A myth was born among summer residents, according to which nails driven into the trunk of an adult apple tree are a valuable source of iron for the tree.
In reality, this trick works differently. It cannot be called safe and far-sighted.
Many summer residents do not live only for today and their plans are not limited to one season.
The Nail and the Apple Tree
A nail driven into a tree trunk does stimulate fruiting. But it's not the iron that's responsible.
The apple tree was damaged, and this became a signal for its imminent death, so it needs to actively reproduce. The apple tree bears fruit to the detriment of development, as if it were living its last months.
What are the risks?
1. There is a possibility of infection, which will at least lead to tree disease.
2. After active fruiting in "crisis mode", the apple tree's immunity is weakened. If the tree is affected by disease or attacked by pests, it will die very quickly.
Alternative options
There are safer methods of stimulating apple tree fruiting. They are recommended by many agronomists and experienced gardeners.
1. Kerbovka (pruning). Gardeners make a small notch at the base of the skeletal branches and carefully cover it with garden pitch. The tree's natural outflow of substances is disrupted, which stimulates the apple tree to lay more fruit buds next year.
2. Ringing. The principle is the same as pruning. But on skeletal branches, gardeners carefully remove the bark in a ring, the width of which is 1 cm. The wounds are covered.
3. Tightening. Apple tree branches are tied with tight wire, disrupting the flow of sap. In the fall, the clamp must be removed.
4. Bending. The most humane and safest method of all. Gardeners bend skeletal branches for a similar purpose - to reduce the outflow of substances. The method ensures an early harvest with minimal damage to the tree. But it is important to remember that bent branches can break under the weight of the fruit, so you may have to put up supports.
