Birch care in autumn. Birch - a classic for summer cottages

White birch, so dear, Russian, tender. Many people want its branches to rustle overhead, bringing a pleasant coolness. This means that the idea often arises to plant this tree yourself. To do this, you should adhere to some simple rules, and the white-barrel beauty will soon delight rapid growth... Unlike conifers, you don't have to wait a decade. Very soon the tree will be large enough to provide shade on a hot afternoon. And even after cutting a few brooms for the winter, do not damage its luxurious crown. Initially, you need birch seeds or young seedlings. Both of these options are not costly in financial or time terms.

We select a place

It must be remembered that birch is very fond of water. A tree can pull almost 20 buckets from the soil in a day. It takes root well in poor areas, salt licks, black soil, sands and loams. But it is best to choose areas where it is predominantly slightly acidic and loose and always well moisturized.

Therefore, choose a place, and if the soil is not too suitable, then you should prepare a planting hole, that is, add a mixture of sand, peat, humus and garden soil to it. In the spring, you will need one glass of complex fertilizer. But before planting, you need to take care of collecting birch seeds. It can be done early autumn.

Planting material

You have all seen that birch produces delicate earrings in spring. Gradually seeds ripen in them, they turn brown, brown. By the fall, they are preparing to fly and search for a place to grow. The ear ring opens, and winged birch seeds scatter around the area. If you want to test their maturity, then a simple experiment is enough for this. Rip off the earring and rub in your hand. If birch seeds are easily separated from one another, then they are completely ready.

Getting started collecting

Closer to autumn, it is necessary to periodically check the seed. The finished earrings are collected and tied in a bundle. Now they can be hung in a dark place protected from the wind for further ripening. After about a week, you can spread a clean cloth and gently shake the seeds over the sheet. They need to be sorted out from the branches and left for another week.

Disease protection

A birch tree grows from seeds at home quite easily, but care must be taken to ensure that the planting is not killed by a fungus or other disease. Therefore, before placing them in the soil, they must be pickled. For this purpose, potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide is used. The seeds are placed in a 1% solution for 20 minutes. Then they are washed and dried. There are special industrial preparations that help protect plantings from fungi and viruses, strengthen the immunity of future plants and give the sprout all the necessary nutrients.

Stratification

Before you must undergo cold treatment. To do this, you can keep them for 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator, and then dry them at room temperature... It is recommended to sow them in frozen soil at the beginning of winter or in early spring... The seeds are placed directly on the surface, not buried, but only covered with a board. From above they can be pressed with small branches and watered. As soon as the first shoots appear, be sure to remove the cover. The spread of birch seeds also occurs independently, so do not be surprised if a young sprout suddenly appears on your site at the beginning of summer. If it interferes, then in the fall you can carefully transplant into more appropriate place.

Spring care

In the first days after germination, birch is very vulnerable. A young sprout is no larger than a match. At this point, you need to organize abundant watering with a spray bottle. The frequency should be such as to prevent the top of the soil from drying out. The roots are now only 10 cm deep and may die. This watering must be maintained until mid-August. By the end of the season, they reach a size of 20-30 cm.

Autumn transplant

Birch seeds, photos of which are given in the article, can turn into young seedlings in just one season. Of course, while ensuring good conditions and care. In September-October, the largest seedlings need to be transferred to permanent place... The rest for the winter move to a nursery, that is, specially prepared and fertilized places for further development... Now even rows are formed from chaotic plantings. Each of them should be at least 10 cm apart. By the fall of next year, the height of each of them will reach 80 cm. Now they can safely move to a permanent place of growth.

Weed control

When growing, you need to give it Special attention... Of course, for an adult tree, herbs are not an obstacle, but a young plant can drown out or become a source of disease. Among the abundance of weeds, a young tree can be overlooked and damaged when weeding. For prevention, it will need to be treated with fungicides and insecticides at any stage of growth. It is imperative to carry out pruning. To do this, starting from the second year, in early spring, you need to outline the shape of the crown and carefully correct it.

