Experienced gardener from Yekaterinburg Ukhalov Afanasy Efimovich

In March of this year, the famous Yekaterinburg experienced gardener Afanasy Efimovich Ukhalov turns 85 years old.

He gained wide popularity in the last 25 years after a long participation in the autumn exhibitions at the Rossiya KOSK and at the Expocentre, where they were shown with a tasting the original fruits and berries from his garden, as well as after the periodic publication of articles and notes in the US about your experience. The experimental work of Afanasy Efimovich has long been highly appreciated not only by visitors to exhibitions and ordinary gardeners, but also by specialists from the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station, by the head of the Ural Gardens nursery, A.N.

I met Afanasy Efimovich and his horticultural activities in the mid-80s of the last century at meetings of the Section of Experimental Breeders at the Sverdlovsk City Society of Gardeners, which I then led. It turned out that we had been working with him for a long time at the same enterprise of NPO Avtomatika, but there had never been a chance to get to know each other before. His knowledge and solid experience already accumulated in horticultural matters allowed me to involve Afanasy Efimovich at that time in lecturing, in organizing exhibitions and in growing seedlings for the workers of this enterprise. Subsequently, our experimental activities began to often overlap.

The garden farm of Afanasy Efimovich, which includes a large garden on an area of ​​0.25 hectares next to the former estate of his father, is located in the urban-type settlement of Upper Dubrovo, 27 km from Yekaterinburg. This farm contains many unusual and various rarities. Frequent visitors to his farm are numerous gardeners who have heard about the presence there of unusual formations of apple trees and other curiosities. It was visited several times by specialists from the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. The last such visit to the garden of Afanasy Efimovich by our magician of apple and pear breeding L. A. Kotov, me and our other well-known experienced gardener E. M. Kalinin fell on the apple season of 2013. Of course, we were delighted with everything we saw.

How did Afanasy Efimovich's passion for gardening begin? His first interest in plants manifested itself quite late, in the 1950s, while serving in the army in the Primorsky Territory. The very rich and varied vegetation of this region left a deep impression on his mind and showed a spark of desire to cultivate some of them. This desire was reinforced by a visit to his brother in Leningrad after completing his military service, where he managed to get acquainted with numerous masterpieces of garden and park art in Leningrad itself and in other cities. Leningrad region. And after that, he decided to embody at least some small particle of what he saw on his father's estate in the Urals. However, the work in this direction that followed all this turned out to be rather complicated and changed his interests. It seemed to him closer and more to his liking the cultivation of fruit and berry plants. And since the 70s of the last century, the cultivation of fruit and berry plants has become his main hobby and main occupation.

Like most gardeners, his passion for gardening began with the cultivation of seedlings of the main species and varieties of fruit and berry plants common at that time. This was followed by testing these species and varieties and selecting the best of them, and even further, the need to replace those that did not justify themselves, and planting new ones. The latter already required the development of grafting techniques, the preparation of rootstocks and the preparation of scion cuttings for grafting. Therefore, Afanasy Efimovich had to quickly master all this, prepare and prepare. In addition, he was immediately fascinated by dwarf apple trees, and seedlings dwarf apple trees at that time, few people grew them in our country, and they were practically absent on sale. Then he had to look for and acquire dwarf clone rootstocks - Budagovsky's paradiska (PK-9), 134.146 and a number of others. Both ordinary seedling rootstocks from seeds of ranetki and winter-hardy local varieties and the indicated dwarf clonal rootstocks were widely used by him for grafting on them all varieties of apple trees. In addition, in the future, in order to obtain more frost-resistant and winter-hardy dwarf rootstocks, he repeatedly sowed seeds of rootstock 136 and grew and selected from them, according to the specified requirements, the shortest seedlings, which were also used for grafting on them all varieties of apple trees.

For almost 45 years of gardening, Afanasy Efimovich tested a very large number of varieties of fruit and berry plants in his garden. Of all my trips to different cities and regions of Russia, he always brought cuttings different varieties apple trees, pears, plums, cherries and other fruit plants, as well as seedlings of various berry plants. For example, many varieties of such plants were brought by him at one time from St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Chelyabinsk and a number of other cities. Many Sverdlovsk varieties of fruit and berry plants were also tested. At present, out of all the tested varieties, 86 varieties and their own seedlings of apple trees, 22 varieties of pear, 15 varieties of plum, 12 varieties of cherry, 5 forms (species) of garden hawthorn and several seedlings of garden hawthorn from Harbin, as well as several other varieties of the series other fruit plants. Also left many varieties and berry plants.

When choosing apple varieties for cultivation, Afanasy Efimovich gives a clear preference to those varieties that are very large, weighing 200-300 g, brightly colored, good or very good taste fruits of winter period of consumption. He considers such varieties to be the Sverdlovsk varieties Krasa Sverdlovsk, Pervouralskaya and some others, as well as his own seedlings, and the varieties Aport Alma-Atinsky, Bogatyr and a number of others that are still not winter-hardy in our country in many winters. He justifies the cultivation of the latter in his open form by the fact that his garden is located in a fairly favorable landscape. climatic conditions place. Therefore, these non-hardy apple varieties do not often suffer from winter damage. In addition, in the event of their complete death during particularly severe winters, they can be quickly restored and quickly begin to bear fruit, as they are grafted onto dwarf rootstocks. But the best apple variety that would satisfy him in everything has not yet been identified by him.

In search of the best variety, Afanasy Efimovich has been growing his apple seedlings from its seeds for several decades. the best varieties. The number of such seedlings in some years reached a solid value for the experimenter - about 200 pieces. A dozen or two of them, after a long selection, were brought to fruiting. At the same time, several fairly winter-hardy seedlings with high quality fruits were obtained. Two seedlings stand out in particular. The first seedling of the Alma-Ata Aport variety, named Aport Dubrovsky, has very large fruits, up to 300 g, very bright, very good taste, remaining in the bed until spring. This seedling is now growing in several areas in a number of collective gardens and is propagated by the nursery of A. N. Miroleeva. The second seedling of the Samotsvet variety also has large, up to 300 g, bright, good-tasting fruits for the winter period of consumption. But still, these two seedlings do not fully meet the requirements of Afanasy Efimovich.

I would especially like to dwell on his long search for the best formation and best placement in the garden of dwarf apple trees. This issue has long been topical for Afanasy Efimovich, since almost from the beginning of his horticultural activity he has been using apple trees almost exclusively as rootstocks for all varieties of apple trees (elephant dwarf rootstocks or their undersized most frost-resistant and winter-hardy seedlings, or undersized seedlings of winter-hardy cultivars. Growing a significant the number of such dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees in a garden on a small area already requires the use of a special block placement and a special block formation for them.Both such a block placement and block formation of such apple trees in the form of a Taganrog boat, proposed at one time by an experienced gardener N. M. Skorobutov, Afanasy Efimovich tried to realize it in his garden and realized it, I saw it with my own eyes.

