What gardeners can’t think of! My grandfather taught me: if you drive a nail into an apple tree, a miracle will happen. Even if the tree has not borne fruit for several years, a generous harvest can be expected after this procedure. Why is this strange method effective? Let’s examine!
I always loved wandering around my grandfather’s apple orchard. He, a gardener with 50 years of experience, made even the most withered apple trees bear fruit. One day I saw a rusty nail sticking out of a tree. I asked my grandfather what the purpose of the nail was. The grandfather smiled through his thick mustache and explained in more detail.
Our ancestors also performed this procedure to revive the apple tree. According to legend, one day the owner of the garden threatened to cut down the old tree by the roots if it did not begin to bear fruit. He reinforced his words with a driven nail: “I will cut it down and use it for firewood if you don’t flower!” In the same year, the tree produced a dozen sweet fruits.
Why did it work? Some people believe that the nail nourishes the tree and encourages its growth. I find this explanation unconvincing. A single nail is hardly capable of such feats.
Another explanation seemed more convincing to me. Each plant has a program to produce as many offspring as possible. The damage caused by the gardener is a signal of a threat to the tree’s life, so he devotes all his efforts to growth and development.
Follow these rules and precautions to get the desired effect:
This method only works with apple trees! We are fine with mature healthy trees that have not produced fruit for 3 years or more.
Drive the nail into the trunk in late fall before frost or early spring. This should be done during the period when the tree is preparing for hibernation or flowering.
This procedure can be not only useful, but also harmful. To reduce stress on the tree, fertilize it first.
How to properly drive a nail into an apple tree?
Gardeners agree that 3 rusty nails should be hammered in at the same time to achieve a greater effect. The first one is 70 cm from the ground. The other two are 30 cm apart. Drive the nail in at a 45° angle. It should enter the trunk no more than 2-3 cm.
Be sure to disinfect with an alcohol-based liquid or antiseptic. Failure to do so may cause the wound to become infected, causing the infection to spread throughout the tree.
If you find this method unacceptable, you can try other methods.
How to increase the yield of apples?
Next, we will talk about methods that reduce the loss of nutrients from the branches to the roots.
- Tie the branches with tight wire. This will disrupt the movement of the juices. Tighten in the spring and remove in the fall.
- Pruning Make a small lesion (incision) at the base of the main side branches. Apply a drop of garden putty. Thus, useful substances stop their natural outflow. Next year, the apple tree will produce more fruit.
- Bend the main side branches and place the supports. The supports must be strong enough to support the weight of the formed fruit.
- Carefully remove 1 cm wide bark from the branches. To prevent infection, apply garden putty to the wound.
EDITOR’S TIP
Please note that all of the above methods help to get a bigger and earlier harvest, but they weaken the tree and shorten its life. To avoid damaging the branches and trunk, you can do it much simpler. For example, fertilize your favorite apple tree with iron-containing preparations, if driving a nail into an apple tree seems downright blasphemous to you!
How do you encourage fruit trees to bear fruit? Share in the comments.