What should you pay attention to?

Since it is not difficult to grow birch from seeds, beginners can get carried away with this activity. But you need to remember that birch has a depressing effect on most neighbors. These include trees, shrubs and other garden planting... Firstly, white-borers draw a lot of water and microelements from the soil. Secondly, the substances contained in the fallen leaves of birch have a negative effect on most plants. Only spruce and rose hips live well next to them. Birches grow especially well in sunny areas.

Propagation by seedlings

If you do not have a long time in stock, and you want to plant a birch tree this season, then you can change your tactics. In this case, you need to go to the forest, or rather, to a birch grove. It is best to organize a hike for a young seedling in early spring, when the leaves have not yet blossomed. It is necessary to find a young, strong sprout, up to 100 cm in size. It should not have twisted branches or traces of the disease. Such a plant will easily take root and quickly start growing.

Countless numbers are planted every year different trees, among which the most beloved is the white-trunked beauty birch. Any summer resident, being in a garden center or in a market where tree seedlings are sold, is tormented as to what to choose. But, having opted for a birch tree, begins to think where and how to plant it?

To do this, you need to know how to do everything correctly when moving a birch seedling from a forest or from another area, so that it can normally take root and grow. The answers to these questions can be found in this article.

Basic rules for transplanting birch

Often, those who want to plant a birch on their site themselves create problems, both during planting and when growing it in unsuitable conditions. To this process passed without problems, you just need to adhere to the following simple rules:

• We choose desired view birch;
• Choosing a suitable place for a transplant;
• We comply with all the requirements of agricultural technology;
• We carry out the fight against diseases and pests in a timely manner.

With proper care, the life span of a green white-skinned birch can reach 55 years.

Where to plant birch

Before you start looking for a suitable place for transplanting a seedling of a white-skinned beauty, it will not be superfluous to know that this tree is a very capricious species. It possesses substances that, getting into the soil, become poisonous to other plants. Probably, many have seen what a beautiful grove where only birches grow, but they can rarely be found in a mixed forest, since they do not get along well with other trees.

Having a vegetable garden, the area of ​​which is not large, you do not even need to dream of planting a birch. Only in large suburban areas, their owner can afford to do this.
A well-lit area will be a suitable place to transplant a young tree. Only there can it grow beautiful tree with long hanging branches. If the new place of residence is in the shade, the birch will grow tall and with a crown only at the top of the trunk, frail and depressed.

In natural places where birch trees grow, the soil is moist. This means that the new place of "residence" must correspond to the previous one, the leaves of the tree will be fully illuminated by the sun, and the soil at the same time remains cool. It is best to plant a birch seedling on the east or north side of the building, there will be a constant shadow there after lunch.

In addition to the fact that the place for transplanting should be with a certain temperature and soil moisture, you need to know some more important facts... You cannot plant a tree under electric wires, because an adult birch reaches a height of up to 20 meters. And one more thing, which is very important to know before planting a birch tree near your home. Its pollen is one of the strongest allergens, this circumstance must be taken into account.

The best soil for planting

Birch is not at all demanding on the quality of the soil. In the case when it is planned to transplant a seedling to a place with poor drainage or where there are frequent floods, it is best to get a black birch that can grow even on dry bumps.

It is believed that when birch is transplanted, its good survival rate is observed on poor podzolic soils, as well as on salt licks and chernozems, on sandy soil and loam. Slightly acidic soil is most suitable for the normal development and growth of the seedling, but it can also grow on alkaline soils. To make the soil more acidic, it is recommended to add soil taken from a coniferous forest, or special chemicals.

Landing rules

Birch transplanting should be done with great responsibility and skill. There are some rules regarding the location of the seedling relative to neighboring crops, they must be followed:

• From the landing site vegetable crops, garden plants the distance must be at least 8 meters. If this is a group planting of birches, limit the free space between them to 5 meters;
• It is better to plant trees in places from the northern side of the site, so as not to shade other garden plantings;
• The distance between the birch and the walls of the building, underground utilities should be 3 meters;
• Since birch has allergic effects, this must be taken into account when planting it, if there is a person with allergies in the house.
• It is better to place the seedling in such a place that the future tree can close the site from the winds prevailing in that region;
• Bad survival rate during transplantation is observed in adult birches. It is recommended to replant them in the fall when frost comes or in winter, so that a large clod of earth remains on the roots.