The Taganrog boat is a type of implementation of an intensive garden, in which low-growing dwarf or semi-dwarf trees are staggered in two close rows that make up a block. The crowns of the trees of one of the close rows are inclined to the left, and the other - to the right side of the row spacing. Thus closed in rows, the crowns of trees are V-shaped inclined in opposite sides planes that form between themselves a real light channel, which favors the intensive course of photosynthesis. To hold trees in an inclined position at certain angles, the installation of two-plane supporting structures. Such a system for placing and shaping fruit trees with proper care behind them in the conditions of the south provides for a long time a very high yield with a very high quality of the fruit.

But due to the great difference between the climate of the Middle Urals and the climate of Taganrog, it turned out to be impossible to realize all the potential possibilities of the Taganrog boat in our conditions. This is due to the lower growth rate of shoots and fruit formations, frequent incomplete growth of shoots, frequent freezing and freezing of shoots, fruit buds and even branches in severe winters, and for a number of other reasons. And all this - with a very large annual laboriousness of caring for tree crowns. Therefore, despite good harvests in some years and high quality fruits, after a number of years this boat at Afanasy Efimovich ceased to exist.

His great merit in creating the Taganrog boat in his garden and testing it in our conditions is that he was the first, and according to my information, the only experienced gardener from the middle and northern zones of Russian gardening.

However, the impossibility of implementing in our country the cultivation of apple trees in the form of a Taganrog boat did not fully cool his ardor in finding the formation and placement of fruit trees in his garden. Afanasy Efimovich had to come up with his own type of apple tree formation, which he called palm-shaped. The essence of this formation is as follows. Growing an apple tree begins at the site of its future growth. To do this, seedlings of rootstock 136 and local winter-hardy varieties are preliminarily grown and selected for greater winter hardiness and short stature. Then the selected seedlings are planted on permanent place growth, where they grow up to the possibility of their vaccination. The grafting is carried out at a height of about 2 m. The grafting shoots that have grown in the first year are cut very short and give strong growth only to the shoots from the lower buds that grow horizontally. Subsequently, all upward-growing shoots are cut into a ring or also low, which, under the weight of the branches or forcibly bending them down, creates an umbrella-shaped or, as he calls it, a palm-shaped crown. Such an early downward deflection of the branches contributes to a very early onset of fruiting. Constant care for such a crown includes annual cutting of vertical shoots and cutting of excess shoots and branches that shade the crown.

Now all the apple trees in his garden are shaped in this way and placed in blocks of several rows. The distance between apple trees in a row is 1.3-1.5 m, between rows is 2.2 m. The number of trees in a row is from 9 to 13 pieces, the number of rows in a block is 3. For ease of passage between the trees in the aisles in their middle, it is placed in the ground a strip of one row of sleepers, which eliminates soil compaction in wet weather and the formation of dirt on shoes. The crowns of the trees have long closed in rows and are beginning to close in the aisles, which almost completely eliminates the growth of weeds under apple trees and the need to deal with them. While apple trees with such a formation and arrangement give good harvests high quality fruits. But further, due to such a close location, it will still be necessary to limit the size of their crowns and some more significant clarification, which will cause corresponding additional costs. Nevertheless, I consider this formation of apple trees and their placement to be quite successful and even less costly to care for than the usual formation and placement of dwarf apple trees.

But the searches and fantasy of Afanasy Efimovich are not limited to the described types of tree formation. In his garden there is also a formed decorative column of an apple tree about 4 m high, which has short branches from the bottom to the top through short internodes, and long ones at the very top.

There are also a number of real outlandish formations. So, when planting several seedlings of an apple tree and their plexus in one planting hole, he formed joint formations in the form of a large pigtail or a giant rope. Moreover, following the lines of E. Rodygin's song "Thin Rowan", he planted a young oak and a young mountain ash in one hole and twisted them into one trunk. And since then, in his garden, the dream of the mountain ash has come true to move to the oak and "to whisper day and night with its foliage."

Yes, and an exotic curiosity can be attributed to an adult, well-bearing pear tree Bere yellow, grafted on a mountain ash, although some experts say that this cannot be. But it turns out he has.

In addition to the many varieties of apple, pear, plum, cherry, hawthorn and various berries that grow in his garden, he also grows nut plants: several bushes of common hazel from Smolensk, Manchurian walnut, several long-bearing Siberian cedar trees. Previously, such fruit plants like apricot, sandy and felt cherry, and berry plants like blackberry, remontant raspberry, very large-fruited gooseberries, some of them are grown now. Many are grown and ornamental plants. For example, mature trees of Siberian fir, Far Eastern larch, pyramidal poplar, lilac, mock orange, three-lobed almond and other plants grow.

He has experience in growing vegetable plants, in particular potatoes. And in the experiment with the cultivation of peanuts, its fruits fully ripened in the ground were also obtained. There are developments on other vegetable crops.

Afanasy Efimovich, with his participation in exhibitions, his articles and notes in US, the openness of visiting his garden and demonstrating the plantings available there to a wide range of gardeners, his experience in experimental work, the cultivation and distribution of seedlings that showed good plant varieties, earned him appreciation and respect many gardeners. But the years make themselves felt, so now Afanasy Efimovich has transferred all the affairs of maintaining the garden to his daughter. But this does not mean at all that he retired from working in the garden. The thinnest and important works performed by them now.

In conclusion, I want to congratulate Afanasy Efimovich on his 85th birthday and wish him, on behalf of myself and a large group of gardeners, to continue to engage in experimental work, inventing various tricks and curiosities, continuing variety testing and selecting our own seedlings and acquainting us with everything invented and received. , and most importantly - health and more years life.

V. N. Shalamov

Ukhalov Afanasy Efimovich: in memory of an experienced gardener

On August 15, 2016, at the age of 87, one of the famous oldest experienced gardeners of Yekaterinburg, Afanasy Efimovich Ukhalov, died.

His experimental horticultural activities have become widely known in the last three decades after constant participation in exhibitions at the Rossiya and Expocentre KOSK, where they exhibited with tasting the original fruits and berries of many varieties and types of fruit and berry plants from their garden, as well as publication of articles and notes in the "US" about their experience. The experimental work of Afanasy Efimovich was highly appreciated not only by visitors to exhibitions and ordinary gardeners, but also by specialists from the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station, the head of the Ural Gardens nursery A.N. Miroleeva, as well as experienced gardeners-experienced Sverdlovsk and neighboring regions.

Afanasy Efimovich showed interest in growing plants back in the mid-50s of the last century, but he managed to establish his own garden with several apple and pear trees, as well as berry bushes, only in the early 70s of the last century. Over the years, the garden grew, and more and more fruit and berry plants appeared in it, nut and ornamental plants appeared. The number of cultivated plants has increased especially strongly in the last three decades. Now the garden is located on an area of ​​0.25 hectares. In addition to the usual plants mentioned, there are quite a lot of rare plants in the garden.

The laying of the garden by Afanasy Efimovich began with the cultivation own seedlings varieties of fruit and berry plants common at that time. This was followed by testing these varieties and selecting the best of them, and even further, the need to replace those that did not justify themselves and planting new ones was determined. All this required a serious study of the literature on plant propagation and testing, the development of grafting techniques, the preparation of rootstocks and the preparation of cuttings for grafting. In addition, he was immediately fascinated by dwarf apple trees, and at that time practically few people grew seedlings of dwarf apple trees in our country, and they were generally not available for sale. Then he had to look for and with great difficulty acquire dwarf clone rootstocks - PK-9, 134, 146 and a number of others. And ordinary seedling rootstocks from the seeds of ranetki and winter-hardy local varieties and the indicated dwarf rootstocks were widely used by him for grafting on them all varieties of apple trees. In addition, in the future, in order to obtain more frost-resistant and winter-hardy dwarf rootstocks, he repeatedly sowed the seeds of rootstock 134 and grew and selected seedlings from them according to the specified requirements, ensuring the short stature of the apple plants grafted onto them.

