Average life span of an apple tree
On the territory of Russia, fruit crops began to be cultivated in the 11th century, but the life span of an apple tree has always been different. Only in recent centuries have people been able to classify trees by this indicator.
Average life span of an apple tree
Life-Determining Factors
The average lifespan of fruit crops is approximately 50 years, but this figure can vary for a number of reasons.
Growing region
The first factor that affects the lifespan of a tree will be the growing region. In the more southern regions of the Russian Federation, apple trees can exist for almost 100 years. Such centenarians are not uncommon, but such cultures cannot be found in the middle part of the country. There they live no more than 60 years with proper care.
In the north, where the climate is harsh even for the most frost-hardy trees, it is difficult to find an apple tree that is more than 35-40 years old, even if it is carefully looked after. Some varieties cannot be planted in these regions of Russia, because they just won't survive the cold winter.
Life form
A factor such as life form affects the apple tree, changing the duration of its life up or down from the average mark. There are 2 main life forms by which the lifetime of a culture is calculated:
- early;
- those that yield late.
Scientists have long noticed a pattern: the earlier a tree bears fruit, the less years it lives.
Such a life form as a columnar one already bears fruit for 2-3 years, therefore such apple trees rarely live more than 15 years.
But trees grown in a garden from seeds live several times longer, because their fruiting begins at 10-15 years old. Therefore, you should carefully choose which shape of the apple tree is suitable for each occasion.
Care
Proper care is considered one of the most important factors that affects the fruiting period and life of an apple tree. The more carefully these procedures are carried out and the more often the tree is treated from parasites and pests, the more years it will delight the eye.
Features of life cycles
Apple trees grow and bear fruit for many years
Each tree, incl. and in the common apple tree, there are several periods in life:
- the first 5-15 years, depending on the variety;
- period from 15 to 40 years;
- the third cycle is characterized by the gradual dying of the tree. Individual for each species.
First
This life cycle of a garden apple captures the first years, when the root system of the seedling is strengthened in the ground and it begins to bear fruit. This is an important time in the development of each tree. During these years, all the branches that will give apples are laid. The root system is anchored so that the tree can withstand bad weather in the future.
At this time, it is worthwhile to engage in the formation of the crown of a young tree, because the first period is characterized by the rapid growth of skeletal branches. This can increase not only the yield, but also the average lifespan of the apple tree.
Second
At this time, the growth process slows down. On average, this cycle lasts about 20-25 years. During this period, you need to carefully monitor the apple tree: it may have problems with the branches. If you do not cut off improperly growing shoots in time, you can get a tree with a dense crown, the branches of which will be tightly intertwined.
Such an apple tree will not be able to yield the harvest as before. If you stop monitoring it, you can achieve a complete cessation of fruiting. Due to the high humidity, moss and lichen begin to grow on the branches. But, if you start pruning the shoots again, there will be a chance that the tree will delight with fruits for several more years.
The third
In the third period of development of the apple tree, all life processes slow down and stop. At this time, the branches begin to dry out, the fruits are no longer formed, flowering does not occur in the spring.
If apples are sold, then such a tree will reduce profits: it takes up a lot of space, but does not pay for it at all. Therefore, apple trees that have lived for more than 50 years must be uprooted.
Mechanical uprooting of trees
Those trees in the garden that no longer bear fruit must be removed: they do not bring benefits. Therefore, when their life expectancy reaches the average for the region, it is worth thinking about changing.
There are several ways to get rid of an old tree in your garden. When fruiting is over, you need to do the following:
- dig a 1-2 m trench 1 m from the trunk - it depends on the length and thickness of the roots;
- after that, the roots must be chopped off with an ax;
- at this stage, you can ask for help: the tree needs to be swayed until it falls;
- after the apple tree is on the ground, you need to remove the cut pieces of roots from the soil.
The crown is removed after the tree has been felled, especially if it is heavy. This is done to simplify the removal process. The crown is often heavy, so it will act as an auxiliary force that will pull the apple tree down.
This method assumes the presence of several people. If this is not possible, there is a way to remove the tree without using force.
Chemical method for removing stumps
To do this, the trunk is cut down with tools. The stump that remains must be drilled with a drill. The depth of the holes should be at least 15 cm, and their number should be at least 4. The more times you perforate the stump, the faster you can get rid of it.
After the stump is drilled, it is necessary to pour fertilizer into the resulting holes. To make the decay processes in it faster, it is recommended to use nitrogen compounds. They must be added to the holes every 2 weeks of summer.
The period during which the root system of a tree decays takes about 2 years. In the first year, sprouts may develop around the stump, but do not worry: they will die in the second year. After this time, they dig in the roots: this will accelerate the process of decay.
Getting rid of stumps with salt
There is a quick but dangerous method to remove old tree stumps. To do this, they are regularly watered with a strong solution of ordinary table salt.
Some simply dig holes and put salt in crystals there. This method is faster, but it has a negative effect on the soil. After such an impact on it, it will not be possible to grow anything in this place.