'Planting fruit trees in the fall'

The planting of fruit trees should be organized as early as possible in the autumn. If, for any reason, planting is not carried out in the autumn, it is essential that all preparatory work (delivery of saplings, soil preparation, etc.) be done in the autumn, leaving only the planting for spring, which should be performed early in the spring, as soon as the soil dries out.

In principle, fruit saplings are planted in the autumn after leaf fall or in the spring, before vegetation begins. Autumn planting of fruit saplings is carried out in November-December - from the end of the vegetation period until the onset of winter frosts, with the best time being soon after the end of vegetation or at the latest 15 days before the winter frosts begin. Early autumn planting of fruit saplings allows the roots to begin callusing (healing) their wounds even before the winter frosts set in. The soil settles and tightly adheres to the roots. Thus, the fruit saplings are in good conditions for establishment and timely start of their growth in the spring.

Autumn planting yields better results, especially in warmer and more aerated soils. Late autumn planting of fruit saplings in heavy, clayey, cold, and wet soils is not recommended. In such cases, spring planting yields better results. In years with a harsh winter, walnuts, peaches, and apricots, being more sensitive to frost, yield better results with early spring planting, but usually, even for them, the best results are obtained with early autumn planting.

Climatic conditions are of particular importance for the choice of the species and variety of fruit plant. For regions with mild winters, species that are prone to frost damage, such as quince and peach, are determined. When there is a risk of late spring frosts, early-flowering species - peach, apricot, almond - are avoided. In areas with insufficient moisture, more drought-resistant varieties are used.