Is it possible to transplant an adult apple tree to another place, when and how to do it correctly

If you have decided to replant an adult apple tree, then you need to know how to do it correctly. There are many reasons why there was a need to replant a tree. For example, lack of space, flooding of the site or damage by disease. First you need to carefully prepare the new place and the apple tree itself, taking into account its age. If measures are not followed, the culture may not take root in the new place.

Why are apple trees replanted?

Large apple trees are transplanted to another location for the following reasons:

• the place is not suitable for the development of culture due to lack of light, poor soil, and drafts;
• damage or thinning of the place where the trunk meets the roots;
• lack of space;
• infection with diseases.

In order for a tree to take root in a new place, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. Trees that are no more than 15 years old are subject to transplantation. After this period, there is no point in carrying out the procedure, since the likelihood of survival is very low.

Criteria for choosing a landing site

Before replanting an apple tree, you need to choose the best place with good soil:

• You need to choose a piece of land where surface groundwater does not pass close.
• The area should be well lit and warmed by the sun, and also protected from draft winds.
• Fruit trees and powerful shrubs should not be planted nearby.
• Loamy soil is ideal. Ground with gravel and crushed stone can cause the death of the tree. Clay, peaty and sandy soil is not suitable.

Under these conditions, the tree will grow stronger faster and begin to bear fruit. If one of the conditions does not meet, it is necessary to apply fertilizer and drain the soil.

A 5-year-old apple tree already has a large root system and crown, so it will not be possible to cope with the transplant alone. To pull out the roots with a lump of earth, use a crowbar or a wide wooden board. The roots that will extend beyond the earthen ball are cut off.To hold the trunk in a new place, four supporting pegs are installed.

When should you replant a tree?

To start replanting, it is better to wait until the apple tree is at rest. The stage coincides with early spring or late autumn. Transplanting an adult tree is also possible in winter, but only if the air temperature does not drop below -5 degrees.

If the air is very dry with low temperatures, then it is better to postpone the transplantation process to spring. If the soil on the site is depleted, then it is better to replant in the fall.

The procedure is carried out only in the evening, since plants complete photosynthesis processes during this period.

in spring

The spring period for replanting is suitable for those areas that are not rich in minerals and other useful substances. In the spring, the crop is transplanted until the buds begin to bloom.

in autumn

Experienced experts advise replanting an apple tree of any age in the fall. During this period of time, the culture prepares for the winter cold, so it becomes less sensitive to various influences, and resistance to stress increases.

In the fall, they begin to work only after the leaves have completely fallen, but you need to try to do it before the onset of cold weather. The roots of the transplanted tree should adapt to the new location; there should be no frost for another month.

If there is no time to wait until the leaves fall, then they are cut off. This is necessary so that the apple tree saves energy for adaptation.

In summer

The best time for transplantation is considered to be the autumn or spring months. Summer is the best time for fertilizing or grafting. If there is a need for a summer transplant, the following recommendations will come in handy:

• Winter-hardy varieties of apple trees are most suitable for replanting;
• an apple tree transplanted in summer requires additional feeding and watering;
• be sure to mulch the soil around the trunk;
• It is advisable to remove most of the leaves;
• the foliage should be healthy and the branches free of damage.

The most suitable time is the beginning of July. A cloudy, windless day is suitable for replanting, or evening hours are chosen for work.

Preparatory work

A hole is dug in the new area. If the transplant is carried out in the fall, then the deepening is done 4 weeks before the intended procedure. For transplantation in the spring season, the pit is prepared in the autumn.

All damaged branches and roots are removed from the tree that is to be replanted. Parts of the root system that are too long should also be trimmed.

Necessary tool

The following equipment will be useful for work:

• garden shovel and pitchfork;
• metal or wooden stakes;
• strong ropes;
• thick fabric or bag;
• garden shears for cutting branches.

Replanting a mature tree will require several people.

Preparing the tree and transplant site

In order not to damage the culture, it is necessary to prepare for the transplantation procedure:

• The branches on the tree must first be trimmed. If this is not done, then in the future there is a high risk of drying out of the shoots. The procedure helps improve immunity. The pruning length is determined by the age of the apple tree.
• Be sure to remove dry, damaged branches. The cut site is treated with a special healing agent.

Before digging up a mature tree, you need to prepare a hole for planting in a new area. The hole is usually dug a couple of weeks before transplanting. It should be one third deeper than the earthen lump. In apple trees at the age of 10 years, the width of the earthen coma is 1.5 meters, at the age of 11 to 15 years - 2 meters.

A small layer of soil is placed at the bottom of the hole, which will settle within a month and will not pull the roots down. Then fertilizers are added to the hole. A composition of manure, river sand, compost and sawdust is suitable.

If there is groundwater close to the surface of the earth, then you first need to make a drainage 1.5 meters high (a crushed stone drainage is installed at the bottom of the hole). Only after this they begin to dig a hole.

Tree replanting process

You need to replant a tree correctly:

• the apple tree is dug up along with a lump of earth;
• the apple tree is pryed up with a wooden board or crowbar;
• Having fixed the crown and roots, the crop is moved to the planting hole.

