Dates of autumn planting

Rowan is a tall, hardy tree with bright orange-red fruits. The berries are astringent, bitter in taste, but their appearance attracts many birds, so mountain ash is an excellent protection for other crops. In addition, you can plant and transplant wild mountain ash dug out of the forest.

The autumn planting time is determined by the climate of the area where the mountain ash will grow:

• In the central region, the best period will be mid-September - mid-October.
• In southern latitudes, it is best to plant rowan from early October to early November.
• In the northern regions, the entire September - early October will be an acceptable period.
• For Siberia and the Urals, autumn planting is most suitable, because spring in these areas is not stable, there is a risk of frost or, on the contrary, extreme heat. At the same time, autumn runs with a comfortable temperature regime and sufficient rainfall.

If the planting dates were missed, then the seedling must be saved until spring. In this case, use one of the three existing methods:

1. Basement storage:

• The roots of the seedling are dipped into a container with wet peat, sand and sawdust.
• The room should have comfortable conditions (air temperature from 0 to +10 degrees and 85-90% humidity)
• Once a week, the root system is additionally moistened.

2. Digging in:

• A deep hole is dug on the site and the roots of the seedling are placed there at an angle of 45 degrees.
• Then it is buried using a moistened mixture of sand and peat.

3. Snowing:

• The seedling must be wrapped with a damp cloth and buried in this state in the snow. In this case, the optimum temperature for it will be maintained.

Pros and cons of autumn planting

• In the fall, you can buy seedlings at a reduced price.
• Also, during this period, the planting material will be fresh, so you can appreciate its health and condition, both foliage and root system.
• Planting in autumn will be much less of a hassle, and the grower will be relieved of the need to constantly check the soil moisture level. Nature will do all the work for him.
• Young trees planted this season will start to grow 2-3 weeks earlier than with spring planting.
• Also, many summer residents are attracted by the prospect of saving time. In the fall, there are not many things to do in the garden, which cannot be said about the spring period, when there will be a lot of trouble.

• Due to winter frosts, both the root system and the tree itself can freeze.
• Also, strong winds can affect the health of red mountain ash, which will break off young branches.
• Another disadvantage is considered to be the attacks of rodents, which can damage the tree in late autumn.

How to plant rowan - important rules

In order for the autumn planting to be successful and the mountain ash to take root in a new place, experienced gardeners recommend adhering to several basic rules:

4. The planting material must be in perfect condition, if the roots begin to curl, then such a tree will take root worse and must be planted before the cold weather.
5. If the seedling was purchased with a closed root system or a special net, then you do not need to get rid of them.
6. If you miss the timing of the autumn planting, it is better to postpone the procedure to the spring.
7. Do not overdo it with the amount of fertilizer applied.

8. A small tree needs to be prepared for cold weather.
9. It is advisable to tie the rowan planted in the fall to a support so that it does not sway and break during a strong wind.

How to plant rowan in autumn?

Autumn planting differs from spring planting in many respects. In order for the mountain ash, planted before the onset of cold weather, to take root in a new place and grow well, you must adhere to the time-tested rules.

Selection of seedlings

Before you start planting, you need to purchase a quality seedling.

• The root system should be moist, without visible damage, with 3-4 main branches and a length of 25-30 centimeters.
• The presence of shriveled bark indicates that the planting material has been overdried.
• The crown must also be well developed, the presence of the main conductor and main branches is very important.

Preparing a seedling for planting:

• Before planting, it is necessary to remove all dry and damaged branches, the same rule applies to the roots of the tree.
• For the best moisture, the root system of the seedling is placed in a clay mash for 2-3 hours.

Selecting and preparing a site for planting or replanting a tree

Rowan is famous for its unpretentiousness and the ability to take root on various soils. But in order for the tree to grow and bear fruit better, the following conditions are met:

1. The best option would be loamy or sandy loam soil.
2. The soil should be loose and neutral; expanded clay drainage is encouraged.
3. Rowan is very fond of sunlight, so it is better to choose an area that is not shaded.
4. The soil must be well moistened.
5. It is desirable that the groundwater level be below 1.5 meters, but mountain ash also tolerates a closer location.

