually begins to bear fruit in the 5-7th year after planting. But sometimes the onset of fruiting is delayed. Why? There may be several reasons. First, we check whether we deepened the neck of the tree too much when planting. If this is the case, the apple tree will have to be raised. Second possible reason- vertical growth of branches. Fruit shoots in apple trees they form only on horizontal branches. Therefore, using weights or guy ropes, we give them a horizontal position.

There is another old “grandfather’s” way to make an apple tree bear fruit. We drive several rusty nails into the trunk of the apple tree or simply bury various metal objects V trunk circle.

With this we replenish the missing supply of iron for fruiting. Try it! Don't trust your grandfather's advice? Then do not forget to spray the apple tree with a 0.1% solution 2-3 times per season. iron sulfate(1 teaspoon of vitriol per 10 liters of water).

How to plant correctly?

Apple and pear trees can be planted in both autumn and spring. We plant immediately on permanent place- these fruit crops do not like transplants. And it’s better to have several varieties at once - for pollination.
We dig deep planting holes (100-120 cm), since the root system of these fruit trees has a diameter of up to 80 cm and is located at great depth. In the hole we put manure or vegetable humus (2-3 buckets), 1 glass of superphosphate, 3 tablespoons of potassium sulfate, 1 kg organic fertilizer“Berry giant” or “Berry”, 2 buckets of coarse sand. Mix everything with the soil previously removed from the hole. Then dilute 2 glasses in 10 liters of water dolomite flour or lime fluff and pour it into the hole. We pour 2 buckets of water there and leave the hole for 6-7 days.

Before planting, we drive a stake into the ground that will support the young tree. Its length is not important: the main thing is that it ensures the stability of the seedling. Add soil to the hole until a mound is formed. We take a seedling, place it on a mound, spread the roots evenly and cover it with soil. Wherein root collar should be 5-6 cm above the ground surface. When planting, shake the seedling several times so that there are no voids between the roots and the soil. Then we lightly trample the soil, water it and mulch with a small layer of dry humus to retain moisture.

How to prune?

In most varieties of apple and pear trees, the crown forms naturally and does not require significant pruning. The only exceptions are vertically growing top shoots. We cut some of them into a ring, and leave some as a continuation.

To repel pests, plant tansy of skeletal or semi-skeletal branches under an apple or pear tree. At the same time, we give the tops a horizontal position - otherwise they will not bear fruit.

How to prepare fruit trees for winter?

For the successful overwintering of apple and pear trees, not only the degree of frost resistance inherent in the variety is important, but also proper preparation trees. If the first does not depend on us, then the second is our direct responsibility!
Timely and complete harvesting of fruits, watering, fertilizing, pest and disease control ensure not only a high yield, but also a safe overwintering of the trees.

To mitigate the impact winter cold You can use frost-resistant stamp formers or hill up tree trunks with forked skeletal branches with snow. Good effect allows you to grow apple and pear trees in a “creeping” form, which allows you to easily protect them from frost with some kind of covering material.

Please note that young pears are more likely to freeze. Therefore, in winter we insulate them more thoroughly with snow and cover the trunks.

So that our fruit trees wintered well, the garden needs to be disinfected in late autumn. Typically, solutions of preparations containing copper and iron are used for this. But these elements accumulate in the bark and soil, and in high concentrations they become toxic. In my garden I use a soap-ash solution for disinfection. For 10 liters of water I take 5 cups of wood ash. I put it in an old nylon stocking so that later I don’t have to strain the solution. I fill it with water and let it sit for 2 days, periodically stirring the stocking with ash. I add 40 g of laundry soap to the prepared solution for better adhesion to the bark. In dry, clear weather, I treat all branches and trunks of fruit trees with this solution.

Don’t forget about autumn watering and fertilizing of apple and pear trees. The immunity of trees to low temperatures depends on this.

In autumn, when active growth ends and the need for nitrogen decreases to a minimum, trees need phosphorus and potassium. It is these elements that are washed out of the soil especially actively in winter.

