Moisture watering of trees in the autumn garden is necessary. I think that this truth does not need to be especially proved to experienced gardeners, especially here in the Kuban. Over the summer, and it is almost always dry in our country, a moisture deficit must have formed. And if autumn does not pamper with rains, then there can be no doubt about this at all. Even if from time to time you water the garden plants throughout the entire growing season, even if it rains in the fall, water-charging irrigation of trees will not be superfluous, on the contrary, it is necessary.
It will have a good effect on the condition of your trees or shrubs next year, increase their frost resistance, increase productivity, reduce or completely eliminate freezing of the roots in severe frosts. In addition, if the root system of trees experienced a moisture deficit in summer or autumn, then abundant winter irrigation will create the necessary conditions for laying fruit buds, for preparing trees and shrubs for wintering.
What is moisture-charging or moisture-charging irrigation? This is watering trees and bushes in order to replenish, recharge the root layer with moisture, so that the plant goes to winter, filled with water.
There will be no plentiful late autumn watering - there will be a risk of drying of individual branches. This is especially dangerous during frosts, strong winds, when there is no snow.
Also, without a supply of water, trees can get sunburn of the bark.
For colonized or dwarf fruit trees, the root system is close to the surface of the earth, therefore, they most need abundant autumn irrigation, since in a damp soil, oddly enough this may sound to some, there is a risk of freezing of the roots.
When should water-loading watering of trees be carried out in autumn? You can water trees and shrubs immediately after harvesting. Young trees that do not yet produce fruit also need moisture in summer and autumn.
The optimal time for winter watering of trees and shrubs is autumn. For the middle lane - this is mid-October, for the Kuban - late October - early November.
The purpose of winter irrigation is to increase frost resistance, winter hardiness, as moist soil freezes more slowly. Moreover, the depth of freezing of the soil decreases.
How much water do you need? The amount of water under a tree or berry shrub depends on the size and age of the plant. For example, under a bush of currant, honeysuckle, blackberry, 3-5 buckets of water are enough. For a fruit tree of 5-7 years of age - from 5 to 10 buckets. If you water from a hose, then with a small pressure - this is 10-20 minutes of watering. But do not immediately try to pour such an amount of water under the plant - distribute it in 2-3 doses.
For large fruit trees, the norms are as follows: up to 60-90 liters per 1 m2 projections of the crown.
The amount of water introduced under the fruit plants also depends on the moisture of the soil - if it is moist - the lump of earth squeezed in the hand does not crumble - then reduce the volume of water, distribute it not by 2-3 times, but by a larger number of irrigations.
Especially do not spare water if the weather is dry in the fall - increase the water rate by at least 2 times.
In some places I met information-caution, they say, it’s better not to top up than to overfill, they say, plant cells begin to break down with excessive watering. Consulted on this subject with specialist agronomists. They just smiled ... A plant cannot absorb moisture more than it can, it cannot be “re-drunk” - it itself regulates the amount of absorbed water - leaves that absorb roots do not take extra moisture. But, of course, there is no need to arrange a swamp under a tree.
If you have fruit trees planted on the lawn, or rather, lawn or some other grass is planted under the trees, then the soil under the trees is not dug. At a distance of 0.5-2 m from the trunk, lawn punctures are made with a wooden stake or scrap metal along the perimeter of the tree crown. Water to the roots of plants will flow through these holes. By the way, the dose should be reduced - the turf holds moisture well. Winter watering should be divided into 2-3 doses.
If you do not have a lawn, then dig over the earth around the tree. The diameter of digging depends on the size of the crown - usually the trunk circle is equal to its diameter. Stand back from the trunk - 30-50 cm, dig up the earth with digging forks or a shovel. Under such a digging, under the tree you get 2 grooves. Here on these grooves, water. After watering, mulch the soil with peat or dry grass so that the sun does not condense the earth, so that an earth crust does not form - the earth will remain wet longer, it will better retain its structure, it will be easier to penetrate the air to the roots.
In gardens, water recharge irrigation of trees, carried out in optimal terms, in accordance with all the rules ensures good soaking of the near-trunk soil area to the depth of the main mass of the root system of perennial wood or shrub plants. So, for example, after dry summers or rainy autumns, abundant autumn irrigation helps moisturize the root system of the fruiting apple tree on weak or medium rootstocks from 80 to 100 cm in depth, in cherries and plums from 60 to 70 cm, for shrubs from 40 to 60 cm.
So, the main goal of winter irrigation is to provide garden plants with adaptation, resistance to winter frosts, dry winds. In addition, trees or shrubs have enough autumn water-loading irrigation until spring. Such plants will bloom later for 3-5 days. And this means they will "leave" from spring frosts and their productivity will increase.
Many publications recommend that you refrain from abundant moisture in the soil under cherry in the fall. This is motivated by the fact that, firstly, it has enough rain moisture. And the second reason is the early awakening of cherries in the spring. Like, if the soil is excessively wet, then the berries will crack when ripe. But my experience and the reviews of many gardeners say just the opposite.
Yes, the berries on the cherry start to sing early, even before the onset of heat. And usually the cherry fruits begin to burst after spring rains during the ripening period, precisely because they could not be saturated with moisture from the roots. And soaked in rain, burst from excess moisture on the surface of the fetus. It was repeatedly noted that on well-watered sweet cherries in the fall and during the ripening period there are no bursting berries, or there are not many of them. So do not exclude cherries from water-loading irrigation.
But it happens like this: it was not possible to make a moisture charge in the fall ... Can it be done in the spring? If yes, then when? It is possible and necessary! But it should take into account a number of factors.
If your site is located in a lowland or the level of standing groundwater is high, then watering should be abandoned.
The best time to carry out water-charging irrigation in spring is before the flowering of fruit crops begins.