Some trees and shrubs take root so easily after planting that it is enough to put the seedling in the ground, water it and cover it with earth. This is enough for the further normal growth of the plant. So the pear is not one of those. This is a very capricious plant and requires a special attitude towards itself at all stages of development: during the cultivation of a seedling and its planting, during its growth, in the process of caring for it. Anyone who decides to plant this fruit tree in their garden should take into account some of the secrets and advice of experienced gardeners.
Planting pears: in spring or autumn?
A pear is a fruit tree that can be planted in the spring or in the fall. To understand what time of year is best, you need to take into account the climatic conditions.
In hot southern climates, planting a tree in spring is not advisable. In the heat, a pear seedling will take root with difficulty. Therefore, in these regions, the pear is planted in the first half of October. In a cold northern climate, an autumn planting is dangerous because the seedling simply will not be able to endure the frost and will die. Favorable time in these regions is the first half of April.
But for everyone who lives in a temperate climate, the autumn and spring planting has its pros and cons. If you plant a tree in the spring, then it will not be afraid of frosts. By autumn, the pear will already gain strength, and any cold weather will not be dangerous to it. And if in the fall, then the seedling will acquire a valuable quality - high winter hardiness. Of course, trees will need reliable shelter for the winter with both planting options.
Many amateur summer residents do not want to risk seedlings and prefer planting in spring.
Where to plant a pear: choosing a place and preparing a pit
For a pear, you need to choose a site that will be well lit and stay in the sun for a long time. This open area should be protected from the wind and receive maximum light and warmth. The soil in this area can be different, except for dense clay and always with moderate moisture. Excess moisture is very harmful to this tree. There should be no other, especially older, trees nearby. But the neighborhood with rowan must be excluded altogether. These trees have the same danger in the form of insects - pests. You shouldn't "help" them.
A planting hole is dug in the fall, even for spring planting. This is necessary so that the earth in the pit settles and compresses until the tree is planted. In autumn, it will be enough to wait about ten days for this. If you plant a seedling right away, then the soil will begin to settle and the root collar of a young pear will be under a layer of earth. This will lead to the death of the plant.
The size of the planting pit depends on the size of the tree's root system. Its width is about a meter, and its depth is half a meter. If the soil on this site is poor, then the hole is dug deeper in order to fill the bottom with fertile soil. You can use the same soil, just mix it with humus or ash. It would be nice to feed this soil with fertilizer.
To prevent the trunk of the pear from deforming, a peg must be driven into the middle of the hole. After planting, it will serve as a support for the tree, because he definitely needs a garter.And small notches on the walls of the pit will improve the air exchange process, which is needed for the growth and full development of the pear root system.
The proven method for planting pears
There are three ways of planting pears: on a mound, with grooves and followed by mulching.
The hillock planting method is a must for areas with poor soil. This deficiency can be compensated for by imported more nutritious soil, from which an embankment is made about half a meter high and about a meter in diameter. In the center of this embankment, a pear seedling is planted, be sure to tie it to a support. The diameter of the mound annually expands by about fifty centimeters to create high-quality conditions for the development of the root system.
Every year it is necessary to do top dressing in the form of complex fertilizers. With proper care, the pear will begin to bear fruit abundantly after three years. The future harvest directly depends on the patience and perseverance of the gardener.
The grooved planting method helps to make the soil fertile. First, they dig a planting hole for a seedling, and then, in addition, four grooves measuring one meter by twenty centimeters are made in all directions from it. The depth of the grooves must match the main pit. Then each groove is filled with any dense natural waste. For this purpose, tree bark or needles, sawdust and shavings, even small tree branches are perfect, only they must first spend a day in a fertilizer solution. The grooves are filled tightly, and the root system of the young tree must be in contact with their filler.
This method of planting will provide the pear with adequate nutrition as the roots grow. They will be able to find all the nutrients in these grooves. The growing root system itself will find in the rotten waste everything necessary for the high-quality development of a young pear.
There is another not very popular, but very effective method of planting. At first, the seedling undergoes almost complete pruning: the top is cut off completely, and only the largest roots are cut by about ten centimeters. After this preparation, a seedling about seventy centimeters high is dipped in a bucket of water (only the root part) for about one hour.
For the root system, a special mixture is made from equal proportions of soil, ash and water. The roots are dipped in it, and then the rest is poured into the prepared hole, after having laid out a dozen raw chicken eggs on the bottom. The seedling is placed at the planting site, sprinkled with earth to the root collar. Then another dozen eggs are laid along the entire perimeter of the trunk. Sprinkle abundantly with two buckets of water and mulch the surface around the stem of the seedling. Chicken eggs will replace all the necessary feeding. The pear will find all the necessary nutrients by itself.
