Autumn water-charging watering ( moisture charging irrigation) fruit trees and shrubs - one of the most important garden care operations in the autumn. Preparing the garden for winter, in addition to such practices as pruning, whitewashing, cleaning the bark from lichens and moss, treating the garden from diseases and pests, cleaning fallen leaves and fruits, caring for the trunk circle (loosening, mulching), autumn top dressing with fertilizers and sheltering young trees for the winter, includes the so-called water-charging irrigation or water-charging irrigation.
What is moisture irrigation?
Moisture charging irrigation of an orchard is an autumn irrigation of garden trees and shrubs using a large amount of water in order to optimally saturate the root layer of soil around the plants with moisture.
Why do you need moisture-charging irrigation?
Despite the fairly frequent and abundant autumn precipitation in the second half of autumn, the soil often does not accumulate enough moisture for normal overwintering of plants. This can adversely affect the health of fruit trees and shrubs, lead to the drying of young plant shoots and freezing of the root system.
Moisture-charging irrigation helps prevent Negative consequences lack of moisture in the soil and increase the resistance of plants to adverse factors of the winter and early spring period, such as: very coldy, sharp drops temperatures, cold winds, excessive snow load, the formation of frost on the branches and trunk of trees, sunburn, exposure to diseases and pests.
When is irrigation irrigation carried out?
Water-charging watering of the garden is carried out in the fall after the start of active leaf fall. Optimal time for moisture-charging irrigation in the Moscow region, the second half is the end of October, when most of the leaves have already fallen off, and the air temperature remains at a minimum plus mark.
Carrying out too early water-charging irrigation autumn can lead to active growth and, as a result, the freezing of young shoots.
How much water is needed for irrigation irrigation?
Water-charging irrigation differs from ordinary spring and summer irrigations of fruit trees and shrubs by an increased rate of water consumption, since the main task of such irrigation is to saturate the soil of the near-stem circle with moisture to a depth of 1-1.5 m. For this purpose, during water-charging irrigation under each berry bush pour about 25-40 liters of water. The volume of water required for moisture-charging irrigation of fruit trees is determined depending on the age and size of plants, moisture content and mechanical composition of the soil. For most trees, the rate of water consumption during water-charging irrigation ranges from 30 liters to 150 liters per 1 m2 (3-15 buckets).
Excessive watering can lead to the extinction of the roots due to lack of air in the soil.
How to carry out moisture charging irrigation?
In most cases, water charging irrigation is carried out with a jet of water using a garden hose, which is left under a tree or shrub for a while, and then gradually moved around. orchard. If it is not possible to irrigate the garden with a hose, then you can water from a watering can or bucket. To speed up the process of watering around trees, you can drill special holes and drip grooves.
Gardens located on slopes should be irrigated by sprinkling. Before watering, a special earthen roller should be formed around young trees and shrubs to hold water in the near-stem circle. Water-charging watering of adult trees is best done in stages, spending about 15-20 liters of water in 1 hour, and thus avoiding prolonged stagnation of water on the surface of the earth.
The optimum water temperature for water-charging irrigation is 5-10 degrees. From above zero.
After watering, the soil can be loosened and mulched with a thin layer of soil.
In what cases is water-charging irrigation not required?
Water-charging irrigation is not carried out on too heavy clay soils, in places with a close occurrence of groundwater, as well as when the soil is saturated with moisture after heavy autumn rains.
If the autumn turned out to be dry, then you will have to do a deep additional watering. fruit and berry trees Location on. Or in other words - to carry out moisture charging of the garden before wintering. It has been established that dry land is colder, and insufficiently moist soil contributes to the freezing of tree roots. And if the winter is frosty and snowless, the trees may even die. And do not rely on autumn rains - they are completely unable to solve this problem. The rain only wets upper layer soil, which is not always enough for a root system that has grown deep into.