We free the tree trunk of the plant from mulch and apply fertilizer. We rake it into the soil. Then water and mulch with a thick layer of dry grass.
Now our garden is ready for winter!

It is not difficult to deceive gardeners, because we firmly believe that there are varieties that do not need to be looked after. That you don’t have to spray the trees and the worms won’t touch the apples. It is this “holy faith” that sellers of seedlings exploit with might and main, trying to slip the “linden” to a gullible buyer. Where to go? After all, fashion is changeable, and even a gardener needs to keep up with the times.

First white, then red

Apple tree varieties are the easiest to guess. Their early varieties have light-colored bark, and their late varieties have red bark. But there are also exceptions. For example, Simirenko - with green bark. There are also early varieties with red bark. But here the color is influenced by the color of the fruit. And if they sell you early variety with green or yellow fruits, then its bark cannot possibly be red. Red? This means there is a mismatch.

Things are more complicated with peach. Many varieties have red bark. Always take such seedlings. And it doesn’t matter what variety the seller “invented”. The red color of the shoots indicates higher frost resistance. And this is exactly what we need.

Roots, not tops

Attention is also paid to the roots. In dwarf and columnar varieties they should be thick - like a beard (fibrous root system). Ordinary apple trees should have 3-5 main roots and smaller ones - less often.

But a pear on a pear rootstock has 1-3 squiggles down and that’s it. These are the characteristics of the breed - they immediately go deeper - for water, where there are no competitors.

If they sold you an apple tree with sparse roots, it means they deceived you; dwarfs are not like that.

It is advisable to avoid plum seedlings with red roots. This is a sign that they are grafted onto apricot. It was previously believed that such rootstocks often break off at the grafting site after 3-5 years. Therefore, do not take risks and buy a plum with “plum roots”.

I should shave...

Even after planting, you can distinguish a grafted seedling from an ungrafted one. Take a shovel and dig the ground down to the first root. And look for the thickening: it always remains from the grafting and is easy to find. He is not here? Then prepare the cuttings in the spring. It is advisable to regraft some of the branches with varieties from neighbors.

There is another way to distinguish a savage. Abundant needles on the pear, many sharp thorns on the apricot, and are they sharp? This is almost a sure sign of a savage. On the pear 100%! In the market they act cunningly - the thorns are cut off with pruning shears and covered with mud. After such a “shave,” the seedlings are sold as a normal or fashionable variety.

Just don't blush

You can also distinguish savages by their foliage. Many apple (especially dwarf) and plum rootstocks have red foliage. Other rootstocks are often distinguished by their smaller leaves. If you get wild ones with red leaves, don’t worry. You can graft a cultivated variety onto them and it will become a dwarf. But the “passengers” with small foliage need to be completely re-vaccinated.

And lastly: a sign of wildness is the refusal to bear fruit. Basically, savages begin to bear fruit no earlier than eight years later. How long has there been no fruit? Grab a shovel and look for the grafting site.

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Do not buy seedlings from random people, near roads or in other places not intended for trade in planting material.

Cases are not uncommon, when instead of a pear, scammers sell an aspen that looks similar to it. If it has no leaves, it is difficult to distinguish it from a pear, but it is possible. To do this you need to bite a twig.

The bark of a pear is tasteless, while that of an aspen is bitter.

It happens that varietal seedlings are passed off as wild animals. Therefore, in order not to get into trouble, know: the wild pear has thorns on its shoots, the branches are densely spaced and extend from the trunk at right angles.

True, it happens when “Craftsmen”, trying to give the savages a cultural appearance, remove thorns and unnecessary, small twigs. But after such “cultivation” there are always traces left on the stem, which are easy for an attentive buyer to notice.

Unlike the wild variety, the trunk of a varietal seedling is clean, since in the nursery either the branches are not removed at all, or only the lower ones are cut out to form a trunk.

Another landmark- on the stem of a grafted seedling there is always a scar that remains after the rootstock has fused with the scion. In addition, at the point of their connection there is a slight curvature of the trunk, and there is a difference in the color of the bark.

