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Autumn is the golden time of falling leaves. Observant gardeners have long noticed that different species and even varieties begin to shed their leaves at different times. Winter varieties of apple trees stay green longer than summer ones. But it also happens that seedlings or fruit-bearing trees meet winter with leaves. Why didn't the apple tree shed its leaves for the winter, and what measures should be taken? Does this fit into the norm and what does it signal?
Briefly about the physiology of leaf fall
Before thinking about the reasons and consequences of the apple tree's unwillingness to part with the foliage in the fall, let's recall from the school botany course why this happens at all. At first, the leaf loses its green color, which is associated with the destruction of chlorophyll. Why is it collapsing? Due to a lack of water and with a reduction in the length of daylight in autumn. In the leaves that change color, important processes take place: the outflow of nutrients into the parenchyma and the formation of a cork layer at the base of the petiole. When these processes are completed, the leaf falls off.
In the course of evolution, deciduous plants have adapted to severe prolonged cold weather. By changing the length of the day and temperature, the trees "determine" when to start preparing for winter. Under natural conditions, healthy trees shed their old leaves in a timely manner, which signals the end of the growing season and leaving for deep sleep.
If the apple tree threw off the yellowed leaves in a timely manner, then be sure that all growth processes have stopped in it, the bark has matured on a young growth and its frost resistance is at a high level. If the leaves have not fallen off, then peeling and cutting the problem will not solve. You need to help the apple tree in a different way.
What can cause the failed leaf fall
Understanding the physiology of leaf fall, the gardener should not consider its absence the norm, even if this situation has been repeated for several years and the tree safely endures the winter.
In addition to external manifestations (freezing of young growth), typical in regions with severe winters, there may be hidden deviations, expressed in low productivity and fragility of the apple tree itself.
Why does the leaf remain green and firmly adhere to the petiole even in late autumn? In the tree, growth processes are still active and leaf nutrition continues, since there is a need for photosynthetic products. The reasons for this phenomenon may be the following:
- violation of the fertilization scheme: overfeeding with nitrogen in the second half of the summer or the introduction of humus into the trunks in the fall, provokes an active growth of green mass; seedlings, planted in well-filled pits, lengthen their growing season and do not have time to retire before the cold weather;
- incorrect irrigation scheme or heavy rains in the fall after a dry summer: excess moisture in the soil does not allow the apple tree to slow down its growth, in warm autumn a second wave of shoot growth is possible;
- inconsistency of apple varieties with the growing region: southern varieties with a long growing season, planted in the Middle Lane or the Volga region, simply do not have time to complete it by winter;
- a natural anomaly when winter comes early with a sharp drop in temperature.
In addition to the listed reasons for violation of leaf fall, foliage can remain on the apple tree and due to disease. For example, seedlings affected by a bacterial burn and individual branches of fruiting apple trees turn black with the leaves and become waxy.At the same time, the leaves hold tight and do not fly around.
Partially, the leaves can remain on apple trees until late autumn, especially in winter varieties, but they fly around with the first winter winds. This phenomenon is normal and should not be alarming.
Common mistakes gardeners make
Unfortunately, summer residents notice too late the unpreparedness of apple seedlings for winter. In the fall, they begin to go to the dacha less often (due to bad weather), and after harvesting the root crops they stop altogether. As a result: we arrived at the dacha after the first snow to cover the flowers, and there was a green garden. And what to do?
If the snow has already fallen and the leaves are frozen, then it is better to do nothing and hope for a mild winter. It is a mistake to grab a pruner and cut off the frozen leaves or, even worse, pick them off by hand. This will not help the apple tree in any way, you will exhaust yourself and leave damage to the young bark in the place where the petiole is attached. It is not worth picking off the leaves in the fall before frost, since they are only a sign, and not the cause of low winter hardiness. If there is still an opportunity to build a shelter for apple seedlings, then this will be more useful.
For an adult apple tree, wintering with leaves and immature growth is fraught with freezing only. Young trees and seedlings may die from frost or dry out in early spring. Therefore, they require special attention.
Some gardeners recommend treating apple leaves with a high concentration of pesticides in the fall in order to provoke a discharge. Such a measure is inadmissible, since the tree receives a severe burn, and the leaves fall off as a result of severe stress. Such "help" will negatively affect the winter hardiness of the apple tree. Chemicals can be processed, but they must have a specific purpose. We will consider them below.
