When and how to plant mountain ash correctly?

Rowan is known to absolutely everyone since childhood. It is a very tall tree with bright red small berries. It very easily tolerates any, even the most severe frosts. Rowan berries are very beautiful in appearance and attract almost all birds, although they initially taste quite bitter and astringent, they become a little sweetish only after the first, but rather strong frosts come. Rowan can not only be grown in one place, but also transplanted. Even a wild, forest rowan can easily take root on the site. Consider in this article what rules must be followed to plant a mountain ash.

When to plant rowan

Rowan is mainly planted only in autumn, but at what time it should be done individually, it depends on the local climate.

Consider the timing of planting by region: in the central one - this should be done from mid-September to mid-October.

As for the southern regions, it is best to plant here during October.

In the northern regions, the best time for planting is September.

But in Siberia and the Urals - in these regions, rowan is planted most often. In spring, rowan trees should not be planted due to the fact that spring frosts may recur at any time, or, on the contrary, heat and drought may occur. And in autumn, the temperature is more stable, and the seedling will have enough moisture. It is best to plant it in September.

In principle, in any region, it is best to plant after the leaves begin to fall.
But all the same, spring planting is possible, and if for some reason you did not manage to plant a seedling in the fall, then it must be properly preserved until spring.

Seedling care

There are several ways to save a seedling: it can be saved simply in the basement - for this, the root system of the seedling must be dipped into a mixture of their peat, sand and sawdust. Moreover, this mixture must be wet. The temperature in the basement must be no higher than +10 degrees, and it is best if it is around 0, but not lower. Humidity should be no more than 80%, but still moisturize the root system by moderately watering the mixture in which the seedling is located.

You can also save the plant by digging it in - for this, you need to dig a deep hole on the site and plant a seedling in it at a slight angle. After that, the pit must be covered with a mixture of earth, sand and peat in a 1: 1: 1 ratio.

You can just as well save the seedling by snowing - for this you need to wrap it with a damp cloth and place it in the snow. In this case, the temperature for mountain ash will be optimal. The only thing that in the latter case must be sure to ensure that the seedling is always under a thick layer of snow and in no case is exposed from the fabric.

Planting rowan in autumn - pros and cons

• In the autumn planting, there are not only well-known pluses, but also minuses. One of the important advantages is that seedlings can be bought cheaper than in the spring. A seedling purchased in the fall will definitely be healthier than the one you buy in the spring. And it's easier to consider the root system in the fall. When planting in autumn, the seedling does not have to be constantly watered, because there will be enough moisture for it anyway. But if you plant in the spring, you will have to constantly monitor that the ground is moist. Young seedlings planted in autumn will grow and get stronger much faster than those planted in spring. In general, when planting in autumn, mountain ash will develop about a month faster than the one that was planted in spring.Also, autumn planting is beneficial in that there is practically no work left on the site, so you will definitely have enough time to plant seedlings.
• But there are also nuances and disadvantages in the autumn planting: in a young, immature seedling during the winter, severe frosts, the root system of the plant can freeze. A strong, cold autumn wind can break the thin branches of the seedling. In autumn, all trees, including mountain ash, are very often attacked by rodents, mainly mice. That is why all gardeners in the fall protect tree trunks from the attacks of these pests. Absolutely any tree can suffer from this, and if it does not die, then it may simply not bloom and, accordingly, not bear fruit until it is restored. This is especially dangerous for a newly planted, young seedling.

How to plant rowan

In order to properly plant rowan and it took root as quickly as possible, it is imperative to follow some simple rules.

Initially, you need to take a good look at the seedling. It must be healthy, the roots are not twisted and well developed. Planting a seedling must take place before the onset of cold weather, otherwise the seedling will not have time to take root in a new place. You need to plant a seedling in the form in which it was purchased. With a closed root system, as the seedling was bought, so it should be planted. If you did not have time to plant your plant, then you need to save it until spring, and only then plant it. How to save it correctly has already been described above. Be sure to monitor the amount of fertilizer that you apply to the ground before planting. After planting a seedling, it must be tied to a support, otherwise, during a strong, cold wind, the plant may simply break.