For 45 years of gardening, Afanasy Efimovich tested a very large number of varieties of fruit and berry plants in his garden. From all his trips to different cities and regions of Russia, he always brought cuttings of different varieties of apple, pear, plum, cherry and other fruit plants, as well as seedlings of different varieties of berry plants to check the possibility of growing them with us. Of those tested, 86 cultivars and their own seedlings of apple trees, 22 cultivars of pear, 15 cultivars of plum, 12 cultivars of cherry, 5 species of garden hawthorn and several seedlings of such hawthorn from seeds from Harbin were left to grow. Also left many varieties and different berry plants. Moreover, two of his own apple seedlings that he checked and left to grow - the seedling of Aport Alma-Ata (Aport Dubrovsky) and the seedling of Samotsveta are now grown in a number of collective orchards, and Aport Dubrovsky is also grown by the nursery of A. N. Miroleeva.

It is especially worth dwelling on the long search by Afanasy Efimovich for the best formation and the best placement of dwarf apple trees in the garden. Since almost from the beginning of his horticultural activity, he used as rootstocks for all varieties of apple trees almost exclusively clonal dwarf rootstocks or their seedlings, or seedlings of winter-hardy cultivars that greatly reduce the growth of its adult plants. Growing a significant number of such dwarf or semi-dwarf apple trees in an orchard in a small area already requires the application of a special block placement and a special block formation to them. And such a block placement, and a block formation of such apple trees in the form of a Taganrog boat, proposed at one time by an experienced gardener N. M. Skorobutov, Afanasy Efimovich tried to implement in his garden and implemented it.

Such a system of placement and formation of fruit trees, with proper care for them in the conditions of the south of Russia, provides for a long time a very high yield with a very high quality of fruits. But due to the great difference between the climate of the Middle Urals and the climate of Taganrog, it turned out to be impossible to realize all the potential possibilities of the Taganrog boat in our conditions, although in some years in the early years it gave good yields of high-quality fruits. The great merit of Afanasy Efimovich in creating and testing the Taganrog boat in our conditions is that he was the only experienced gardener among all those who did this in the middle and northern zones of Russian gardening.

However, the impossibility of realizing the cultivation of apple trees in our country in full in the form of a Taganrog boat made Afanasy Efimovich think about creating his own type of apple tree formation, which he called palm-shaped. The essence of such a formation invented and implemented by him is as follows. Growing apple trees in the place of their future growth. For this, selected apple trees that reduce the height of grafted trees to dwarf and semi-dwarf seedlings of rootstock 134 and local winter-hardy apple varieties are preliminarily grown. Then these selected seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth, where they are grown to the possibility of their inoculation. The grafting is carried out at a height of 2 m. The seedlings that have grown in the first year of grafting are cut very short and give strong growth only to the shoots from the lower part, which grow horizontally for the most part. Subsequently, all upward-growing shoots are cut into a ring or also low, which, under the weight of the branches or forcibly bending them down, creates an umbrella-shaped or, as he calls it, a palm-shaped crown. Such an early deviation of the branches down contributes to the onset of early fruiting.

Caring for such a crown provides for annual cutting of vertical shoots and cutting of excess shoots and branches that shade the crown.

AT recent times all the apple trees in his garden were shaped in this way and placed in blocks of several rows. The distances between apple trees in a row are 1.3-1.5 m, between rows - 2.2 m. The number of trees in a row is from 9 to 13 pieces, the number of rows in a block is 3. ground stripe from one row wooden sleepers, which eliminates soil compaction in wet weather and the formation of dirt on shoes. Since the crowns of trees in the rows practically close and begin to close in the aisles, the growth of weeds under the apple trees is almost completely excluded. For quite a long time, trees with such a formation and such an arrangement in blocks gave good yields of high-quality fruits, but further, due to their close location, it was necessary to limit the size of their crowns and their more significant lightening, which required additional costs for caring for them. Nevertheless, such a formation of apple trees and their placement in blocks can be considered quite successful and a great merit of Afanasy Efimovich.

But the described types of formation of apple trees are not limited to the searches and fantasies of Afanasy Efimovich. There are also many other formations of fruit and ornamental plants in the garden. Of them Special attention draw attention to themselves and several exotic formations that look like real curiosities. He also has experience in the cultivation of vegetable plants.

Afanasy Efimovich was an open and sociable person. It was also open to visit his garden and demonstrate the plantings there to a wide range of gardeners, which they very often used. The seedlings grown and distributed by him, which showed well the varieties of plants, found recognition among many gardeners. His constant participation in horticultural exhibitions and publications in the US of articles and notes about his own horticultural developments were also recognized.

The horticultural community of Yekaterinburg, gardeners-specialists, experienced and ordinary gardeners who knew Afanasy Efimovich closely, mourn his death and express condolences to relatives and friends and will remember him with a kind word.

V. N. Shalamov

In Soviet times, Ukrainians instead of the meager three acres of land allotment, like the "neighbors", received as many as six! But it was precisely the lack of land that prompted the Russian Skorobutov from the city of Taganrog to the idea of ​​planting his seedlings in a super-economical way - in the form of a trench or, as they began to lovingly call it later, boats. Donetsk gardeners tried this method and were satisfied - every year they collect a decent harvest.

The secret of success is in weak growth and inclination

The Shirokoryadenko family is not afraid of experiments. Every year, Tatyana Nikolaevna and Petr Ivanovich tame more and more new ornamental and fruit plants. Here, yard figs and barberries peacefully coexist, hazel grows, and aromatic herbs spread along the paths. In addition to all sorts of exotics, you can find such a native Hungarian plum (this year it was “doused” with selected fruits), and pears of the well-deserved varieties Kure and Dekanka winter, planted with a “Taganrog boat” (in two rows in a trench at a slope of 60–85 degrees). As the owner of the well-groomed garden, Peter Shirokoryadenko, said, such a planting doubles the yield!
“The main thing is to choose varieties grafted on dwarf or medium-sized rootstocks,” the gardener shared his experience. - In such a culture, you can grow apple trees (Jonathan, Starkrimson, Melba), pears (Kure, Dekanka winter, Clapp's Favorite), apricots, peaches and cherry plums. Thanks to the slope, all branches are evenly lit, and the fruiting area is increased. Prepare your pear alley better in autumn, placing it in a north-south direction in a sunny open area. The soil must be dug up, and 1–1.5 buckets of humus, 150–200 g of superphosphate and 50–60 g of potassium chloride must be applied per square meter.

