Soil for an apple tree: selection, measurement of acidity and its change

The article describes the soil for an apple tree: selection rules, measurement of soil acidity and its change, selection of dressings depending on the type of soil.

Soil for an apple tree: how to choose the right one

Soil for the apple tree

A fruit-bearing tree, namely an apple tree, is not capricious herbaceous, but for an excellent and problem-free harvest, correct agricultural technology is needed behind the apple tree. The soil for planting a fruit-bearing tree should be of good acidity and suitable for the tree. So, immediately before planting a herbaceous one, you need to find out the level of acidity of the soil, and then it will be possible to cultivate it. If the acidity level is normal, then the planting material can be planted without prior processing.

Soil for an apple tree: what affects the type of soil

Soil for the apple tree

It is forbidden to plant fruit-bearing trees wherever you please. When planting it, the composition of the soil must be taken into account, because this will greatly affect the future processes of harvesting. Let's see what effect the correct choice of land causes during cultivation:
- if the soil is clayey (in the common people referred to as heavy soil), then the missing amount of air (oxygen) reaches the root system. As an effect, the apple tree has a lowered immunity, it develops poorly, brings small apples.
- fruiting trees can grow in acidic soil. However, if it has too high a level of acidity, this leads to the death of the apple tree, or to its wilting (because of this, the plant is more often exposed to diseases).
- alkaline soils are also not suitable for fruit-bearing trees. They have a bad effect on the health of the apple tree.
- we do not recommend planting planting material in areas where ground fluids are located. This lowers the level of resistance to cold in the herbaceous, it can die even at low low temperatures. Also, if the root system reaches the liquid, they can rot. So this will lead to the death of the apple tree.
This means that immediately before planting planting material in the ground, we advise you to make a couple of experiments or consider the growing plants on the territory.

What should be the soil for an apple tree

Soil under the apple tree

Fruiting tree prefers loose, dug up and moist enough soil. Black soil, loamy and sandy loam lands are perfect for him. In this case, ground fluids must be located at least one and a half to two meters from the topsoil.

Immediately before planting the planting material, we advise you to dig up the site.

If the soil is rather acidic, it is moistened with an alkaline liquid - one hundred grams of lime is mixed in five liters of liquid. If the soil in the area is not suitable (eg alkaline), local cultivation is possible. To do this, you need to make a planting hole, plant planting material, and place fertile soil upstairs. It is possible to get it in the forests or in the fields. However, with this option, after two to three years, it will be necessary to dig in a place around the apple tree, and place fertile soil there.

How to find out which soil for an apple tree is suitable for acidity

All types of land have a specific acidity, which may or may not be useful for planting a fruit-bearing tree. We advise you to familiarize yourself with the information below.

The type of peat-podzolic soil contains acidity, estimated at three to five points, is completely unsuitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree. The type of podzolic soil contains acidity, estimated at four and a half to five and a half points, is not suitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree, but local cultivation is allowed. The type of gray soil contains acidity, estimated at four and a half to six and a half points, is suitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree, but in some cases liming is necessary. The type of taiga soil contains acidity, estimated at four and a half - seven and a half points, is suitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree. The type of soil chernozem contains acidity, estimated at six and a half - seven and a half points, is suitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree, the best option. The type of salt marsh soil contains acidity, estimated at seven and a half to nine and a half points, is completely unsuitable for planting a fruit-bearing tree.

To roughly identify the level of soil acidity, you need to carefully consider the growing weeds. Because for the normal growth of weeds, the required soil composition is also needed:

- on overly acidified soils, the mariannik, mosses and crowberry grow.
- We recommend soil with an average acidity level for mint, wild rosemary and bearberry.
- on soils with a low level of acidity and on neutral soils, bellflower, quinoa, wild rose, nettle and kupena can grow.
- alkaline soils are suitable for the growth of sedge, wormwood and alfalfa.

To more accurately determine acidity, you can use litmus strips. They can be purchased at some drugstores, but are more commonly found in specialized chemical stores. To carry out the research, it is necessary to take a small amount of soil at a depth of 30 cm, fill it with distilled water to obtain a mushy mass.

After fifteen to twenty minutes, place a litmus strip in the prepared preparation. She will instantly change color to the desired shade. It needs to be mapped to a special table on the wrapper.

Even at home, it is possible to make the following option. Pick up fifty grams of earth from your territory, pour one teaspoon of powder chalk and one hundred milliliters of liquid to this. Transfer the resulting solution to a container made of glass, and place a fingertip made of rubber upstairs. With its gradual rise, we can safely say about the presence of acidity.