1. Podzimny watering is used in gardens where there is no regular watering.
If by the beginning of autumn it turns out that insufficient moisture has been preserved in the soil, then there is a danger of freezing of the roots and crown during winter frosts. Strongly dried soil with drizzling autumn rain is moistened only superficially. With coming low temperatures this layer instantly freezes, which leads to damage much more serious than with dry soil. If the soil in the garden is wetted by one and a half to two meters, then in winter it will not freeze. Even if there were many rainy days in your area at the end of the year, they still wet the ground by no more than thirty centimeters. This may be enough for shrubs, but for trees it will definitely not be enough. Therefore, do not be lazy and additionally water fruit trees.
2. When conducting winter watering, follow the golden rule
: Water until the dried layer is wetted to meet the remaining summer moisture. Usually, in those places where there was no constant watering, it is necessary to spend at least 80 - 100 liters per square meter of the near-stem circle of an apple tree. If at a depth of 60 - 70 centimeters the soil is still wet, then the amount of water can be reduced by about half. 
3. It is not recommended to apply winter irrigation on heavy clay soils.
and in lowland areas. But if the soil in the garden is forest, sandy loam or podzolic, then winter watering will benefit.
4. If you spend winter watering in the fall, then by the beginning of the spring awakening of the garden, the soil will be moistened to a depth of about 2 meters. In this case, the water will not be used by the trees immediately, but will have its own effect. beneficial effect next year - at the beginning of the growing season.
5. Podzimny watering spend in the last days of October or early November
, then there is no chance of resumption of plant growth. Only then will you receive positive result during wintering of fruit trees and their subsequent development after spring awakening. 
6. Autumn, winter and winter watering, as well as spring ones, spend moderately. After watering is completed, be sure to check the depth to which the soil has soaked. If there is too much moisture, then the water and air permeability of the soil will deteriorate sharply, the root system may still suffer, and hence the tree as a whole. If the site is located in a place with loved ones groundwater or on soil with poor drainage, then it is not worth doing autumn and winter irrigation. In the southern regions, where the climate is mild, the soil should not be saturated with water even in winter, since there the roots do not stop their vital activity during this period.
7. Combine winter watering with top dressing. Dig grooves and lay rotted manure there, fill in the ashes, mineral fertilizers. Then the nutrients, along with water, will penetrate directly to the roots.
8. After watering, after a few days, mulch the tree trunks.
Make hilling trunk circles earth with garden compost, mixing sawdust and straw into it. Mulch prepared in this way will perfectly protect root system from frost and wind, and will retain moisture in the near-trunk circle. 
Every gardener knows caring for fruit trees is a responsible matter. After all, you need to take care of them not only in the summer, but also in the autumn. The hot summer has passed, and the trees need moisture more than ever. In addition, autumn is not always rich in rainy days, so trees need. There are many other reasons why trees need watering in the fall.
Remember the most important rule: the more moisture in the soil, the better fruit trees grow. Experienced gardeners advise watering trees during the growing season, then next year the condition of trees and shrubs will be at their best. Due to prolonged watering, they will be enriched with vitamins and nutrients. Moreover, it will be easier for plants to survive the cold, the number of fruits per next year the root system will grow and will not freeze. In other words, autumn watering of trees is a preparation for the winter period, because, as a rule, moist soil freezes less.
As for transplanted and young plants, they need to be given more attention. The reason is the fact that the roots of the trees or shrubs have not yet taken root.
If we neglect autumn watering trees, their individual branches may dry out, especially the risk increases during the cold period. Another downside could be sunburn tree bark.
When is the best time to start watering? How?
Irrigation Features
Watering trees in the fall in other words is called moisture charging. It is carried out in those places of the site where natural moisture comes across the least. First of all, watering requires columnar or dwarf trees because their roots are fairly close to the surface of the soil. Such plants have a risk of freezing to the root system - they must be watered abundantly and in a timely manner.
Usually, water-charging irrigation is carried out in October and until mid-November. In September, at least at the beginning of the month, it is not advisable to water the plants, as they may begin to grow and will not be able to overwinter.
