November marks the beginning of autumn fruit planting, and Nikola Milojević, a nurseryman from the Kruševac area, gives advice on proper planting. According to him, there is a difference between hobby fruit growers who plant fruit in small gardens and professional fruit growers who plant on larger plots. Professionals more often decide to plant in the fall because winter brings precipitation that helps the soil to settle and the plant to get a better start in the spring. For hobby fruit growers, November and December are the key months to plant, when vegetation stops and leaves fall.
In order for planting to be successful, Milojević recommends that plots be deeply furrowed or furrowed, ideally at a depth of 50 to 70 cm. However, many hobby fruit growers do not have access to this type of tillage, so they are forced to plant in untreated soil. In this case, it is recommended to dig larger holes, minimum 60x60x60 cm, in order to enable good development of the roots of the seedling.
Traditionally, it is advised to add manure to the hole, but this can be problematic due to the lack of quality fertilizer and the possibility of using unburnt manure, which may contain harmful insects. Instead, Milojević recommends that the excavated soil be crushed and returned to the hole. The seedling is watered with about 20 liters of water and firmly stepped on to remove the air around the roots, and the tree should be properly planted and supported by a batten. In the spring, the seedling is shortened to a height of about 120 cm, and before the beginning of the growing season, it is lightly fertilized.
Planting, planting – never last anywhere
For professional fruit growers, land preparation includes cleaning neglected plots, removing plants, stumps and roots. Deep undermining at about 80 cm, followed by digging at 60 cm, cannot be avoided. Fine tillage, such as milling or discing, completes the preparation process. This processing is done in September and October, with careful monitoring of weather conditions. If the plot was previously cultivated, it is only necessary to plow to a depth of about 40 cm. Before plowing, soil analysis and fertilization based on recommendations are recommended, because most of the land in Serbia suffers from a lack of organic components, such as manure. For optimal preparation, 20 to 50 tons of manure are added per hectare, which must be plowed within 24 hours so that it does not lose its properties.
Planting is done at the beginning of November, depending on the type of fruit, substrate and mechanization. The distance between rows is usually 4 to 5 meters. However, this does not apply to apples and pears on weaker substrates, where the distance is 3 to 3.5 meters. With cherry and apricot, the distance is greater, from 3 to 5 meters. On the other hand, it is 2 to 2.5 meters for quince and cherry, and 1.5 to 2 meters for medlar. When planting, the root should be shortened by one third to one half to allow better plant development.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
