It seems that trees are the most unpretentious inhabitants of the garden. Planted and forgotten?
This is exactly what thousands of summer residents think until one day the apple tree breaks from the wind or the cherry tree stops bearing fruit.
The first fatal mistake is planting "as it happens". If you deepen the root collar (the place where the trunk passes into the roots), the tree will begin to rot.
If you plant too shallowly, the roots will dry out. The ideal depth is so that after watering and soil shrinkage, the collar is at ground level.
And never pour fresh manure on the bottom of the hole - it will burn the roots. It is better to mix humus with ordinary soil.
Pruning is not only about beauty. Incorrect cuts become a gateway for infections. For example, if you leave stumps on branches, they will rot, and if you cut too close to the trunk, the wound will take a long time to heal.
Always use sharp pruning shears, and after work treat the cuts with garden pitch or at least clay.
And don't believe the myth that pruning can only be done in spring. Dry and diseased branches can be removed at any time - waiting until March is dangerous for the entire tree.
The white trunk is not just an aesthetic. Whitewashing protects the bark from sunburn in winter and early spring, when there are no leaves and the sun is already hot.
But you need to paint not only from below, but also up to the first branches, otherwise frost cracks (cracks from temperature changes) will ruin the trunk.
And do not whitewash young trees with green bark - it is better to wrap them with burlap or special tape.
Watering mature trees is a separate science. Many pour water directly under the trunk, but the main roots are located at a distance of one and a half meters from it.
Make a circular groove along the projection of the crown, pour water there - this way the moisture will get to where it is expected.
And remember: one big bucket once a week is better than a glass every day. The tree must learn to look for water in the depths, otherwise its roots will remain weak.
