Caring for garden trees is not only about forming the crown and treating them from parasites and diseases. It is also necessary to monitor the appearance of plants and the condition of the soil nearby. The formation of near-stem circles, as well as their competent design, will help protect the root system and decorate the garden.
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Methods of creation
The piece of land around the tree is called the trunk circle. Thanks to its presence, oxygen, moisture and nutrients are supplied to the roots. They can also be used to decorate the site.
The size of the circle depends on the age of the tree:
- up to 3 years old - 1.5-2 meters;
- 3-6 years old - 2-3 meters;
- over 7 years old - 3-3.5 meters.
In the fall, the area around the trunk should be well dug up. The shovel must not be immersed deeper than 10 centimeters to avoid damaging the roots. Then you need to do a loosening procedure to break up large clods of earth. At the end, the soil must be leveled with a rake.
Within 5 years after planting the seedling, the soil near the trunk must be left open, that is, other plants and mulch cannot be planted in this area. To retain moisture, it is necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds in the spring and summer. It is recommended to do this 3-4 times per season, and if there is little rainfall - 5-6.
You can already make a flower bed next to mature trees. Some gardeners choose ornamental plants without considering their compatibility with fruit crops. And this is a big mistake. Plants that love shade and have a small root system (for example, a fern or hosta) are suitable for the formation of a flower garden. They should not interfere with the development of the roots of the main plant.
Important! A flower bed can be created near trees in which the first skeletal branch is at a height of 60 centimeters and above.
Among the flowers that can grow in the shade are the following:
- Spring - undersized tulips, irises, crocuses, anemones, primroses, etc.
- Summer - monarda, geranium, bell, astilba, daylily, etc.
To protect trees from diseases and pests, it is preferable to plant:
- lilies of the valley (from fruit rot);
- nasturtium (to scare away weevils);
- marigolds (to combat aphids and nematodes).
It is better to plant daffodils and muscari under plums, pansies and balsam - under apple trees, chamomile and phlox - under pears, tenacious and lungwort - under birch trees, and euphorbia and saxifrage under a pine or spruce trunk.
A flower garden in a near-stem circle can be done as follows:
- Remove trash.
- Remove weeds.
- Dig up the soil.
- Dig the required number of holes and put pieces of agrofibre on the bottom in order to avoid intertwining the roots of flowers and trees.
- Make a drainage system with a layer of sand or pebbles.
- Fill the holes with soil by half and place the seedlings of plants in them so that the root shoots are a few centimeters above the ground.
- Tamp the soil and water abundantly.
You can also sow various herbaceous crops: ivy, tenacious, mountain goat, periwinkle, heuchera, field grass, etc. When they reach a height of 10 centimeters, they must be carefully cut and buried in the ground. In the process of natural decomposition, these plants nourish the soil with useful elements.
Mulching
Mulching is one of the popular ways to decorate areas around trees. This design technique will not only help keep water in the soil, but also protect the bark of trees from insect pests.
The mulching process consists of several stages:
- You need to outline a circle. Its size depends on the age of the tree and, accordingly, its thickness.
- Remove the surface layer of the soil if it is overgrown with grass, or simply loosen and clear of weeds and debris.
- Put a low fence around the circumference and cover the area with agrofibre.
- Mulch.
It is recommended to use dry sawdust, straw, wood chips, pine or spruce needles, cedar cones as mulch. Some gardeners use combined mulching methods by combining the above materials with pebbles or gravel.
Well-formed tree trunks will make it easier to care for fruit trees, protect the root system and give an attractive look to the garden.
Do you know how to properly care for trunks?
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