Rowan is planted at a distance of 4-5 meters from other trees. Approximately 2-3 weeks before planting the seedling, it is necessary to prepare the planting hole, it should have time to infuse.

1. The depth of the pit is 40-50 centimeters, the width will depend on the size of the root system of the seedling.
2. The fertile soil layer is mixed with:

A bucket of compost or humus;

150 grams of superphosphate;

300 grams of wood ash.

3. The resulting mixture is poured into one third of the pit.
4. Then half of it is filled with barren soil.

Planting rowan in open ground:

1. Before planting, a bucket of water is poured into the prepared hole and wait until it is absorbed.
2. Then a seedling is placed there, which needs to be carefully spread out the roots.
3. The root collar should be 5-7 centimeters above ground level.
4. When filling the hole, it is recommended to lightly shake the tree to fill all air pockets.
5. After the rowan is planted, the soil around the tree trunk is carefully tamped and watered thoroughly.
6. At the final stage, you need to mulch the tree trunk circle with humus or peat.

Care after landing

In order for a tree to form correctly and grow strong and healthy, it must be properly looked after in the first years of life. To do this, adhere to the following rules:

• The first 2-3 years the mountain ash is not fertilized, because it will have enough nutrients introduced during planting. An exception will be nitrogen fertilizers that stimulate tree growth. They can be made from 2 years of planting.
• During watering, 2-3 buckets of water are consumed per rowan. The tree is watered 4-5 times per season; in the presence of abundant summer rainfall, only spring and autumn watering can be left. After each application of moisture, the soil must be mulched.

• In the autumn, the soil around the trunk is dug to a depth of 10-15 centimeters. Throughout the season, the ground near the tree should be kept clean and loose.

How to prepare red rowan for winter

A newly planted tree will not have time to fully grow stronger before the onset of cold weather, so it needs help to cope and survive the cold weather. To do this, the gardener must follow these steps:

1. Rowan trunk is wrapped in burlap, after which the structure is insulated with spruce branches.
2. The lower part of the trunk needs additional protection, so it needs to be buried with fallen snow and make sure that its amount does not decrease and does not expose vulnerable areas.
3. For that, to avoid sunburn, the rowan trunk must be whitewashed.
4. Protection from rodents can be provided by special pesticides that are scattered around the tree.

How to transplant rowan to a new place correctly?

Now let's talk about how to transplant mountain ash. If you move trees whose age does not exceed 4-5 years to a new place, then the transplanting rules will be similar to the rules for the initial planting. The only difference is that when transplanting, you need to independently dig the mountain ash from the ground. When carrying out this procedure, it is worth remembering that this culture has a very branched root system that cannot be damaged.

As for the transplanting of already mature trees, this work will be much more difficult:

1. The best time is late autumn, when the tree is in a state of biological dormancy.
2. The daytime temperature should be -1-3 degrees, while the nighttime temperature can be no less than -15 degrees.
3. The height of the tree should not exceed 3 meters, otherwise the transplant will be much more difficult.
4. You need to very carefully dig up the mountain ash. Initially, a groove is made around the tree trunk, with a radius of about 1 meter, then the soil is carefully removed, while large roots must be cut. The easiest way to remove a tree from a hole is to use levers.
5. An earthen lump formed on the roots must be preserved; for this, it is wrapped in burlap and laid out on a thick film or iron sheet. Then, in this state, the tree is dragged to a new place.

6. The planting hole should be 40 centimeters larger than the size of the earthen coma.
7. At its bottom, 5-centimeter layers are made of expanded clay, soil and snow. This manipulation is repeated 3 times, after which the tree is moved into the hole and carefully buried.
8. At the final stage, the soil is tamped and mulched thoroughly.

Autumn planting is the most optimal for mountain ash. This culture tolerates winter frosts well. In addition, trees planted in autumn grow much faster, which means that the harvest can be harvested much earlier.

And at the end we suggest watching a short video about rowan care in spring and autumn: