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

White birch, so dear, Russian, tender. Many people want its branches to rustle over their heads, bringing a pleasant coolness. So, often the idea arises to plant this tree yourself. To do this, you should follow some simple rules, and the white-barreled beauty will soon please rapid growth. Unlike softwoods, you don't have to wait decades. Very soon the tree will grow large enough to provide shade on a hot afternoon. And even cutting off a few brooms for the winter, do not damage its luxurious crown. Initially, you will 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 loves water very much. A tree can pull almost 20 buckets out of the soil per day. It takes root well in poor areas, solonetzes, chernozems, sands and loams. But it is best to choose areas where it is predominantly slightly acidic and loose and always well moistened.

Therefore, select 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 to collect birch seeds. It can be done early autumn.

planting material

All of you have seen that birch trees release delicate earrings in spring. Gradually, seeds ripen in them, they become brown, brown. By autumn, they are preparing to fly and search for a place to grow. The earring opens, and the winged birch seeds scatter around. If you want to check their maturity, then it is enough to conduct a simple experiment. Take off the earring and rub it in your hand. If birch seeds are easily separated from one another, then they are completely ready.

Let's start collecting

Closer to autumn, it is necessary to periodically check the seed. Finished earrings are collected and tied in a bundle. Now they can be hung in a dark place protected from the wind for further maturation. 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

Birch from seeds at home grows quite easily, but you need to make sure that the planting does not kill a fungus or other disease. Therefore, before being placed in the soil, they must be treated. For this purpose, potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide is used. Seeds are placed in a one percent solution for 20 minutes. After that, 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

Must be cold treated beforehand. 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. Seeds are placed directly on the surface, not buried, but only covered with a plank. 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 distribution of birch seeds also occurs on its own, 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 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. Such watering is required to be maintained until mid-August. By the end of the season, they reach sizes of 20-30 cm.

Autumn transplant

Birch seeds, the photos of which are given in the article, can turn into young seedlings in just one season. Of course, while providing good conditions and care. In September-October, the largest seedlings need to be transferred to permanent place. The rest move to a nursery for the winter, that is, specially prepared and fertilized places for further development. Now even rows are formed from chaotic landings. Each of them must be at least 10 cm apart. By the autumn 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 this Special attention. Of course, for an adult tree, grasses are not a hindrance, but a young plant can drown out or become a source of disease. Among the abundance of weeds, you can not notice a young tree and damage it when weeding. For prevention, it will need to be treated with fungicides and insecticides at any stage of growth. Be sure to do 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 to pay attention to?

Since it is not difficult to grow birch from seeds, beginners can get carried away with this activity. But we must remember that birch has a depressing effect on most neighbors. These include trees, shrubs and other garden plantings. Firstly, white-barreled ones draw a lot of water and trace elements from the soil. Secondly, the substances contained in fallen birch leaves adversely affect most plants. Next to them, only spruce and wild rose live beautifully. Birches grow especially well in sunny areas.

Reproduction by seedlings

If you do not have a long time left, but you want to plant a birch tree this season, then you can change tactics. In this case, you need to go to the forest, or rather, to the birch grove. It is best to organize a campaign for a young seedling in early spring, when the leaves have not yet had time to bloom. 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 to grow.

Countless numbers are planted every year. different trees, among which the most beloved is the white-trunk beauty birch. Any summer resident, being in a garden center or in a market where tree seedlings are sold, is tormented by what to choose. But, having opted for a birch, he 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 take root and grow normally. The answers to these questions can be found in this article.

Basic rules for transplanting birch

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

• Choose desired view birch;
• Choosing a suitable place for transplantation;
• 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 expectancy of a green white birch can reach 55 years.

Where to plant a birch

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

Having a garden, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is not large, you do not even need to dream of planting a birch. Only in large suburban areas can their owner afford to do this.
A well-lit area will be a suitable place to which a young tree can be transplanted. 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 oppressed.

In natural places where birch trees grow, the soil is characterized by moisture. 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 will remain cool. It is best to plant a birch seedling on the eastern or northern side of the building, there will always be a shadow after lunch.

In addition to the fact that the place for transplantation should be with a certain temperature and soil moisture, you need to know some more important facts. It is impossible to 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 near your house. 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 event that it is planned to transplant a seedling to a place with poor drainage or where there are frequent floods, it is best to purchase black birch, which can grow even on dry hummocks.

It is believed that when transplanting birch, its good survival rate is observed on poor podzolic soils, as well as on solonetzes 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 coniferous forests or special chemicals.

Landing Rules

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

• From landing site vegetable crops, garden plants 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 north side of the site, so as not to obscure 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 suffering from allergies in the house.
• It is better to place a seedling in such a place that the future tree can cover the site from the prevailing winds in that region;
• Poor survival during transplantation is observed in adult birch trees. They are recommended to be transplanted in the fall when frost sets in or in winter, so that a large clod of earth remains on the roots.

Three-year-old seedlings will be able to adapt perfectly to 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.

In the dug hole, you first need to fill the drainage layer, it can be broken brick or gravel. Then fill one third of the pit with a mixture of leafy soil, humus and 150 grams of complex fertilizer. To make the soil the way it was in the natural habitat of the acquired birch seedling, you can also add earth from a coniferous forest or coniferous sawdust.

A peg must be hammered into the corner of the dug landing hole. Before planting, it is recommended that the roots of the plant be soaked in a mash made of clay and water (our grandfathers did the same). 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 earth on all sides of the hole, while trampling down, starting from the edge and moving towards the middle.

At the end of this work, the seedling should be attached to the peg with a rope and immediately poured with water. And what is very important, the root collar cannot be deepened. This is explained by the fact that if it is at least a little below the soil level, mycorrhiza (mushrooms) on the roots of the plant will die, without which the growth of birch will begin to deteriorate, and eventually it will disappear.

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

You need to remember the main thing - birch must be planted with closed roots. If it is bought in a nursery or mall, the roots will be in the container. But when you have to deliver it from the forest, the tree should be with a large clod of its native land.

Care

Birch is a hardy tree. Caring for her will not take much time, it is minimal. Watering will be needed only after transplanting and during 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. Under one birch tree aged 10–20 years, three ten-liter buckets of such fertilizer should be poured, after thirty years - five such buckets.

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

pruning

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

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

Diseases and pests of birch, protection against them

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

Silkworm caterpillars eat the leaves, leaving only the veins. Upon detection of this pest, you should immediately begin to fight it. To do this, the caterpillars need to be shaken off and the tree sprayed with one of the appropriate insecticides.

For birches, mushrooms are a great danger - tinder fungi, which can greatly destroy wood. You need to get rid of them in time. Rust can be controlled 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 ones. There are species with trunks of pink, yellow, cherry and dark brown color, with smooth, scaly or tattered bark. Birches are undemanding to ecological conditions. As a rule, they are photophilous, but 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. AT landscape design trees are planted as part of picturesque groups to create dense arrays, groves, alleys along roads or protective backstage. The most common birches will be interesting in a bouquet planting, and exotic species and decorative forms- in the solitary room, against the backdrop of the lawn. Note that some types of birch tolerate urban conditions better than other trees, and are very undemanding. Therefore, before buying, take an interest in their features. You can also simply dig a small tree in the nearest forest and transfer the seedling to your site.

Before you start planting, you should be aware that birch, 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 well with other plants. If you have an area small size, then you should plant only a small tree. Only owners of large country plots can afford real birch groves. How far apart should birches be planted? We recommend controlling the distance between the trees with a tape measure. It should be no less than 3-4 meters between each seedling.

In the forest, birches grow in cool, moist soil. A very shallow root system makes them susceptible to even short periods of drought or warm soil, so they do not grow well in hot, dry soils. Thus, it is necessary to try to choose a place 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 at least half. You should choose a location where the soil will remain cool and moist, and where the leaves of the tree should receive sunlight for most of the day. Great place birch is planted on the east and north sides of the house, where the building provides afternoon shade. Avoid planting birch on the south and west sides, where the afternoon sun heats and dries the soil. best time days to search and evaluate 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 determined a location on your property that meets your soil temperature and moisture requirements, there are a few other factors you need to consider. A common mistake is to plant young trees under strung electrical wires. Do not forget that most birches can reach 15-20 meters in height. Avoid planting birch in places where the soil can become more dense, such as along roadsides. Remember that birches have a very superficial root system, which can be easily damaged by subsidence of the soil. Birches feel best for a little bit acidic soils(pH 5.0-6.5). Although white birches, especially paper birch or Japanese birch, can grow well in alkaline soils. Black birches often develop glandular chlorosis (yellowing of foliage) in alkaline soils when the pH is greater than 6.5. Slightly alkaline soil can be made more acidic by adding earth from coniferous forests, rotted softwood sawdust, or special preparations, although maintaining soil pH throughout the life of a tree can be difficult.

How often to water a 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 the summer draws 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 earth 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, do not always take root - some of the trees die or their tops dry out. Therefore, it is better to buy seedlings with earthen clods or in containers. Winter planting with a frozen lump is possible.

birch care

If you want to plant a birch, then you will not need any special fertilizers - this tree species takes root and grows quite well without them. Take, perhaps, some compost. 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, then add a few buckets of humus to the bottom of the pit or a layer of clay fifteen to twenty centimeters thick. Usually planting pits for birches are filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus, sand and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. At spring planting young birch trees, you can add complex fertilizer (150–200 g) to the planting pit. When planting in autumn, you can only use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. In the first few days, seedlings should be shaded. Do not forget to provide abundant watering to 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 at a garden center or dug it up in a nearby grove. The chances of survival are greatly increased. Well, do not forget about the complex "energy world" of birch. By tradition, they were planted not near the house, but near the gate, at the entrance to the site. And they dug a bench under the birch, where you can slowly think and recharge your batteries.

Vlad
When can a birch be planted and how to transplant it correctly?

Birch is a popular solution for ennobling the adjacent area: it is affordable, has a spectacular appearance and does not need specific care. However, planting it correctly is not always easy - there are several important features that 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 prepare seedlings

There are several ways to acquire a birch seedling: grow a plant yourself from a twig or seed, dig a growing tree in the forest, or buy it in a nursery. If the first option is too troublesome for you, and the third one is too costly, 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 early autumn - during these periods the plant takes root best. Having gone to 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 take root in a new place.

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

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

Choose a sunny place to plant birch

Choosing a landing site

Although birch belongs to undemanding plants, the place for its landing 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 landing zone, taking into account the fact that there should be a distance of 4 m between birches. The need for such gaps is simply explained: birches increase in size annually, therefore you need to have a reserve 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, and therefore make 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 the site has a sewer well or sewage pit, the seedlings should be 3-4 m away from the object.

We transplant birch

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

• Prepare the site for planting: free it from foliage and weeds.
• Dig a hole large enough to allow free placement of 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 enough space between trees

• Fertilize the earth in the dug hole - add some 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 earth from the forest where the plant was dug up - this way the tree will more easily endure the change in growing conditions.

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

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

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

Planting a birch: video