Plant the trees in a checkerboard pattern, with the distance between them in the line - 1 m, and in adjacent rows - 1.2 m. Install a trellis on each side of the "boat" - drive stakes at an angle of 30–35 degrees, and between them in three rows pull the wire. Initially, tilt the seedlings to the support slightly, and only after a year, when the roots are properly fixed in the ground, reject them to the trellis (the slope will be 75–80 degrees).
- The peculiarity of care is that it is necessary to shorten the central conductor in time, then the side shoots will grow. Make a cut 1.5 cm above the kidney, which is directed from the center. In the future, form the crown, trying to ensure that the skeletal branches correctly subordinate to each other (the younger ones are shorter and thinner than the main ones), - Petr Ivanovich noted. - Pruning is carried out twice a year: in late autumn, remove all dry wood, and in late February-early March, those branches that grow deep into the crown. Wen, directed to the middle of the line, must also be cut "on the ring". As a result, an inclined trunk should be obtained, and skeletal branches will depart from it, rising upwards (thanks to this, tops in the places of bends simply have no chance of appearing). The "boat" begins to bear fruit already in the second or third year.

The best pear competitors

For his "boat" the owner chose two winter varieties- Cure and Deancou. High-yielding Cure has a pleasant taste - light green and juicy, they sin only with a relatively weak aroma. When the Cure is fully ripe, it becomes light yellow, with a characteristic rusty-brown stripe along the fruit. You need to collect it without waiting for full ripeness and frost, otherwise the pears will not be able to be stored for a long time. Moreover, in the laying they will still be in time in two weeks. You can store them almost until January. The variety is undemanding, but it works best on light soils, with good moisture, winter-hardy, fairly drought-resistant, so Donbass gardeners should pay attention to it.

Such a beauty is found in Donetsk gardens. Without any pesticides!

Winter decanter to match: very large fruits (up to 300 g), while lying from green with a blush, become greenish-yellow. The variety is demanding on soil moisture, so watering should not be skipped. But the increased care is more than compensated by the fragrant pulp. At a temperature of 5 ° C, the variety can be stored until the beginning of March (it is unrealistic to maintain such a temperature in an ordinary cellar without a special refrigerator). The cure is moderately resistant to scab, and Dekanka can suffer from it, so in the fall it is worth spraying the trees and the ground under them with a solution of urea (500 g per 10 liters of water), and in the spring, before the buds come out, try the “heavy artillery” in the form of a single treatment with Skor.

The dry summer did not allow these varieties to show themselves in all their glory. “Usually Cure does not fit in our palms and reaches 400 g of weight, but this autumn it was crushed,” the owners lament. But still delicious!

Modern designs apple orchards

Tapestry Tatura (Tatura trellis)(Fig. 23) is a V-shaped modern cordon, the height of which is about 4 m. The garden is laid with one-year-olds. The distance between adjacent plants in a row is 2 m. At the height of the stem, the trunk is cut before the start of the first growing season and 2 main branches are laid with a divergence angle of 60-70 °. The branches are tied to a two-plane trellis. On both shoulders, only overgrowing branches are formed. The number, type and placement of overgrowing branches are regulated with the help of summer operations (breaking out, pinching, pruning). The load of flower buds is adjusted during winter pruning. Do not allow the growth of strong branches on the upper sides of both shoulders, so as not to overgrow the center of the crown.

Advantages: early entry into fruiting, rapid increase in yields to a maximum, good light regime, which determines the high quality of the fruit.

Disadvantages: the complexity of the formation and control of emerging tops.

Rice. 23 Formation according to the Tatura system

Taganrog boat(Fig. 24a) was developed by an amateur gardener N.M. Skorobutov from Taganrog. One-year-olds are planted in one of 3 ways: in 1 line - nests of 2 plants each with distances between nests of 2-2.25 m; in 2 lines in a checkerboard pattern; in 2 lines in opposite pairs. The distances between trees in a row are 1.2-3 m, between rows in a tape - 0; 6-0.7 m, between tapes - 3.2-4 m. Plants are planted with a slope of 30 ° towards the aisle (Fig. 246 ). Pruned at a height of 45-60 cm (stem - 25-30 cm, the area of ​​the first main branches - 15-20 cm). In the first year, growth is free. In autumn, supports for the trellis are installed at a distance of 18-20 cm from the axis of each line towards the aisle and with a slope of 5-6 °. As a result, the slope of the stem will be 30-35°, and the crown after tying to the trellis - 5-6°. In the spring of the second year, competitors are removed. The main branches are shortened only with a length of more than 60 cm. The central conductor is cut by 1/3. In the third year, the central conductor is transferred to the side branch and given a vertical position. The main branches are cut in the first tier to the outer side branches and new main branches are laid. There should be 4-5 in total. Overgrowing branches are directed to free space.

During the formation period, pruning is minimal: removal of competitors, thickening, broken branches, overgrowth on the trunk. Branches are shortened only to increase fouling. Every summer, extra shoots are broken out. The width of the crown at the base is 0.7-0.8 m, in the upper part - 0.1-0.2 m. In the fifth year, the formation is completed. Proceed to the gradual replacement of overgrown branches. Each fourth 3-4-year-old branch is cut to the side closest to the base, and it, in turn, to 2-3 buds or to a stump 8-10 cm long. Another overgrown branch is cut to 3-year-old wood, the third to 2-year-old, fourth - left without pruning. The following year, the remaining uncut branches are treated in the same way. As a result, in 4-5 years, a complete renewal of the overgrowing branches will be achieved, and the cycle will repeat. As necessary, the crown is thinned out and new branches are formed to replace the fallen, shrunken ones. In the 13-16th year, depending on the condition of the plants, a strong rejuvenation of every second tree is carried out, and the rest are rejuvenated the next year or a year later. The rejuvenation technique is common: pruning the branches that stop growing into strong branches in the area where fairly active growth was observed.

Rice. 24a. Taganrog boat

Rice. 246. Methods of planting for the formation of the Taganrog boat: a - two plants per nest; b - in a checkerboard pattern; in - opposite pairs

meadow gardens(Fig. 25). 75-120 thousand annual plants are placed per hectare. Planted in blocks 6-8 m wide. Within the block, plants are planted in rows. Distances between rows - 0.4-0.5 m, between trees in a row - 0.2-0.4 m. Plants bear fruit in the second year after planting. After fruiting, the aerial part above the grafting site is cut off (mowed). Of the shoots that appear, 1 is left for fruiting. The rest are broken. After fruiting, the cycle repeats. Productivity up to 100 t/ha. Fruits every 2 years.

Rice. 25. Meadow garden: a - flowering trees; b - fruiting; in - cutting on a spike; d - removal of extra branches

Palmetto garden. Translated from French"Palmette" is a decorative form stylized as a palm leaf. Palmette (Fig. 26) is a tree, all the branches of which are placed in one vertical plane(one above the other in the direction of the row). The skeletal branches of palmettes can have different positions - horizontal, inclined or vertical. With a horizontal position of the skeletal branches, palmettes are called horizontal, with an oblique - oblique, with a vertical position - candelabra. If the branches are located on the central conductor in strict sequence, with a certain slope and the crown has a symmetrical shape, such a palmette is called correct. With an asymmetrical crown shape, when the branches come out of various points of the central conductor, the palmette is incorrect.

Trees grown in the form of palmettes provide better penetration of sunlight into all parts of the crown, resulting in fruits that are large, well-colored and tasty.

