How to Plant Apple Trees Simply
If you want to know how to plant apple trees simply and the basic steps of planting, please refer to the detailed introduction below.
Apple trees are deciduous trees of the Rosaceae family, Malus genus, and one of the most famous fruits in the world. Apples are native to eastern Turkey and are mainly distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Gansu, Sichuan, and other regions of China. Let's introduce the cultivation methods of apple trees.
1. Potting Soil
If you are growing apple trees in pots, it's best to use earthenware pots; the soil should be loose, fertile, well-ventilated, and have good drainage, maintaining a pH value of around 6.5. You can mix garden soil, coal slag, decomposed leaf soil, sawdust, etc., in proportion as the soil for cultivating apple trees. Before potting, trim the roots of the seedlings, removing rotten and overly long roots.
2. Light
Apple trees need a lot of light for photosynthesis to accumulate nutrients and ensure the quality of the fruit; ensure they have 180 frost-free days during their growing season, as well as as much light and heat as possible.
3. Temperature
Apple trees have a strong adaptability to the climate, suitable for growing in temperate regions, with an optimal growth temperature of around 23 degrees Celsius. They are cold-resistant but not frost-resistant and can survive in cold weather as low as -4 degrees Celsius. However, excessively low temperatures and frost can affect the yield and quality of apples. Therefore, it's necessary to take measures to keep them warm in winter.
4. Fertilization
Fertilization is mainly divided into two stages. In the spring, when the trees start to sprout, apply a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer to promote sprouting; during flowering, spray borax solution and pause fertilization. After flowering ends, use phosphorus-potassium fertilizer instead of nitrogen fertilizer to supplement the plant's nutrition and ensure the tree's growth for the next year. After harvesting in autumn, replace the soil and add new nutritious soil to the potting mix to prevent soil compaction and malnutrition.
5. Watering
Watering should follow the "water when dry, do not water when wet" principle, watering thoroughly when necessary to keep the soil moist, especially in the early fruiting stage. Insufficient water can affect the quantity and quality of the fruit. During the plum rain season, reduce watering and focus on drainage and avoiding rain to prevent waterlogging and affect fruit setting.
6. Pruning
Different varieties of apple trees have different pruning methods, mainly including the steps of trimming buds, thinning blossoms, and double cutting. At the end of March or beginning of April, make a cut in front of the central main branch and remove the buds from the other branches; thinning blossoms means removing extra flower buds from the same branch in late April to achieve the "fruit-setting with flowers" effect; double cutting refers to delaying the winter pruning until after sprouting for non-fruiting trees. If there are too many flowering branches during the fruiting period, reduce them.
7. Bagging
During the fruiting period of apple trees, bagging is necessary to make the apples more colorful and protect them from pests. The choice of bags is very important; they should be breathable, waterproof, and have good light-blocking properties, with the inner bags not fading and having air holes. Therefore, select bags that meet the standards carefully during cultivation.
8. Diseases and Pests
Brown spot disease and spot anthracnose are the most common diseases in apple trees. Brown spot disease usually occurs before the rainy season and can be controlled by spraying with fungicides like thiram, carbendazim, or thiabendazole. For spot anthracnose, you can use mancozeb and other fungicides. It is also important to clean the orchard and remove infected branches and leaves promptly to prevent the spread to other fruit trees.
The above shares a comprehensive introduction to how to plant apple trees simply and the basic steps of planting. I hope it brings some knowledge about green plants to green enthusiasts.