These days, gardens and orchards sleep under the blanket of a lazy and cold nature.
January is the month of winter cleaning, when you cut and burned scraps of the old crops to avert the danger of attacks by fungal diseases, but also the time to design art for the crops that will give us great satisfaction in the spring and in the summer.
In our lesson in gardening, or perhaps I should say of horticulture, we will closely monitor the planting of fruit trees that in a few months will give us delicious cherry, medlar, plum and apricots, juicy peaches, figs and whatever else solleticherà your green thumb in gourmet version !
Planting
Rule No 1: When buying, check that the plants have been well preserved in the nursery: no trees with a trunk too large for the container, no wounds and no bad signs and especially to specimens that are not perfectly healthy and preserved by pests and diseases of all kinds.
Rule No 2: Study the arrangement of trees your orchard, providing the space that everyone will take up in full development.
Rule No 3 : Remember they are essentially two most dangerous mistakes you should avoid making: the tree to be planted too deep and distribute the fertilizer in direct contact with roots. But do not worry, just run with the instructions that you give during the work.
It begins!
(Provided, however, that the ground is too wet, otherwise you will have to wait several days to dry)
· Dig a hole quite large (about 80-100 cm) and deep (60-80 cm).
· Arrange a handful of manure on the bottom (20-30 g).
The organic fertilizer is ideal in this case because, in addition to increasing soil fertility, brings an enormous amount of useful microorganisms in the transformation of soil to plant.
· Cover with soil (10 cm), just to avoid direct contact with the roots.
· Remove the plant from the pot and place the center of the hole, making sure that the same level of the ground.
No more than that!
· Put a post-brace and tie the stem of the plant in two or three points, second height.
· Finite cover the hole, pushing with your feet close to the plant for a good deal the soil on the roots.
Et voila!
care
Fertilization
After the distribution of organic fertilizer during the planting, next appointment to give nutrients to fruit trees will be the second half of February with the beginning of the vegetative.
Watering
The winter period is characterized by a very wet and rainy, which relieve us dall'innaffiare gardens and orchards. Only in rare cases of more than fifteen days of no rain, it becomes necessary human intervention.
With the arrival of summer, however, the water should be given to all our plants with greater frequency, up to reach during the summer, the regularity of a daily commitment.
Phytosanitary treatments
In winter, when the plant is devoid of vegetation, it is reasonable to administer treatments using verdigris against the outbreak of fungal diseases, to be repeated approximately every 30-40 days.
In the case of peaches and apricots, I recommend a specific treatment antibubbles, repeated the appearance of first buds.
Pruning
Since mid-January to late February outlining one of the best times to carry out the pruning of fruit trees (and more) .
In the cold season, in fact, plants disperse less energy and have a greater ability to heal "wounds." Nonetheless account is the perfect visibility of the structure, devoid of leaves, makes it easier to find the cutting point.
We talk about the end of January and February because, although it has not yet restarted the development of foliage, the temperature is at its lowest in winter and reduces the risk of frost.
What
Pruning is a delicate operation which will shorten or even eliminate some parts of the plant, in order:
· ensure harmonious growth and control their development in the form more appropriate
· renew vegetation with a younger and healthier
· create the conditions for greater and better production flowers and fruits
How
It must be said that, in principle, the young plants with few branches require a radical pruning that strengthens, while the older ones are simply trimmed to remove the branches weak, deformed or otherwise damaged.
Secondly, to make a proper pruning is essential to know the characteristics of the specimen in question and to define precisely the objective to be achieved: a pruning ornamental purposes is very different from one that seeks rejuvenation of a plant that has been neglected for some time, perhaps, or a routine servicing to simply clean the hair from dead branches and old.
Here are some simple rules for pruning:
The first step is a general cleaning of all the dry parts or malformed.
Without this, choose now to be further cut points, taking into consideration the gems and then what will be the desired post-pruning.
need to distinguish between:
· apical buds, which are located at the trunk and branches, are more vigorous and grow rapidly, cut the buds below to privilege and make the plant grow more in width and height;
· lateral buds, often dormant because dall'apicale inhibited, are those which may develop side shoots: cut the branch above them is to set the plant growth in one direction than another;
· wood buds and flower buds : the former are more little ones, often side and give rise to vegetative shoots, while the latter are larger, darker and more often than apical. The pruning is to balance determination with each other and in relation to our goals.
Go ahead, making sure that each cut
· occurs approximately 6-7 mm above the bud. Too close could damage, while more distant creates a stump that will dry easily es'indebolisce, fall prey to parasites and infections;
· has an angle of 45 °, tilted down on the opposite side of the gem;
· net or both, if done for example with a saw because of the size of the branch to be trimmed up to make the surface smooth;
· if it is large, should be disinfected and protected with a sealant to prevent infection and healing the damage caused by frost.
I love the country life! And you?
Until next time,
Sandro Bartoli
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