Palmette with horizontal branches. According to this system, low- and strong-growing varieties of apple trees are formed, grafted mainly on low-growing rootstocks. Trees are planted at a distance of 3-4 m in a row and 4-5 m between rows. On the central conductor, every 80-100 cm, almost in a horizontal position, 4 tiers of 2 oppositely directed branches are laid. All skeletal branches are covered with overgrown branches. Wire trellises are used as a support. Pruning consists of a strong shortening of the conductor (leader), a weak shortening of the shoots of the continuation of the skeletal branches, tilting and bending strong growth branches to weaken their growth.

Fan-shaped palmette. The first branches of a fan-shaped palmette are laid at a height of 30-40 cm from the ground. Skeletal branches are located freely in a vertical plane in the direction of the row. Separate skeletal branches are tilted at an angle of 45-50 °, while others are given a horizontal position. The branches are tied to wooden supports or to a wire frame. Skeletal branches almost do not shorten, but direct them to the free places of the crown, taking into account the strength of their growth. Pruning in the early years consists in shortening the leader. Shoot growth is controlled mainly by changing the angle of inclination and bending. After removing several sparse skeletal branches, the conductor is removed.

Lepage's palmette is one-shouldered. This form was developed in France. Annual seedlings are planted in a southerly direction at an angle of 45 ° to the soil surface. During the year, seedlings are not pruned. Upon reaching a height of 1.5 m, they are bent in an arcuate manner, the tops are tied to neighboring trees along the row. All shoots, except for one, located closer to the top, are pinched over the 3-4th leaf in summer. The remaining shoot, upon reaching a length of 1.5 m, is bent in the opposite direction with respect to the previously bent trunk. This is repeated until a strong "wall" is formed up to 180-200 cm high and up to 60 cm wide. Thinning and pinching of growing shoots are used on the stem and formed arcs.

Lepage's palmette is two-shouldered. This palmette differs from one-arms in that on an obliquely planted one-year-old seedling at a height of 30-40 cm from the soil surface, a second arm is displayed, which is bent in the opposite direction with respect to the slope of the seedling trunk along the row. This form is formed in the same way as the one-arm Lepage palmette, only the arcs are laid separately on each of the created shoulders.

Ruzin palmette. The method of growing Ruzin palmette is very simple. An annual seedling is cut at a height of 45-50 cm. During the summer, 1 conductor and 2 side shoots are left. The remaining growths on the stem are pinched over the 3-4th leaf, and in August they are cut into a ring. Bending and tying the branches together is carried out in the second, and for individual trees - in the third year in the spring, when the branches reach a length of 1.5 m. At the same time, the central conductor is also bent. On the bend of the central conductor, 1 strong increment is left, which is closer to the top. Upon reaching a length of 1.5 m, it is rejected in the opposite direction. Overgrowing branches are bent down and into free places of the crown. Extra branches thickening the crown are cut into a ring. In the aisles, the growth of branches up to 0.5 m in length is allowed. The total thickness of the fruit wall should not exceed 1 m.

Rice. 26. Palmettes: 1st horizontal branches; 2nd inclined branches; 3 - candelabra; 4 - fan-shaped; 5 - Lepage one-shouldered; 6 - Lepage two-shouldered; 7- Ruzinskaya; 8- Bushe-Thomas; 9 - Delbara; 10 - four-strand single-tier; 11 - free

Palmette Boucher-Thomas. This form is a trellis, in which the continuation shoots are not pruned. Annual seedlings are planted at an angle of 30 ° to the soil surface. The rows and slope of the seedling are directed from north to south. (To form a French palmette, each pair of seedlings is planted with tops towards each other, for example, odd - with a slope to the south, even - to the north). During the period of palmette growth, thinning and bending of branches at an angle of 30 ° are used. Shoots, like a tree trunk, do not shorten. The branches on the trunk are left at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other in a row and, when they reach a length of 1.5 m, they are deflected in the direction opposite to the inclination of the trunk, also at an angle of 30 ° to the soil surface. From the lower bough at a distance of 60-80 cm from its base, a strong branch of the second order is removed parallel to the trunk. Crossing branches of neighboring trees are connected. Small branches on the trunk and side branches are bent, turning them into overgrown. When the crown of the tree begins to thicken, the extra branches are removed.

Palmette Delbara. The form was developed in France. Annual seedlings are cut early in spring at a height of 45-50 cm from the soil surface. 2 shoots grown from the upper buds are directed in opposite directions along the row. All other shoots developing on the stem are pinched over the 3-4th leaf or bent, and at the end of summer they are removed to the ring. The skeletal branches are given an angle of inclination of 40-45°. In the second or third year, depending on the growth strength of the skeletal branches, one strong shoot is selected on their upper side at a distance of 40-60 cm from the base of the skeletal branch and directed inside the crown at an angle of 40-45 °. (For apple trees on vigorous rootstocks at a distance of 60-90 cm.) With further growth, they enter crosswise one after another. In places of contact they are connected with each other. Overgrowing branches are bent down and directed to the free parts of the crown. Shortening is not applied. The skeletal branches of neighboring trees are connected to each other.

Palmette 4-branch single-tiered. Trees are formed with 4 skeletal branches in 1 tier without a guide like a vase. Annual seedlings are cut in spring at a height of 50-60 cm from the soil surface. The developed shoots from the upper 4 buds are directed along the row in an X-shape, allowing a distance along the trunk of no more than 15 cm between paired, crosswise arranged branches. The distance between paired morphologically parallel skeletal branches is no more than 100 cm. vertical) - 50-60 °. Shortening of shoots is not performed. Pruning is used only to remove unnecessary shoots that thicken the crown.

Free palmette (free flat crown). This is the simplest flat form (on vigorous rootstocks) up to 4-4.5 m high with free placement of branches in a vertical plane. The lower tier is laid out of 2 branches. Above the trunk, skeletal branches are placed singly at an average of 40 cm or in pairs - after 70 cm. All branches grow freely in a vertical plane at a natural angle of inclination. The upper branches are not laid until the lowest ones get stronger. Until the completion of the formation, the trunk conductor is shortened annually. At a height of 3.5 m from the ground, it is cut out. The growth of branches towards the row spacing is limited by pruning at a distance of 70 cm from the row line by transferring to the side branch. The shortening of the shoots is used only to align the branches in terms of growth strength in the first 2-3 years of formation. The necessary illumination is achieved by thinning the crown. Pruning of annual branches on branches and branches of the second or third order is not allowed.

Features of laying and caring for a palmette garden. The site intended for laying the palmette garden is located on an elevated place, with a slight slope to drain excess water. The soil should be well aerated and sufficiently moisture-intensive, and the level of groundwater in palmette plantations should not exceed 1.5 m.

Agrotechnics for planting trees is common; depending on the shape of the palmettes, they are planted vertically or obliquely along the row with the top to the south.

For palmette plantations, breeds and varieties with high economic value are used, which develop well and give high yields in the soil and climatic conditions of the area. For an apple tree, for example, on a vigorous rootstock in the conditions of Belarus, Antonovka, Belorussky sinap, Melba, Renet Kursk gold, Babushkino, Breading, Suislepskoe and other varieties are used, which bear fruit on short fruit formations and have high bud excitability and good overgrowing branching. Valuable varieties of pears, plums, cherries and sweet cherries can also be grown in the form of palmettes, i.e. all tree fruit species growing in the area.

