5 RULES FOR PREPARING A PLANTING PIT FOR DIFFERENT CROPS

1. TERMS OF PREPARATION OF THE LANDING PIT

In autumn, plants are planted in late September-October. But the seat must be prepared in advance: ideally - 1-1 months before planting, in extreme cases - 5-2 weeks. Although summer residents are sometimes perplexed: why bother if you can buy a seedling and plant it in a freshly dug hole? And they do not take into account that this can only be done on ideally fertile soils. Are there many such lucky ones? In fact, the land in most regions of the middle lane is poor and not of the most optimal structure (often either solid clay or sand). Therefore, it is necessary to dig planting holes in advance so that the soil settles and is saturated with nutrients.

2. SELECTING THE LOCATION FOR THE PIT

It is optimal to place planting pits in an open sunny area, protected from cold northern winds, on a hill and at a distance of at least 2 m from fences and buildings. Groundwater should lie no higher than 1 m from the surface of the earth.

ALL YOU NEED FOR THIS ARTICLE IS HERE >>>

It is also advisable to choose a place where fruit trees have not grown for at least 5 years. After all, the waste products of the previous plant accumulate in the soil, and this prevents the seedling from taking root in a new place. If the size of the plot does not allow planting according to all standards, you can simply replace the soil from under the uprooted old tree with fresh fertile soil.

3. POT SIZE

The dimensions of the pits depend on the type of soil in your area (for convenience, see the table).

4. PIT SHAPE

Most often, gardeners dig round holes. Although in shape they can also be cylindrical, rectangular, oval. But what is important is to make the walls sheer. In the pit-cone, the soil settles unevenly. And most of all - in the center, causing the deepening of the root neck. Among other things, in a hole narrowed down, the roots twist and grow in the middle.

Professionals do this: places for seats are marked with a tape measure. A peg is driven into the center of each future hole. To him - a rope equal to the radius of the pit, and at the other end - another peg. You will get some kind of compass, which is easy to mark the boundaries.

Beginners often make a common mistake - they smooth the walls of the pit with a shovel. This not only limits the growth of the roots, but also makes it difficult for them to exchange air. It is better to thoroughly loosen the bottom with a pitchfork and make notches on the walls - the roots should not rest against dense soil, otherwise the survival rate will worsen.

Reference by topic: The laying of an orchard - a place for planting, a planting pit, the first feeding

5. FILLING THE PIT

Sod is removed along the perimeter of the intended pit and set aside. To do this, two pieces of thick polyethylene are placed on both sides of the pit, on one of which the upper fertile layer of soil is folded with a thickness of a spade bayonet, and the lower soil (it will not be needed anymore, it can be laid in compost) - on the other polyethylene. The top layer is placed at the bottom of the pit with grass down - over time it will rot and become additional fertilizer for the tree.

Then prepare the nutrient mixture. 2 buckets of humus are added to the top layer of soil (fresh manure is strictly prohibited!), 2 tbsp. double superphosphate, 1 tbsp. (along the rib) ammonium nitrate, 0 tbsp. potassium salt. If the soil in the garden is acidic, add 5-2 tbsp to this mixture. wood ash. All components are thoroughly mixed with a shovel, poured into a pit, not strongly compacted. Ultimately, the ground should be flush with the edges.

The pit will reach its condition in a month. And when the time comes to plant a plant, it will be necessary to dig a hole in the nutrient soil and plant a tree there.

CULTURE	PIT SIZE (diameter and depth), cm
CULTURE	On normal ground	On rocky or sandy soil	On clay soil
Apple and pear trees on dwarf rootstocks	90 × 50	180 × 75	130 × 50
Apple and pear trees on seed stocks	100 × 50	120 × 60	100 × 55
Plum, cherry, cherry plum	80 × 40	160 × 60	120 × 40
Cherry, apricot	70 × 50	140 × 100	100 × 50
Honeysuckle	50 × 40	100 × 60	75 × 40
Sea buckthorn, hawthorn, wild rose	50 × 50	100 × 75	75 × 50
Rowan	60 × 60	120 × 90	90 × 50
Kalina	40 × 40	80 × 60	60 × 40

SAVE THE MEMORIAL PICTURE

PLANTING PIT AND PLANTING THE SEEDLE - 3 TIPS

IS IT NECESSARY TO FILL READY SOIL IN THE PIT

Some gardeners leave the prepared fertile mixture on a piece of polyethylene next to the pit - there the substrate matures. And then, when they begin to plant a tree, they pour a small hole at the bottom of the pit

a mound, a seedling is placed on it, and then covered with soil.

In general, this option is acceptable. But he has disadvantages. Firstly, the prepared substrate will have to be covered from the rain before planting so that they do not wash the fertilizer. Secondly, unsightly mountains of soil will lie on the site for a whole month.

And finally, thirdly, someone can fall into the pit.

Alexei VOLODYKHIN, agronomist

DILUTE SAND WITH CLAY

In sandy loamy areas, during the preparation of the soil for the planting pit, it is advisable to add clay to it - 1-2 parts to 8-9 parts of organic matter. But the clay must be crushed. If the clay is lumpy, it will not mix with organic matter and mineral fertilizers, but will remain in the pit as useless ballast, like stones. Try to knead the clay into cakes (for example, with a piece of wooden block) and dry it. And then break it into smaller pieces, and even better - grind into powder. You can pre-put the cakes in a strong bag so that there is less

dust. Here is a simple way to get powdered clay. There is one more little trick: knead a lump of clay by mixing it with complex (containing macro-, and preferably microelements) fertilizer. For example, 2-3 parts of clay and 1 part of Azofoska. Blind 5-7 lumps the size of a fist, place them when filling the pit along the perimeter at a depth of 30-40 cm. The clay will gradually release nutrients into the substrate of the pit, where the roots will absorb them. At the same time, the roots will not grow into the lump itself: it is too dense.

Alexander PETROV, Ph.D. agricultural sciences

WHEN TO BUY SEEDLINGS?

This is the most pressing question in my mail since the beginning of September.

Seedlings with an open root system in nurseries begin to dig towards the end of September. If in garden centers and markets you are offered planting material at the beginning of the month, think carefully about where it came from in your area and whether you need it. Most likely, these are southern plants. And it is possible that you are tormented with them. Therefore, I advise you not to rush into the purchase, but it is better to carefully prepare the landing pits.

Natalia DORONINA, garden designer, Moscow region

Reference by topic: CORRECT landing pit - common mistakes and how to avoid them