AT middle lane watering is carried out from mid-October. In hot regions - in October and until November.
As for the amount of water, then you need to take into account the size and age of the plants. Currants, honeysuckle, blackberries require three to five buckets of water. For trees four to seven years old, five to ten buckets are usually used.
When watering plants from a hose, you need to set watering times of 10-15 minutes several times a day. A stable amount of moisture for trees is 60-90 liters per square meter.
When calculating how much water needs to be applied for each plant, it is important to take into account the soil moisture in a particular area. You can check this in the following way: take a small clod of earth and squeeze it in your palms. If it does not crumble, then you need to water the soil less, but more often, several times a day. In dry autumn, especially in September, it is better to double the amount of watering.
Remember that the root system of trees absorbs as much moisture as it needs. Even if you water the plants more than necessary, they will not suffer from this. But it is better to water in moderation, especially in September, when trees and shrubs are just moving away from the summer season.
It is necessary to dig the soil around the plants so that the earth is enriched with oxygen and water absorption is carried out faster.
Techniques and methods
There are several methods for watering fruit trees and shrubs in the fall. Consider the two main ones, in which the most optimal enrichment of the root system with moisture is carried out.
The first. Around the crown of the tree, that is, along the perimeter, you need to dig a small hole 10-15 cm deep and pour water into it. If you prefer to water the plants with a hose, this is the best method. Since the hose can be installed in the desired position and the water will fill the pit. After watering and soaking up water, the ditch made must be buried with earth.
The second method is underground watering of plants. It is best applied if the root is close enough to the soil. Wells must be made around each tree, the diameter of which should be 10-15 cm and the depth 50-60 cm. The well itself should be filled with pieces of brick, crushed stone or coarse sand. And through these fillers to water the trees, you can also make any kind of fertilizer. It is thanks to this method that the elements of phosphorus and potassium freely enter the root. At the same time, no crust remains on the surface, and the soil continues to be enriched with oxygen. Usually, experienced gardeners recommend using this method in September - thanks to a filter of sand and gravel, optimal amount moisture to the root system of plants. But for young, newly planted plants, the first watering method is recommended.
In winter, the holes made must be covered with some kind of fertilizer or peat, otherwise there is a risk of freezing.
What not to do
The first is to count on rainy days in the fall. Raindrops can only penetrate forty centimeters into the soil, and this is not enough for fruit trees. Therefore, it is worth additionally watering plants and even shrubs.
You should also not resort to winter watering on a heavy clay soil and in the lowlands. This method will be appropriate in forest and podzolic soil.
Of course, excessive moisture levels will not favorably affect plant growth in the spring. Set the timing and amount of water per day. To achieve the optimum ratio of water to soil, test how wet the soil is.
0Many neglect garden compost, but in vain. Combining top dressing and compost from sawdust and straw, you thereby protect the root system for the winter.
If the weather is dry in autumn, it is necessary to water the trees in the garden. This procedure is sometimes called moisture charging. She need garden trees before winter.
Since dry soil freezes much more than wet soil, additional soil moisture will help save the roots from freezing. After all, if the soil is dry, and severe frosts begin in the winter in the absence of snow cover, this can lead to the death of the tree. Even if there were rains in autumn, it is recommended to shed the soil, since precipitation usually does not penetrate deep enough into the soil.
In the southern area, the roots do not fall into a dormant state in winter, so it is not necessary to re-moisten the soil.
- It is useful to water the garden in winter along with fertilizing. It is necessary to dig grooves into which overripe manure, ash, and mineral fertilizers are laid. All useful material penetrated to great depths along with moisture.
- A few days after such abundant watering, mulching of the tree trunks is recommended. They are spudded with earth, which is mixed with compost, straw and sawdust. Such a layer will be an excellent protection of the roots from freezing and the influence of wind. Plus, it helps retain moisture.