Varieties of apple trees and other fruit species in palmette plantations should be placed taking into account their cross-pollination and fruit ripening time. For example, the following varieties are suitable for Antonovka as pollinators: Babushkino, Renet the Golden Kursk, Belarusian Sinap; for the Belarusian sinap - Babushkino, Antonovka; for Babushkino - Antonovka; for Melba - Suislepskoye, Papirovka; for Renet the Golden Kursk - Antonovka, Babushkino; for Papirovki - Suislepskoe, Melba.

The productivity and longevity of trees in palmette orchards is largely dependent on the distances between individual trees. In palmette plantations, trees are planted more densely compared to plantings of trees with ordinary crowns.

For vigorous forms of apple palmettes (Italian, inclined according to the Italian principle and 4-bunch bunk), reaching 3.5-4 m in height, the distance between trees in a row is 4 m and between rows - 5-5.5 m. For palmettes medium vigor on a seedling rootstock, reaching a height of 2.5-3 m (Ruzinskaya, Lepage, Bushe-Thomas, Delbar and 4-branch single-tier), row spacing can be reduced to 4.5-5 m. individual gardens where all work is done by hand, the distance between apple palmettes on a vigorous rootstock can be reduced to 3 m in rows and 4-4.5 m in row spacing.

For better illumination, the rows of palmette gardens are located in the direction from north to south, since the formation of palmettes is carried out in one plane along the row.

Palmette gardens are planted, as a rule, with annual seedlings, which are formed over several years directly in the garden. Two-year-old seedlings are also quite suitable, but with a low trunk (not higher than 60 cm). Planting dates are the same as for ordinary gardens.

Fruit trees in the form of palmettes require more attention than vigorous trees with a spherical crown. They can grow well and bear fruit abundantly only under the condition of skillful crown formation, correct pruning, sufficient availability of nutrients in the soil, moisture supply and timely protection from pests and diseases.

Briefly:

The formation of the crown of fruit trees is the most complex and responsible agricultural technique. The early fruiting of the tree, its ability to hold a large crop of fruits, withstand wind, heavy rains, snowfalls and icing largely depend on its timely and correct implementation. The most favorable conditions for lighting the leaves and more productive photosynthesis are created for both individual branches and the entire volume of the crown or fruit wall. Of the many ways to form the crown of trees, we will describe those that are most common in this article.

Formation methods

The formation of the crown of fruit trees is the most complex and responsible agricultural technique. The early fruiting of the tree, its ability to hold a large crop of fruits, withstand wind, heavy rains, snowfalls and icing largely depend on its timely and correct implementation. The most favorable conditions for lighting the leaves and more productive photosynthesis are created for both individual branches and the entire volume of the crown or fruit wall. Of the many ways to form the crown of trees, the following are the most common.

sparse-tiered

It is used on many fruit species on seed and medium-sized rootstocks. The crown is formed from 5-7 skeletal branches of the first order. In the lower tier, 2-3 branches are laid, which have grown from adjacent buds, evenly spaced in space with divergence angles of 120-180 °. AT individual cases in the first tier, 4 branches of the first order are laid if they have grown through the kidney and have divergence angles of about 90 °. The remaining skeletal branches are laid in the second tier. The distance between tiers should be at least 50-60 cm for medium and low-growing trees and 80-100 cm for vigorous ones. At the same time, the branches of the second tier are located one from the other at a distance of at least 20 cm, evenly filling the volume of the crown.

In order for the trees to have good illumination, the branches of the second order are laid only on the branches of the first order, located in the first tier. They are laid in 2-3 branches in such a way that the first of them is at a distance of no closer than 40-60 cm from the central conductor. At the same distance from the first, the rest of the branches that have grown from the lateral buds on the continuation shoot are located.

Between the tiers of skeletal branches along the central conductor, as well as between the branches of the second order, after 20-40 cm, auxiliary, weaker branches are left, which bear the overgrowing fruit branches. The formation of trees according to this method is carried out for 4-5 years.

During this period, the shoots of the continuation of the skeletal branches and the central conductor are annually shortened by 1/3-1/5 of their length. Thanks to this, the buds on the continuation shoots in the zone 20-25 cm below the cut germinate together, which facilitates the selection and placement of future skeletal branches in the crown. At the same time, it should be remembered that any shortening of branches in young trees inhibits the laying of flower buds and delays the onset of fruiting. Therefore, shortening the growth of young trees during the period of crown formation is a forced technique.

An important point in the formation of the crown is the observance of the principle of subordination of branches. It is especially dangerous when the upper branches, being at an acute angle to the central conductor, quickly begin to oppress adjacent branches and branches of the lower tier. To prevent these disturbances, there are a number of ways to balance their growth. First of all, when choosing branches, especially in the second tier, you should choose those that have an angle of departure of at least 45-50 °. If there are no such branches, then branches with sharp corners correct with spacers, braces or pruning on a side branch. With normal subordination, the upper branches should be slightly weaker and shorter than the branches of the first tier.

After the formation of the main skeleton of the crown, the height of trees on seed rootstocks is maintained at a level of 4–4.5 m; on medium-sized - 3-3.5 and on dwarf rootstocks - 2.5 m. To maintain these parameters, trees that exceed them by the 7-8th year after planting are reduced to the corresponding side branches. The width of the crown should be such that the light corridor between the rows remains at least 2 m with a clearance between the trees in a row of 0.3–0.4 m.

vane

It is used mainly for apple trees on seed and medium-sized rootstocks. This method is based on a sparse-tiered placement of skeletal branches in 2-3 tiers, 3-4 branches each. Depending on the strength of tree growth, the second tier of branches is laid at a distance of 60–100 cm from the first, and 50–80 cm between the second and third tiers. During formation, the skeletal branches in the tiers are arranged so that they are in a single vertical the area and projection of the crown formed three or four lobes.

This placement of skeletal branches and the corresponding formation of overgrowing branches allows you to create free vertical openings in the direction from the periphery of the crown to the trunk with a width of 60-150 cm. The created openings improve lighting and provide free penetration into the crown, which is very important during tree pruning and harvesting. In subsequent years, free gaps are supported by annual shortening or cutting into a ring of branches developing in the direction of free space.

Spindle bush (spindelbush)

This method of formation has some advantage for certain micro-areas where high and medium stem trees suffer from sunburn. The crown of a spindle-shaped bush consists of a low trunk (35-40 cm), a central conductor and a large number of semi-skeletal branches, which, during the formation period, as they grow, are deflected to a horizontal position (80-90 °). Externally formed bush in summer resembles a Christmas tree, decorated with apples or pears.

The shaping technique is very simple. In the first year after planting, annual seedlings are cut at a height of 55-60 cm. In summer or autumn, 4-5 shoots evenly spaced in space are selected in the zone of the first tier, and they are deflected to a horizontal position, tied with twine to pegs driven into the ground . The escape of the continuation of the central conductor is left in a vertical position. The shoots that have grown in the bole zone are sniffed at the beginning of their growth.

spring next year the central conductor is shortened again, leaving a zone of 40-60 cm for the growth of new branches. Subsequent formation operations are carried out in the same sequence, tying the upper branches to the lower ones. The deviation of the branches in the summer simplifies and significantly speeds up the process of fixing them in a given position, although this operation can be carried out in the spring.