But here in front of you are undoubtedly varietal pear seedlings. It immediately arises Another problem is age.
Many people believe: the older the seedling, the more viable it is and, moreover, the earlier it will bear fruit.

The mistake is that in large plants, when digging up, the peripheral roots with lobes are inevitably destroyed. The larger the seedling, the longer they are and the more difficult it is to keep them intact. As a result, there is a disproportion between a large crown and root cuttings that are not able to provide it required quantity water and food. Such plants get sick or die for a long time. To bring the underground and above-ground parts into line, the crown must be severely trimmed.

Besides, in adult seedlings the aerial part is often neglected and requires formation: removal of a competing shoot, pruning of a top that is too long.

As a result, little remains of a large seedling. Therefore, it is much better to plant strong, healthy annuals of early-fruiting varieties. They will catch up and outstrip such large-sized ones.

But 1-2 year old seedlings should not be stunted. A well-developed one-year-old should have a height of 0.7-1 m, a trunk of at least 1 cm in diameter and a root system 20-30 cm long. Parameters of a two-year-old: height of at least 1.5 m, several side branches, well-developed roots 30-40 cm long.

It happens that traders are cunning and small weak seedlings (they are called “non-dogon”) are passed off as super-dwarfs on special rootstocks. Don't believe it: pear trees do not have dwarf rootstocks. Sometimes they are passed off as seedlings grafted on serviceberry, chokeberry and other non-traditional rootstocks.

Keep in mind, What such plants are short-lived. They suffer from the physiological incompatibility of unrelated cultures and die after 5-7 years (sometimes a little later). Pears on such rootstocks have to be grown only in places where they are otherwise unviable, for example on limestone soil.

Which seedlings are better with an open root system (OKS) or a closed one (ZKS)

Another question that gardeners often ask: which seedlings are better - with a closed root system (ZKS) or ordinary ones?

Plants with ZKS are initially grown in containers with soil. Planted together with a lump of earth, which is firmly entwined with the root system. Therefore, when transplanting to open ground the roots are not damaged and the plant takes root well. This is theoretical, in practice not everything is so simple.

IN last years there are many imported pear seedlings with ZKS V plastic containers. They come in any age, but most often 3-5 years old. Not only are these seedlings expensive, the main thing is that imported varieties are not suitable for our climate.
And domestic pear seedlings with ZKS most often go on sale too small. These are semi-finished products. After winter grafting, they are grown in greenhouses and already in the summer, when growth processes are still ongoing, they begin to be sold.

Such seedlings require special attention. When purchasing, find out whether they have gone through an adaptation period after being dug out of the greenhouse. If not, then before planting they need to be kept in the shade for a week (hardened off), otherwise the leaves will burn in the sun.

When purchasing such semi-finished products, it is necessary to check the integrity of the earthen coma. Take the plant by the stem and pull it up slightly. If the soil crumbles, it means that the lump has not yet formed, and without it the integrity of the roots will not be preserved during transplantation. There is no point in buying such a seedling.

When purchasing a plant with ZKS, you are, as it were, buying a pig in a poke, since you cannot see possible root defects hidden by the ground: tears, rotting, etc. For example, pear seedlings often have root cancer. Its growths at the ends of the roots can be cut out when they are visible and the plant can be saved or discarded before it can be sold.

This is what they usually do in nurseries. But root cancer cannot be detected in seedlings with RCD. As a result, after planting, gradually growing, the growths begin to decompose, causing rotting of the roots, root collar and death of the tree.

Some two-year-old pears have side shoots that are clubbed (curved in different directions).

Take this not as a defect, but as a specific varietal feature.

In seedlings with a closed root system, it is sometimes buried Bottom part stem with a winding at the grafting site. If it is not removed, the film will gradually cut into the thickening stem and destroy it. Therefore, carefully inspect the vaccination site.

It’s good if the winding has already been removed, it means the graft has taken root. But if the film remains, as the stem thickens, it must be loosened and removed only in the fall, otherwise the grafted part may break off.