Apple tree neighbors.

If your summer cottage already has adult fruiting apple trees, then this is great. Of course, they also need to be constantly taken care of, but still it is somewhat easier than growing a tree from the very beginning. After all, the fate of the future harvest directly depends on when and how you planted the seedlings, whether they were properly looked after, as well as on which plants were placed in the immediate vicinity of the apple trees. People who work in the same team, with different characters and habits, are not always able to productively coexist. The situation with plants is somewhat similar - they can have both beneficial and negative effects on each other. Therefore, it is necessary to place trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowers at a summer cottage taking into account their individual characteristics, this will help to more productively distribute your forces in the further care of the garden and vegetable garden and will provide you with a good harvest. And if you can move flowers or vegetables every year, then the place for the tree must be chosen very carefully, once and for all, since transplanting an adult apple tree often leads to its death.

Conditions necessary for the comfortable growth of an apple tree.

Many amateur gardeners take up the cultivation of fruit trees in their summer cottage. This is an extremely interesting and very difficult task, but the joy of the harvest obtained from self-grown trees compensates for all your labor costs. And in order to get this very harvest in the end, you need to know some of the nuances even before planting seedlings.

First of all, carefully consider the choice of seedlings, study all the available information and choose a variety that is adapted for growing in your region, taking into account its climatic characteristics. If you live in the south of the country or in the middle lane, it will be easier to do, but finding apple varieties for the northern regions will be a more difficult task, but it is also possible. Winter frosts can negatively affect the tree and, most likely, you will have to additionally insulate it, as well as protect it from spring return frosts, which can often be detrimental to flowers (in this case, smoke or sprinkling comes to the rescue, you just need to carefully monitor the forecast weather). So when buying, be sure to consult with your neighbors, gardeners, as well as with consultants of the nursery or garden center in which you plan to purchase planting material.

Now there are more than thirty species and about ten thousand varieties of apple trees, but not all of them can grow in the middle lane, in Siberia and the Urals. On the other hand, with due diligence and care for the tree, even the southern thermophilic variety can be grown, for example, in the Moscow region.

For any plants, and especially for apple trees, the level of acidity of the soil is an important point. Therefore, before planting, it is necessary to conduct a test and find out the pH level in your area. To do this, you will need a special tester, if you do not have one and did not plan to buy it, then ask your neighbors - surely some experienced and responsible gardener will have such a device.

Dig a hole about ten centimeters deep and free of lumps of soil and plant debris. Then you will need water, and special attention should be paid to the quality of the water. You can not use rainwater (it has high acidity), tap and bottled (they, on the contrary, are alkaline).To maintain the purity of the experiment, buy distilled water, pour it into the hole (liquid mud is formed), lower the probe of the device there (first wipe it well with a clean cloth) and after a minute remove it. To get the most accurate result, take several measurements (accordingly, dig and fill several holes with water). The pH level is measured in the range from 1 to 14, the optimal indicator for planting an apple tree will be from 6 to 7. If the soil in the proposed planting site is too dense or depleted, then it may be worthwhile to restore it and postpone planting the apple trees for now.

Flowering period.

All fruit trees are able to pollinate only plants of their own species, that is, cherries pollinate only cherries, plums only plums, and apple trees, respectively, only apple trees. But at the same time, trees of the same type are capable of being pollinators for each other, so that cross-pollination is possible among the "Crab" or "Cider".

Of course, most of the pollination is carried out by bees, and therefore the clear and warm weather favors this process and stimulates insects. For the formation of pollen, an air temperature of about + 15 ... + 20 degrees is needed, as soon as pollen is formed, a couple of warm days will be enough for pollination to take place. For additional attraction of pollinating insects, you can spray the flowers with water and sugar or honey.

Pollinating varieties.

Not all varieties of apple trees can be pollinators for each other, so when choosing seedlings, you should familiarize yourself with the information about the flowering time of the tree. In a temperate climate, spring lasts quite a long time, so apple trees that bloom earlier and later still “intersect” for several days and are able to act as pollinators. But in the southern regions, where the climate is warmer and spring rapidly turns into summer, apple trees can be divided into early flowering and later ones, depending on this, it is necessary to select varieties for your site.

Undesirable and favorable proximity of the apple tree to other crops.

