GARDENING MYTHS AND THEIR DECLUGING

Among amateur gardeners there are myths that often harm and spoil the life of both the trees and the summer resident himself. The consequences of such misconceptions regularly have to face the candidate of agricultural sciences, plant breeder-phytopathologist of the Institute of Horticulture of the Republic of Belarus Yulia KONDRATENOK. Here are four misconceptions that the specialist will analyze today.

1. A DRYING PLANT SHOULD BE FEEDED FIRST

I do not advise doing this until you find out the reason.

Look at the tree first. For example, summer residents often injure the trunk with a trimmer. In this case, it is necessary to clean the wound from dead tissues, cover it with garden pitch and tie it with a thick tape.

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Is the aerial part healthy? Check the root system. The fixing of the tree in the soil speaks of its condition. Grasp the trunk and shake it slightly: a healthy plant will resist, it springs, but if there are problems with the roots, it will stagger easily.

One of the common causes of tree drying up is the gnawing of the roots by voles (this is evidenced by the presence of holes) or damage by the larvae of May beetles (Khrushka). In the latter case, spilling the soil with an insecticide solution (Ak-tara, Antikhrushch, Bazu-din, Zemlin) or a special biological preparation (Melo-bass, Nemabakt) will help to cope with the problem. Sometimes the apple tree withers due to the strong colonization of near-stem circles by ants (arranging their nests under the roots of trees, they literally dry up the earth). Diazinon-based preparations (Anteater) will help here.

Having eliminated the problem, the drying plant must be watered abundantly. And then feed.

2. FRUIT TREES DO NOT NEED TO PRUN

There is an opinion, especially among adherents of ecological farming, that the tree should be allowed to grow freely, they say, it knows how to form a crown. But pruning and shaping do not affect the environment. But trees with a natural crown shape are much more likely to break branches, they are less resistant to strong winds and crop loads. They begin to bear fruit much later, and because of the thickened crown, diseases and pests rage in it, the apples become smaller. Not to mention how much space such a tree takes up in the garden.

Another variation of this misconception: pruning is necessary only for apple or pear trees. Remember: you need to cut, form, without exception, all fruit plants, including berry bushes!

3. TREES SHOULD BE WHITENED IN SPRING - FOR THE MAY HOLIDAYS

This is a very popular misconception. The main task of whitewashing is to prevent sunburn and frostbites. And the most dangerous period for trees is February-March, when the snow is still lying, the temperature at night drops to -10 degrees and lower, and the bright sun shines during the day. Under its rays, the dark bark quickly heats up. And when the temperature drops sharply at night, the bark cools faster than the wood around which it is located. The bark shrinks and bursts. In my practice, I have seen frost holes up to 1 m long. Unbleached trees quickly die after such frost holes. Either tinder fungi or cancer pathogens penetrate through the wound, and the tree again suffers and dies.

Therefore, it is necessary to whitewash plants to protect against frost cracks at the end of autumn, and in the spring, if necessary, for an aesthetic effect, the painting can be updated.

4. VARIETIES OVER TIME DEGENERATE, PEROPULATE

From pollination, plants of one variety or another do not change their qualities in any way. They all reproduce vegetatively, and all plants of the same variety are virtually identical to each other - they are clones. The main reason for changing the properties of a variety is infection with viruses. They are embedded in the DNA of the plant and make it behave in a way that is beneficial to them. And then the variety is “reborn”: the virus blocks such an important function for us as fruiting. The berries become small, the flowers change their shape, terry, green leaves appear, and in the end the plant ceases to bloom and bear fruit.

Smart gardening. 7 myths you need to forget