Changing the acidity level of the earth

Before starting the process of land cultivation, it is necessary to study the approximate level of acidification. Because a fruiting tree tolerates acidic soil better than alkaline soil. This means that you need to place lime carefully, in small doses. If the soil has a low acidity level, it is enough to put a small amount of wood ash or horse manure into it. This will reduce the acidity of the soil and increase the yield.

And if the soil is described by an increased alkali content, then it will be quite problematic to domesticate it. With this option, it is recommended to make a landing hole and change the ground in it with the purchased compounds.

The following drugs are the best options:

- The drug "Aquize". It contains high moor peat, slightly acidifying the alkaline soil. This is a fairly fertile potting mix. Because of its use, the herbaceous plant will thrive.
- The drug "ecoflorra".This is a multifunctional soil, which includes peat, vermiculite, sand. It has a level of acidity suitable for a fruiting tree.
- Suburban soil. Described by the recommended pH level - 5.5-6.0.

To endow normal growth and development of the herbaceous and to collect excellent yields, it is necessary to constantly dig up the first level of the earth, adding peat and sulphate.

How to increase the amount of harvest

To collect an excellent harvest of apples, fruit trees must be planted in fertile soil. To increase its fertility, it is possible to carry out the following actions:

- constantly moisturize the area. Because of this, earthworms will be present on it. Quality earth is one that perfectly conducts liquid and mineral elements. To do this, it must have a homogeneous structure and not clog. Earthworms are considered natural cultivators. They perfectly loosen the soil and produce vermicompost. Still earthworms do not cause any harm to the human body, they are completely harmless.
- the use of natural dressings. It is possible to use chemical feedings too, but organic feedings are much more useful. The best option is compost. However, it is possible to use other drugs. For example, one group of summer residents advises moistening fruiting trees with weed infusion. To make it, you need to get fifty liters of precipitation, namely rain, and five kilograms of weed.

Herbaceous can be made smaller or placed in a container in this form. Do not touch for ten days, strain and apply this solution to moisturize (it must be diluted in advance - add five liters of liquid to one liter of solution).

- planting siderates. These are herbaceous, called "green dressings". They increase the structure and composition of the soil. It becomes porous, because of this, it perfectly permeates the liquid. The green manure also endows it with nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. Therefore, it is advised that clover, cereals, legumes and radishes grow close to the fruiting tree.

- crop rotation. Fruiting trees are advised to be planted in such an area where a variety of herbaceous plants grew. For this, it is advised to carry out crop rotation - change the herbaceous ones every year. If potatoes, tomatoes, corn and other crops have been growing on the territory all the time, this reduces the fertility of the land. Therefore, it is not advised to plant apple trees in this area.

- mulching. Every year, before the arrival of frost, it is advised to make a layer of mulch. So it is worth covering the soil with ripe compost, dried herbs and peat. This will stop the freezing of the fruiting tree, but it can be used as a top dressing.

To enrich the soil composition, simultaneous application in several ways is possible.

The choice of dressings by soil type

Lands are divided into types because they differ in the amount of incoming humus and porosity. From this it is possible to write that different types endow the herbaceous in different ways with the required components. Therefore, it is necessary to make the necessary fertilizing, selecting which, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil:

- it is possible to feed the clay soil with the help of peat, humus, vegetable compost and wood ash.
- horse manure and wood ash are suitable for loamy soils.
- to improve the properties of sandy soils, mullein, peat, azofoska and other top dressing are suitable.
- feeding peat and swampy lands is possible with compost, manure, sawdust.
- podzolic lands are fed with manure, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, humus.

Natural top dressing is suitable for almost all types of soil. But they are much safer.

The most common mistakes in land selection

Usually, when selecting land for planting a fruit-bearing tree, beginners in terms of gardening make a couple of mistakes:

- They select all sorts of free territories. If the soil in this area is of poor quality, the herbaceous will grow poorly or die.
- The plant is planted where an adult fruit-bearing tree grew. This is prohibited, because a glycoside accumulates in the ground, which does not respond well to young herbaceous plants. But on the territory where cherries or plums grew, the planting material will grow well.
- without prior study, the soil is cultivated. If it was alkaline, even more alkalization will occur when the lime is poured out. So it will become inappropriate.
- It is necessary to select the correct landing area. If there is a slope, it is recommended to plant a fruiting tree at the top. From below, it will be more exposed to cold weather, which means that the flowers can fall.

Soil for an apple tree: planting an apple tree in sandy soil