Three-year-old seedlings will be able to perfectly adapt in a new place, so that after a few years, they will delight people with their beauty.

Landing

A few days before planting, you need to prepare a landing hole. Its size should correspond to the size of the root system of the seedling along with a clod of earth. Then add a few centimeters to the calculation for the normal placement of the seedling.

First you need to fill the drainage layer into the dug hole, it can be broken brick or gravel. Then fill one third of the hole with a mixture of leaf soil, humus and 150 grams of compound fertilizer. To make the soil what it was in the natural habitat of the purchased birch seedling, you can also add land from a coniferous forest or coniferous sawdust.

A peg must be hammered into the corner of the dug planting hole. Before planting, it is recommended to dip the roots of the plant in a mash made of clay and water (our grandfathers did this). And after that, place the tree in a permanent place, after pouring a bucket of water into the pit. After that, slowly begin to pour in the ground from all sides of the hole, while trampling it, starting from the edge and moving to the middle.

At the end of this work, the seedling should be attached to the peg with a rope and immediately watered. And yet, which is very important, the root collar cannot be buried. This is explained by the fact that if it is even a little lower than the soil level, mycorrhiza (fungi) on the roots of the plant will die, without which the growth of birch will begin to deteriorate, and ultimately it will disappear.

Experienced gardeners believe that it is necessary to transplant a birch in the spring, she will be able to stock up the required amount nutrients, for wintering. Late autumn is a great time for a transplant - when the air temperature will be below +10 degrees. Agrotechnical work carried out in autumn corresponds to spring planting.

The main thing to remember is that birch must be planted with closed roots. If it was bought in a cattery or mall, the roots will be in the container. But when you have to deliver her from the forest, the tree should be with a large lump of her native land.

Care

Birch is an unpretentious tree. Caring for her will not take much time, it is minimal. Watering will only be needed after transplanting and during a drought.

You can feed the plant in early spring, before the first leaves appear, as well as in the last days spring. The solution for irrigation is as follows: a bucket of water, 1kg. mullein, urea 10g., ammonium nitrate 15g. Three ten-liter buckets of such fertilizer should be poured under one birch aged 10–20 years, after thirty years - five such buckets.

Care includes weeding with loosening the soil to a depth of at least 3 cm. Mulching will also be required. near-trunk circles wood chips or peat.

Pruning

Agronomists note that birch is not pruned, otherwise the structure of the crown may be disturbed. The tree does not tolerate this process well; in a season, you can cut out perhaps no more than a quarter of the branches.

Aesthetic intervention is not required for seedlings. You can only regularly carry out sanitary pruning by removing dried branches. When caring for trees that no longer give growth, you need to do rejuvenation by removing bulky branches. Such pruning is allowed only in autumn and winter, that is, during the sleeping period for birch.

Diseases and pests of birch, protection against them

There are many pests of birch, the most dangerous of them are the May beetle and the gypsy moth. Beetles damage leaves and shoots, and their larvae damage roots. You can deal with them by timely removal of damaged leaves, followed by burning. It is also recommended to dig around the trunks. The soil can be treated with chemicals.

Silkworm caterpillars eat leaves, leaving only veins after them. If this pest is found, you should immediately begin to fight it. To do this, shake off the caterpillars and spray the tree with one of the appropriate insecticides.

For birches, fungi are a great danger - tinder fungi, which are capable of severely destroying wood. It is necessary to get rid of them in time. Rust can be fought by spraying the tree with fungicides.

