Content
- The apple tree in winter
- The right cut
- Food for insects and birds
- The foliage of the apple tree in winter
- Tips & Tricks
The apple tree in winter
In winter apple trees throw off their leaves and stand quite bald in the garden. However, this time can also be used in the apple tree, to ensure the winter tree trimming for a constantly renewed crown shape and a rich harvest next year.
The right cut
When cutting the apple tree in winter, make sure to choose the time of the cut correctly. So the time between January and March is good for this, because then there is little juice in the bark of the apple tree. If it thaws in a mild winter, it should not be used to cut the tree. On renewed cooling, otherwise it would come at the open wounds of the treetop to unwanted frostbite of branches. Butt cuts with upstanding Astabschnitten are to be avoided, as it collects on this water and freezes to ice surfaces.
Food for insects and birds
Unlike the leaves, not all apples naturally fall completely off the tree. If not all apples are picked during the harvest, some specimens may well stick to the branch until spring. In principle, this also favors the wintering of some pests, but in a certain context, it again makes sense as winter food for birds. If these are attracted to your garden by this food source, they may also be a favorite predator of caterpillars and worms in summer.
The foliage of the apple tree in winter
If possible, the foliage of the apple tree should not remain under the snow cover throughout the winter. If there is lawn under the apple tree, it may otherwise suffer mold in the spring. Since the foliage also serves as a breeding ground for diseases and various fungi, it should be collected in time in the fall and composted. So it can serve in the following year as fertilizing humus around the trunk of the apple tree.
Tips & Tricks
If you have an apple tree in the pot, you should protect it from frost in winter. Since the roots are not below the surface of the earth, they may be damaged by frosts.