Thus, when forming a spindle-shaped bush, pruning is limited only to shortening the central conductor and cutting out competitors and vertical shoots that appear on the upper part of the rejected shoots and thicken the crown.

Studies have shown that the formation of pome trees in the form of a spindle-shaped bush in comparison with sparse-tiered crown accelerates the beginning of the fruiting of trees. They grow 1.8-2 m lower in height, and in the first years of fruiting give higher yields. In addition, the formation method itself is very simple, and it can be performed by unskilled gardeners and even schoolchildren. The main disadvantage of this method is that with age, the lower branches, under the weight of the crop, lie on the ground and the fruits stain worse.

oblique palmette

The best varieties of garden design according to the type of oblique palmette are apple trees - Boyken, Renet Simirenko and Kortpand; pears — Early ripening from Trevue, Forest beauty, Favorite of Clapp and Bere Ligel. For laying a palmette garden, standard one-year or two-year-old seedlings are used, which have a well-developed root system, a central conductor and at least two skeletal branches located in the same plane and directed in opposite directions.

When planting two-year-olds, two skeletal branches are left in the zone of the first tier, and the rest are cut into a ring or shortened by 1/3 of their length. The central conductor is cut 20 cm above the left branches. Annual seedlings immediately after planting are cut at a height of 60-80 cm.

The main condition for the successful formation of the crown is good growth trees both in the first year of planting and thereafter. For example, in the year of planting, the central conductor should have an increase of at least 60-80 cm. Under this condition, during the first three years, 2-3 tiers of skeletal branches can be laid and this is basically the end of the formation work.

If the growth turns out to be weak, then it is very difficult to maintain the necessary distances between tiers (for medium-sized trees 60-100 cm; dwarf trees 50-60 cm) and the laying of the next tier of branches will be pushed back for several years.

The skeletal branches of the first tier are tilted at an angle of 50-60°, which ensures moderate growth and early laying of flower buds. Skeletal branches are fixed by tying them with twine to a trellis, stakes or using wooden slats.

Regulation of the uniform growth of skeletal branches is carried out by tilting them - strong branches tilt more, and weak ones, on the contrary, lift up. Additional methods of formation include summer green operations, which are performed from the beginning to the end of the growing season. These include: breaking out excess shoots on trunks and in the crown zone, removing and pinching competitors of skeletal branches and the central conductor, tilting and bending non-lignified shoots in order to turn them into fruit branches, etc. Annual pruning and green operations regulate the dimensions of the tree as height and crown width. At the same time, the width of the crown in the lower part of the tree should not exceed 2-2.5 m, in the upper part - 1.5-1.75 m. In low-growing varieties, especially on dwarf rootstocks, the thickness of the green wall may be even smaller.

Horizontal (Hungarian) palmette

For a wide range of amateur gardeners, when growing apple and pear trees on medium-sized and dwarf rootstocks, it is of interest. The design is very simple and does not require high qualifications of the performer.

The crown of a horizontal palmette is created from 3-4 tiers of paired skeletal branches oppositely directed along a row, which, in the process of formation, bend to a horizontal position and are fixed to a wire trellis. The garden is planted in the spring with standard annual seedlings with a feeding area of ​​3.5–4 X 1.5–2.5 m. From the awakened buds in the zone of the first tier, the two most developed shoots and the central conductor are selected. The remaining growths, including competitors, are pinched or broken out while still in a grassy state. In the same way shoots are removed on boles. The shoots left to form the skeletal branches of the first tier and the central conductor are given free growth. In case of violation of subordination in growth, a deviation of up to 45 ° is used. The final deviation of the branches of the first tier is carried out by the end of the growing season of the second year, when they reach a development of at least 100-120 cm. At the same time, they are rejected not in a horizontal position, but at an angle of 25-30 °.

Such an orientation of the lower tier of skeletal branches provides for their more reliable growth, since the upper branches, as a rule, oppress the lower ones. The laying of the skeletal branches of the second tier is carried out in the second year. To do this, in early spring, the central conductor, if it has reached the necessary development, is cut off at a height of 60-65 cm from the branches of the first tier. During the first half of summer, the next pair of the most developed shoots is selected from the germinated buds to form the second tier of skeletal branches. With the rest of the gains, they do the same as in the first year. At the end of the second year of vegetation or early in the spring of the third year, the branches of the second tier are deflected to a horizontal position, tied to the trellis, and they begin to lay the skeletal branches of the third tier.

Thus, in 3-4 years, the laying of skeletal branches ends. At the same time, the formation of overgrown fruit wood is also completed. Short fruit branches are placed along the central conductor and from the sides of the skeletal branches at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. From growths that occur on the upper part of the skeletal branch, fruit twigs should not be formed, as they will grow and greatly shade the crown.

After the formation of the horizontal palmette is completed, the central conductor is allowed to grow freely for some time, then it is shortened by transferring it to a side branch or annular. During the fruiting period, the horizontal palmette requires annual detailed pruning, aimed at regularly replacing fruiting fruit links with young ones capable of growth.

Slim spindle (gruzbek)

This method of forming last years Widespread in Holland and Belgium.

The formation of trees using the gruzbek method is used mainly for early-growing varieties of pome-shaped poroli grafted onto dwarf rootstocks. In contrast to the fusiform bush, trees are formed with narrower, low-volume crowns in this way, which makes it possible to create dense plantations with a feeding area of ​​3.5–4 X 1.5–2.5 m. Planted seedlings are shortened at a height of 80–100 cm. the next 2-3 years, the central conductor and side branches are not shortened. In some cases, the central conductor is not shortened even in the first year after planting, if the seedlings were grown in special containers in the nursery and the planted plants continued their normal growth in the garden.

The formation of the crown according to the method of cargoback is completed in 3-4 years. During this period, lateral branches are removed on boles 30-40 cm high, and in the crown zone they are left to grow freely, cutting out only competitors and strong shoots that go beyond subordination into a ring. Thus, the formed tree has no skeletal branches, but only overgrowing fruit wood. At the same time, it is very important that the branches of the upper part of the crown do not oppress the branches of the lower part. According to these requirements, the lower branches are formed with a length of 50-55 cm, and the upper ones - 30-40 cm. By the end of the formation period, the central conductor, which has reached a height of more than two meters, is cut into a side branch or ringlet.

Taganrog "boat"

During the fruiting period, the trees are carefully pruned annually, regulating their growth and fruiting. And the crowns are removed by competitors and twigs that shade the crown, including those that bore fruit last year. At the same time, about half of the annual growths are shortened by 2-3 buds, and the rest are left not shortened, and fruit buds are laid on them for harvest next year. Two- and three-year-old fruit twigs, on which flower buds were superimposed last year, leave fruiting. In the presence of a large number fruit buds in some varieties, fruit twigs are shortened by 1/3 or 1/2 of their length.