The genus birch is very numerous and distributed almost all over the world - in Europe, Asia and North America. According to various sources, there are from 60 to 120 species of birch - there are undersized trees, shrubs and creeping trees. There are species with trunks of pink, yellow, cherry and dark brown color, with a smooth, scaly or ragged bark. Birches are undemanding to environmental conditions. As a rule, they are photophilous, but they tolerate partial shade. With a few exceptions, they are very winter-hardy, withstand very coldy, do not suffer from sudden changes in temperature and frost. V landscape design trees are planted as part of picturesque groups to create dense massifs, groves, alleys along roads or protective curtains. The most common birches will be interesting in a bouquet planting, and exotic species and decorative forms- in the solitary room, against the background of the lawn. Note that some birch species tolerate urban conditions better than other trees, and are very undemanding. Therefore, before buying, take an interest in their features. You can also just dig a small tree in the nearest forest and transfer the seedling to your site.

Before you start planting, you should know that birch is a rather "harmful" breed. The fact is that it releases substances that "poison" the soil for other plants. As you may have noticed, birches grow well with each other, but do not get along with other plants. If you have a site small size, then you should plant only a small tree. Real birch groves can only be afforded by owners of large suburban areas. At what distance should birch trees be planted from each other? We recommend that you control the distance between trees with a tape measure. It should be at least 3-4 meters between each seedling.

In the forest, birch trees grow on cool, moist soil. Their very shallow root system makes them susceptible to even short periods of dryness or warming of the soil, so they do not thrive on hot, dry soils. Thus, it is necessary to try to select a location for the birch in a shaded area where the soil will be cool and moist. However, birches for good growth full solar lighting leaves, or not less than half. Choose a location where the soil will remain cool and moist, and the leaves of the tree should receive sunlight for most of the day. Great place for planting birch trees serves the area on the east and north side of the house, where the building provides afternoon shade. Avoid planting birch trees on the south and west side, where the sun heats and dries the soil in the afternoon. Best time days for searching and assessing the birch planting site - from the middle to the end of the day. At this time, you should look for a suitable place.

Features of the soil for planting

Once you have identified a location on the site that meets your soil temperature and moisture requirements, there are several other factors you need to consider. A common mistake is planting young trees under tensioned electrical wires. Do not forget that most birches can reach 15-20 meters in height. Avoid planting birch trees in areas where the soil can become denser, such as along roads. Remember that birches have a very shallow root system which can be easily damaged by subsidence of the soil. Birches do best for a little acidic soils(pH 5.0-6.5). Although white-stemmed birches, especially paper birch or Japanese birch, can grow well in alkaline soils. Black birches often develop ferruginous chlorosis (yellow foliage) in alkaline soils when the pH is above 6.5. Slightly alkaline soil can be made more acidic by adding coniferous forest soil, rotted coniferous sawdust, or special preparations, although it can be difficult to maintain soil pH throughout the tree's life.

How often to water birch

Birches are not demanding on soil fertility, but when planting them on the site, one must remember that birches are very fond of water. So an adult birch in summer draws out an average of 20 buckets of water from the soil per day, that is, only about 200 liters. Therefore, do not try to plant a birch on a hot summer day, nothing good will come of it - the tree will most likely dry out. The best planting period is when the ground retains moisture well, and the air temperature is low (up to +10). This usually happens in early spring and in the second half of autumn. However, large birch seedlings with an open root system, even planted in correct timing, they do not always take root - some of the trees die or their tops dry out. Therefore, it is better to buy seedlings with earthen lumps or in containers. Winter landing with a frozen lump is possible.

Birch care

If you want to plant a birch, then you do not need any special fertilizers - this tree species takes root and grows quite well without them. Take, perhaps, a little compost. The trees should be planted at some distance from the house (at a distance of about 4 - 5 meters), making drainage. The dimensions of the hole dug under the seedling should be about half a meter in depth and the same in diameter. By the way, if the soil is sandy loam, then add several buckets of humus to the bottom of the pit or a layer of clay fifteen to twenty centimeters thick. Usually, planting pits for birch trees are filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. At spring planting for young birches, you can add complex fertilizer (150-200 g) to the planting pit. For autumn planting, you can only use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers... In the first few days, the seedlings should be shaded. Do not forget to provide abundant watering for the birch.