Stakes are driven in around the planted tree, humus is added in mid-October, the soil is mulched and the trunk is tied up.

During planting, you need to keep the same orientation of the tree as in the old place, so a mark is made on the trunk. The branches should be turned in the same direction as before transplantation.

Digging technology

To avoid damaging all parts of the tree, it is necessary to dig it out correctly:

• Young and mature trees are dug up together with a lump of earth. First, the soil around the trunk needs to be thoroughly watered to make it easier to pull out the roots.
• The tree is inspected before planting. Rotten roots and dry branches are cut off. Young seedlings are left in a basin of water for several days.
• It is recommended to make a mark on the trunk in the place where it begins to be visible from the ground. This will allow the tree to be positioned correctly in the new hole.

The diameter and depth of digging the root system depends on the age of the tree. To prevent damage to it, they begin to dig at a great distance from the trunk.

Transportation rules

Transportation features depend on the distance the apple tree needs to be moved.You need to dig up the apple tree carefully, trying not to damage the roots.

If the distance is small, then the dug up tree is placed on thick fabric, and then dragged to the desired location.

If it is intended to move over a long distance, then the crown is tied up with thick ropes, and the earthen ball is wrapped in dense material. In this form they are dragged to a new site.

Landing at a new place

When transplanting apple trees, a number of rules are followed:

• trees that are more than 15 years old should not be touched;
• Trees with a broken trunk cannot be replanted;
• in the fall the crop is replanted, leaving it without leaves and fruits;
• a tree transplanted in the fall is insulated and mulched;
• The first year it is necessary to prune the branches, controlling growth.

Features of planting an apple tree in a new place depend on its age:

1. It is easiest to replant an annual tree, as it is less susceptible to damage and quickly gets used to the new location. The best time for digging is considered to be the end of September. After digging, the root is shortened by a third. This promotes the emergence of new root branches that will better absorb moisture and nutritional components. It is better to replant in early spring.
2. An apple tree takes root well in a new place at the age of 2 to 3 years. Seedlings are planted in prepared holes along with a clod of earth and a peg is installed nearby, to which the trunk is tied.
3. An adult tree at the age of 4-5 years is planted in the same way as a young one, but it has its own characteristics. Do not replant in spring. You should choose a wide board that will serve as a lever when extracting the roots from the ground. Then the trunk is fixed with pegs.
4. Trees older than 5 years are replanted according to the same rules as young ones. It is better to replant in the spring. After transplantation, be sure to prune.

If you fulfill all the requirements and follow all the recommendations, the process will not be traumatic for the garden crop.

Features of transplanting various types of apple trees

Basically, all types and varieties of apple trees are replanted according to the same scheme. There are minor differences in the course and choice of place for transplantation. Columnar apple trees are easiest to transplant.

Columnar

The columnar apple tree is replanted in the same way as other types of this crop. The main thing is not to damage the root branches and leave as much soil on them as possible. The best time is considered to be the first ten days of April. The root system of this type of crop is compact and superficial, so the transplantation procedure is easier.

Columnar apple trees do not develop well if there is excess moisture in the soil, so a drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the hole. Since the root system is shallow, a thick layer of mulch is required.

Dwarf

Dwarf apple trees grow in both well-lit and shady areas. The distance between seedlings should be 3 meters. The width of the hole being dug is 58 cm.

The transplant takes place according to standard rules. After replanting, the soil around the trunk is trampled down and mulched. A depression is made for irrigation within a radius of 65 cm from the trunk.

Dichka

Wild apple trees take root well in the spring, so replanting is carried out in late March. For a new place in the garden, choose an area that is as close as possible to the conditions of the previous growth. We are talking about the composition of the soil, the orientation of tree branches.

Caring for the tree after transplantation

The transplanted apple tree needs to be provided with great attention and care. Therefore, the following tips will come in handy:

• For the first time after transplanting, the tree is watered once a week;
• the first year after transplantation there is no need to dig up the soil near the trunk;
• in autumn the soil is mulched with humus or peat;
• the trunk is tied with warm covering material;
• in the spring, renewing pruning of branches is done;
• in the first year you need to remove all the color from the trees;
• Weeds must be removed.

A transplanted tree requires more care; it is imperative to protect the crop from frost, disease and rodents.

Time to settle in a new place

The establishment of a transplanted tree in a new location is a long process. The survival time is affected by the age of the tree and compliance with care conditions. The younger the apple tree that was transplanted, the faster it will adapt to the new location and begin to bear fruit.

There are several reasons why the transplanted apple tree did not take root:

• purchasing an unsuitable seedling (for example, sick, weak or grown in the wrong conditions);
• excessive pruning of the root system before planting;
• inappropriate width and depth of the planting hole;
• excessive deepening of the root collar;
• planting in an area where groundwater flows too close;
• waterlogging of the soil (heavy rains or improper watering);
• planting an apple tree near other fruit bushes and trees;
• incorrect or untimely pruning;
• The transplanted tree was planted in a place where another tree had already grown.

If we take all these points into account, the time it takes for the apple tree to adapt to a new place is reduced.