This formation system is the simplest and accessible even for an inexperienced gardener and provides early and high fruiting. For sufficient stability, fruit-bearing trees are tied to a trellis (one wire at a height of 1.2 m) or palmette stakes in that when laying a garden, trees are planted in planting pits, singly or in pairs, with their slope at an angle of 65-75 ° alternately to the right and to the left of the row axis. According to the given angle of inclination, a trellis is installed and fruiting planes are formed according to the type of palmette gardens.

Thus, a free air channel (boat) is formed along the row, thanks to which the inclined planes receive good illumination due to the direct rays of the sun.

The bookmark of the Taganrog "boat" is recommended by its author to be carried out along a deep pass (60-70 cm) with the obligatory application of organic and mineral fertilizers. As planting material use well-developed annual seedlings, grafted mainly on dwarf rootstocks. The feeding areas for trees are the same as for palmette gardens, but since there are two fruiting planes in a row, the total number of trees per unit area doubles.

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Six acres - it would seem that not so much for a flight of fancy and the embodiment of interesting ideas of a landscape designer. Yet more than half summer cottages has the same area. A creative approach to business allows you to make a site even of such an area both interesting and beautiful.

Where to start, so that a standard, geometrically correct area measuring 20 by 30 meters is transformed and becomes attractive and unlike others?

Any landscaping and landscaping work should begin with a project. This project will allow us to analyze different variants author's fantasies and intentions, and after weighing all the pros and cons, choose best option. At the design stage, there is a clear functional zoning territory, a set of plants, materials is determined, and it is also calculated how much it will cost to implement these design fantasies. The presence of the project allows you to avoid many mistakes in the future.

When developing this project, the whole complex of initial data was taken into account: the ecological and aesthetic features of the territory, the wishes of family members, the possibilities of caring for plants and, of course, material possibilities. The cost of implementing a project depends on many factors. This is the saturation of the site with landscaping elements, and the choice building materials, and age of planted plants. In this case, all design decisions were made based on the minimum investment. Therefore, the formation of the design of the site, that is, the initial implementation of the project, continued in stages over 5 years; For several years, work was underway to improve it. The site is currently 15 years old.

When designing, the site was divided into the following functional areas:

• entrance area;
• decorative zone (rock garden, flower mixborders, coniferous mixborder, boxwood composition);
• orchard;
• rest zone;
• economic zone (garden, hozblok, greenhouse, compost pit).

Let's walk along the paths of the "boring garden" and get acquainted with the features of each functional area.

The entrance zone is the face of the site. And it begins not behind the fence, but in front of it. I would like to hope that unsightly massive fences will go into oblivion, and they will be replaced by light elegant fences. In our case, along mesh fence planted: common juniper, sheared boxwood bushes, hostas, as well as loosestrife and annuals. But they give a special attraction to the entrance climbing roses Excelsa varieties.

If the area is small, then the best solution entrance area there will be a beautiful landscape composition in front of the house. Plants with more than 15 names are grouped in the landscape composition. The center of the group are three copies of the common juniper pyramidal shape. In spring, the group looks spectacular due to the flowering of bulbous, awl-shaped and splayed phlox, in summer - thanks to the flowering of tree hydrangea, perennial phlox and astilba. in winter decorative effect created thanks to different color needles and the shape of crowns of conifers and boxwood (golden form of arborvitae, shaped boxwood, conical and cushion-shaped spruce).

In summer, the ornamental group is dominated by hydrangea tree, the rest of the time - coniferous.

The decorative zone occupies about 40% of the site area and is represented by a rock garden with a mini-pond, flower and coniferous mixborders against the backdrop of a well-kept lawn, and a composition of boxwood.

The rock garden occupies only 6 square meters. m., but is the accent of the decorative zone. More than 30 types of plants have been planted here, which are selected in such a way that the entire growing season in the rock garden is flowering plants. In spring, the tone is set by bulbous (undersized species tulips, crocuses, blueberries), awl-shaped phlox, rocky beetroot, obrieta, saxifrage, and sapling. Closer to summer and summer - different kinds cloves, onions, stonecrops, as well as astilba, thyme, chistets. In autumn - a prominent stonecrop, colchicum, undersized annuals. The background for flowering plants are hostas, fern, boxwood, cotoneaster, undersized conifers.

The rock garden is enlivened by a small pond, which also serves as a “drinking bowl” for birds living in the garden.

Looks great at any time of the year decorative zone coniferous mixborder, which was conceived as a collection of dwarf and other forms of conifers. Here are dwarf forms of spruce, arborvitae, as well as interesting shapes other species - pyramidal forms of juniper, yew, variegated form of arborvitae and juniper.

For more decorativeness in a mixborder, except for conifers low-growing forms of spirea were also planted (Japanese spirea of ​​the "Gold Flemm" and "Little Princess" forms, dwarf mock orange, Dummer's cotoneaster, boxwood and flower plants - bulbous, various types of stonecrops, bluebells, iberis, carnation, rocky beetroot, sage, catnip. There are annuals are also here: undersized salvia, ageratum, tagetes, etc.

Since almost all flower mixborders are located in the shade of fairly tall trees (plum, cherry plum, apple), the range of plants was selected taking this factor into account. Ferns, various species and varieties of hostas (there are more than 10 taxa of hostas on the site), astilbes, daylilies, tenacious ones form the basis of shady mixborders.

In a mixborder located on sunny place, planted clematis, tree hydrangea, irises, khatma, perennial phlox, physostegia, astilbe, nivyanik, tar, primrose.

It was not easy to decide the design of the northern part of the facade of the house. Here, throughout the day, a "deaf" shadow reigns. Planting a mixborder from shade-tolerant plants could overload the site with them, and would require considerable time to leave. Therefore, a classic composition of boxwood was designed in this place, which brought variety to the design of the site.

In small areas, it is very important to use every piece of land rationally. As an example, the use of a plot near the porch of the house at the intersection of paths. In the area no more than half square meter posted a mini-composition of juniper ordinary pyramidal shape, arborvitae western f. Reingold and Phlox subulate. Such a mini-composition "breaks" the monotony of the coating and makes this place more decorative, decorating the entrance to the house.

Fruit garden. Given the small area of ​​the site, the garden is formed according to the type of palmette garden. highlight orchard is the so-called "Taganrog boat" - a compacted, V-shaped planting of fruit trees, as a rule, on a dwarf rootstock. Distance between rows - 1 meter, between plants in a row - 2 meters. Plants are planted at an angle of 75-80° and are formed along the supports.

"Taganrog boat" in winter and spring

The recreation area is inextricably linked with the decorative area. The design feature of this zone was that it should provide privacy, isolation and silence for vacationers. In this case, this is achieved by planting grapes on a trellis, using the "Taganrog boat" and skillful placement of buildings (see the general layout of the site). In the quiet recreation area there is a gazebo, a place for barbecue, benches for rest.

The utility zone is also an important element of any garden plot, and it is very important that it does not “fall out” of overall design site. This goal can be achieved different methods: visual isolation of outbuildings, stylish architecture of these buildings, selection of colors for painting them.

The decorativeness of the garden depends on the correct selection and combination of garden crops. Here it is necessary to take into account the texture and color of the leaves, as well as fruits. A huge variety of garden crops and their skillful combination make it possible to make the garden attractive. And sowing or planting annuals (tagetes, nasturtium, calendula) along the paths in the garden will not only make it more colorful, but also scare away harmful insects.