It should be added that it is better to plant a birch with a closed root system, regardless of whether you bought it in the garden center or dug it up in the nearest grove. The chances of survival are greatly increased. Well, do not forget about the complex "energy world" of birch. By tradition, they were not planted near the house, but near the gate, at the entrance to the site. And they dug under a birch bench, where you can think slowly and get energized.

Vlad
When can you plant a birch and how to transplant it correctly?

Birch is a popular solution for the beautification of a local area: it is affordable, has a spectacular look and does not need specific care. However, planting it correctly is not always easy - there are several important features, which must be observed in order for the tree to take root and develop. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with these subtleties: we tell you when and how it is recommended to replant a birch.

We harvest seedlings

You can get a birch sapling in several ways: grow a plant yourself from a twig or seed, dig up a growing tree in the forest, or buy it in a nursery. If the first option is too troublesome for you, and the third is too expensive, there remains a compromise in the form of replanting a young birch from the forest. It is better to start planting a seedling either in early spring or in early autumn - during these periods the plant takes root best of all. Going into the forest, look for a young birch no more than 1 m high. The plant must be healthy: be sure to inspect it for foreign spots on the bark and twisted branches.

Advice. The lower the tree is, the more reliable it will be to root in a new place.

When digging up a birch tree, try to leave its root system intact. To do this, first carefully dig a tree around, then cut the soil with a bayonet-shovel on three sides, and then start digging under the root on the fourth side until you uproot the plant with roots and a lump of earth.

Having dug up a tree, do not shake it off - place it in a bucket directly with the soil and sprinkle it on top with additional earth. In this form, transport the seedling to the site for further planting.

Choose a sunny birch planting spot

Choosing a landing site

Although birch belongs to unpretentious plants, the place for planting it must be chosen with great care - here you need to follow several mandatory requirements:

• If you are not going to be limited to one tree, but plan to equip a small alley on your site, calculate in advance the required area of ​​the planting zone, taking into account the fact that there should be a distance of 4 m between the birches.The need for such gaps is simply explained: birches are added in size every year, therefore you need to have a margin of space for their free growth.
• So that the trees are not in the shade, maintain the required distance from all objects located on the site: from the house and outbuildings - about 5 m, from the fence - 3 m.
• Plant birches away from fruit-bearing trees: the latter take a lot of moisture from the soil, therefore making it practically unsuitable for the growth of other crops.
• Take into account the location of underground utilities: plant birch trees at a distance of 3 m or more from pipes, sewers and drainage.
• If there is a sewer well or a cesspool on the site, the seedlings should be 3-4 m away from the object.

We transplant birch

The seedlings are ready, the place has been chosen - we proceed to planting. To successfully and quickly cope with the task, adhere to simple rules:

• Prepare the site for planting: free it from foliage and weeds.
• Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the tree's root system. But do not overdo it with depth, otherwise the seedling will sit too low, which is fraught with its death in the first week of rooting due to lack of moisture.

Leave sufficient distance between trees

• Fertilize the soil in the dug hole - add a little sand, peat, black soil and humus to it. Be sure to mix all the fertilizer components and distribute evenly over the bottom. If possible, bring half a bucket of soil from the forest where the plant was dug - this way the tree will more easily tolerate changing growing conditions.

Advice. If the site is in a swampy area, drain the birch planting area in advance, or at least add hydrogel to the soil.

• Insert the seedling into the hole, sprinkle with soil and tamp very lightly. Make sure that the root collar remains on the surface of the ground.
• Build a support for a young tree: place a stake next to it and carefully tie a birch trunk to it.
• Moisten the soil around the seedling and cover it with leaves.

Thus, we have three main components of planting birch trees: harvesting seedlings, choosing a place and directly planting. Each of these stages has its own subtleties - now you are familiar with them, so you can safely start ennobling your site.

Planting birch: video