Not only the health and productivity of the apple tree, but also the condition of those neighbors will depend on how correctly you choose the "neighbors" for the apple tree. It is important that crops have the same requirements for growing conditions in terms of illumination (the more light, the better), the amount and quality of nutrients, and the composition of the soil (soil with an admixture of peat or light loam). And you also need to take into account such a concept as "allelopathy" - this is the ability of any plant to produce a substance that negatively affects the growth of "neighbors", inhibit it, and sometimes even stop it. For example, apple trees and pears can perfectly exist in close proximity to each other, they are related crops, their resistance to diseases and pests is approximately the same. But it is better to place the cherries away from the apple tree, since the close proximity will be unfavorable for the cherry tree.

In addition, scientists have proven the impossibility of close proximity of the apple tree to peach trees, since the roots of the peach, growing, can penetrate into the habitat of the roots of the apple tree, and this often leads to the death of the tree. In addition to cherries and peaches, the apple tree should be avoided with any conifers (juniper, fir, thuja), with poplars and chestnuts, jasmine and roses, elder and cherry plum, lilac, rowan and apricot. Gooseberries or currants growing near the apple tree will either not bear fruit themselves, or will yield a harvest due to the apple harvest. If, nevertheless, circumstances develop in such a way that it is impossible to arrange any of these plants at the other end of the site, then keep distance from the apple tree to the unwanted "neighbor" about ten meters. The only exception here will be hazel, it will definitely need to be planted at the other end of the site, otherwise you will not wait for the apple harvest.

But the apple tree also has enough favorable neighbors, for example, plums, cherries and honeysuckle - the main thing is not to place them too close so that as the crowns grow, the trees have enough space. In close proximity to raspberries, the apple tree becomes more resistant to various harmful insects. Raspberry roots make the soil looser, which undoubtedly benefits the apple tree. But since raspberries love light, this is a temporary neighborhood that continues until the apple tree grows. In addition, quince, maple, wormwood and garlic can grow nearby. In the shade of an adult tree, the hosta will feel great, which does not require a lot of light, and which will not ruin the life of the apple tree. Mint, which also grows well in partial shade, as well as white clover, which is not only a green manure (will enrich the soil with nitrogen), but also a good honey plant, which means that the number of bees around the apple tree will increase.

It turns out that the apple tree has much more unwanted “neighbors” than “friendly” ones, but even taking this into account, it is possible to place plants on the site so that everyone is comfortable.

Recommendations of specialists.

If your garden is only a couple of years old, or you are just planning where and what trees to place, do not hesitate to contact professionals and amateur gardeners with extensive experience. These lovers know a lot, they came to certain conclusions by trial and error, their opinions and advice can be very useful to you.

European gardeners annually increase the yield of their gardens precisely because of the favorable neighborhood of certain fruit trees and shrubs with various vegetables, herbs and flower crops. Plantations of dwarf varieties of fruit trees are surrounded by accompanying plants, which, thanks to their strong aroma or secreted phytoncides, protect them from harmful insects. Planning such plantations or gardens requires some knowledge and a lot of effort, but the result is definitely worth it.
Favorable neighbors attract beneficial insects and drive away parasites, they enrich the soil with useful substances, prevent the growth of weeds, contribute to additional loosening of the soil with their roots, some of them can be used as mulch - such plants will benefit not only the apple tree, but also all other crops.

Apple trees are often invaded by harmful insects and are susceptible to certain diseases, therefore, most gardeners are inclined to believe that at least once a year (and preferably twice - in spring and autumn), trees should be preventively treated by spraying trees with chemicals. It is very important to choose the right time for this procedure, so as not to damage the future harvest, consult with specialists and choose a broad-spectrum drug, as well as follow all recommendations for using the drug (dosage, personal protective equipment). When spraying an apple tree, act carefully and do not forget about the plants located nearby - perhaps the preventive measures carried out will not be useful to everyone, so try to direct the solution only to the apple tree. If you are categorically against the use of chemicals, then at the stage of choosing a variety, be guided more by its resistance to the most common "apple" diseases (scab and fruit rust), in this case, varieties such as "Prima" and "Svoboda" will suit you.

Remember that in addition to chemicals, there are many popular recipes that can help you with pest control and preventive measures.

For example, sunflower or any other vegetable oil sold in any store can be spilled next to the roots in the spring. In this case, it is very important to choose the right moment - the tree is already awakening, but the flower buds have not appeared yet.
Placing sticky traps on tree trunks or hanging sticky traps on the tree canopy is also a very effective pest control method. Update the sticky layer in time and your trees will be safe.
Summing up, I would like to note once again that a very large number of factors affect the yield of an apple tree. And if you plan to pick apples in buckets in the future, then spare no effort in caring for your garden, because the result depends entirely on your efforts.