What actions to take
There are several recommendations to help avoid problems with falling leaves in an apple tree:
- do not start capricious southern varieties of apple trees on your site, purchase seedlings from local gardeners;
- do not delay planting seedlings, give them time to prepare for winter;
- when planting in autumn, add only phosphorus and potassium to the planting hole under the apple tree, and leave organic matter and nitrogen fertilizers for the spring;
- follow the fertilization rules and do not overfeed, an adult apple tree grows well on soils with an average level of fertility and without fertilizers;
- under unfavorable conditions, fertilize the apple tree with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
If in the fall you see that your trees or seedlings are not going to shed their foliage, then you need to take measures to further protect the apple tree from low temperatures and winter winds. Prepare the frame for attaching the covering material.
Cover the trunks of apple seedlings with a 10 cm layer of mulch from needles, peat, grass cuttings or dry leaves without infection. Decorative bark chips will perform an aesthetic and protective function.
It is advisable to wrap the trunk of an apple tree seedling with a covering material to the crown. If the seedlings are annual and compact, they also wrap the entire crown with leaves. You can use burlap or agrofiber.
How to properly cover a young apple tree, see the video:
This procedure will help the apple tree endure frost. If there is a lot of snow, then sprinkle the trees with it. Since a leaf remains on the branches, it is necessary to remove the shelter immediately after the establishment of positive temperatures so that the buds do not rot.
Features of the use of preparations for dropping leaves
If at the beginning of autumn apple trees do not show signs of slowing down of growth processes (yellowing of leaves, lignification of young shoots, differentiation of buds), then special preparations based on growth regulators can be used.
Ethylene is synthesized in plants to activate leaf shedding. Coumarin and abscisic acid are powerful natural growth inhibitors.
Synthetic inhibitors designed to remove leaves are called defoliants. In horticulture, ethylene-based defoliants were previously used.
Do not use obsolete toxic preparations for processing apple trees in the fall: whoppers, ethafon, etrel, magnesium chlorate, desitrel and others. Such treatments will do more harm than good. Specialists include damage to growth points, marginal burns and reduced vitality as side effects.
In industrial nurseries, to prepare apple seedlings for digging, copper chelate and citrel (based on silicon) are used. Spraying is carried out only after the trees have been treated with sulfur-containing preparations. The effectiveness of the defoliant will depend on the condition of the tree, weather conditions during the growing season and during the dormant period.
Penetrating into plant tissues through the leaf, defoliants accelerate the aging process, destroy chlorophyll in the leaves and cause artificial leaf fall. Treatment with drugs should be carried out at the beginning of the natural aging process of the leaf in order to accelerate it. Earlier use results in decreased efficiency.
Defoliation is also carried out during a forced transplant of an adult tree. In any case, it is not recommended to exceed the dosages indicated by the manufacturer. Failure to follow the instructions will lead to kidney death and growth arrest. With a mild degree of damage in spring, there is a delay in bud opening and, as a result, a shift in vegetation and again leaving in winter with leaves.
In recent years, with the whims of nature, foliage often remains on the apple tree in winter, regardless of the region of cultivation. But not only the natural factor is the reason. Often, a reluctance to study zoned varieties or the deliberate acquisition of large-fruited and sweet apple trees of southern varieties leads to the death of the garden.
The remaining green foliage signals the low winter hardiness of the apple tree, so the main task of the gardener is to increase winter hardiness and preserve the shoots and buds. Once again, we note that partial leaves with lignified shoots should not be alarming. For some varieties of apple trees, this phenomenon is especially characteristic, for example, for the widespread Antonovka.
And what to do in the spring if the apple tree has already overwintered with the leaves, cut the strong leaves themselves with a sector? And raspberries too, thanks too
Good afternoon, dear Nurlai!
You do not need to cut off the leaves that the apple tree did not drop in the fall. They themselves will fall off with the arrival of heat. Now you only need to watch how your apple tree survived the winter frosts. If everything is in order and the kidneys begin to swell in due time, then nothing terrible has happened. The foliage will fall off on its own as soon as the buds begin to bloom.
In raspberries, you should also not trim or tear off the leaves.
And further. There are many tips from would-be gardeners on the network that in such cases it is necessary to urgently treat trees with pesticides. In no case should this be done. You can not only harm your trees, but also destroy them.
We wish you high yields!