In general, the autumn planting is different from the spring one. That is why different planting dates have their own rules. Initially, you need to choose the right quality seedling. The root system of which should be at least 20 cm long and not have any damage at all. The seedling should have a smooth bark that also does not have any damage.

All branches should already be well developed.

Before planting, the seedlings need to be prepared: if there are damaged branches or roots, then they need to be removed, or rather, simply cut off. Before planting, the roots of the seedling must be moistened for several hours. Many experienced gardeners make a so-called clay talker for this. All foliage from the seedling must be removed so that the plant does not waste extra energy on its development.
Choosing a landing site is not difficult, but you need to do it right. In principle, mountain ash is not whimsical at all and can grow in any land. But still, in order for a tree to grow well, certain conditions must be observed. It is best if the land on the site is loamy. The ground should be loose, and there should be a drainage layer along the bush itself. The tree should grow in a sunny place so that there is no shade. The site should always be moist, but without stagnant water. The distance between rowan trees and other trees or shrubs must be at least three meters. The planting hole must be prepared in advance, at least two weeks in advance. The pit should be at least half a meter deep, but the width is individual. It all depends on what kind of root system the seedling has. The soil for the planting pit must be mixed with compost, superphosphate and wood ash. Before planting a seedling, the hole must be filled with water. After that, a seedling is placed in the center of the pit and the seedling is carefully straightened. The root collar of mountain ash must not be buried. When you fill the hole, be sure to shake the seedling to expel all the air from the ground. After planting, the seedling must be tamped and watered well. It is best if you mulch the soil after planting.
After planting, the mountain ash needs a little care. This is necessary for the tree to develop correctly in the future.Rowan is fed only from the fourth year of life, before she simply did not need them. The only thing is that from the second year of life, a little nitrogen can be added in order to stimulate the growth of the tree.

Rowan care and preparation for winter

It needs to be watered rarely, no more than five times per season, but very carefully. If there is a lot of rain in the summer, then it may not be watered at all throughout the summer. In autumn, it is best to dig the ground around the tree to a depth of about 20 cm. All weeds should also be removed around the tree throughout the season.
Preparation of mountain ash for winter must necessarily take place, despite the fact that this plant is very frost-resistant. A newly planted seedling simply will not have time to mature properly before winter. So the trunk of the mountain ash needs to be wrapped with a cloth, and insulated with anything like spruce branches. Also, the lower part of the trunk must be covered with fallen snow, the more, the better. The rowan trunk must be whitened, this is done in the spring, so that the tree is protected from the sun. You can protect a tree from mice with the help of poisons that are scattered around the tree.

Rowan transplant

You can not only plant rowan in the same place, but also transplant. But you can only transplant a plant that is no more than five years old. In principle, the transplant and the initial landing are carried out in the same way. Still, mature trees can be transplanted, but this will be much more difficult. This is best done in late autumn, when the tree is already at rest. Outside at this time, the temperature should already be from 0 to -15 degrees, but not lower. The tree you are replanting must be at least three meters long. Digging up a tree will be difficult, but you need to do it carefully. All long and large roots must be pruned before transplanting. But the earthen lump that was on the roots must necessarily remain during transplantation. The planting hole should be half a meter wider than the diameter of the roots together with the ground. At the bottom of the pit, it is imperative to lay a drainage layer. After planting, the earth is tamped and watered. In general, autumn planting is the most optimal time for planting mountain ash. At this time, it takes root well and easily tolerates winter frosts. Since the autumn moisture will be enough for it, the gardener will not have to waste his energy on watering the plant. A tree planted in autumn will have immunity several times higher than that of a tree planted in spring, and in its development during autumn planting, mountain ash is ahead of spring, and accordingly, it will give a harvest earlier. In general, you don't have to take much care of the mountain ash, the main thing is that initially you chose the right seedling, prepared and planted it according to all the rules. The whole future development and yield of this wonderful tree depends on planting. In principle, if you initially did something wrong or did not choose the right place, then the mountain ash can be transplanted, but at the same time all previous mistakes must be corrected. In general, mountain ash can grow on your site for several decades and it bears fruit almost constantly, delighting all lovers of this very useful berry with a huge number of fruits.