Do it in the spring: feed your apple trees with these "vitamins" and you won't have to wait for a big harvest
When laying a young garden, mineral fertilizers and humus should be added to the holes. This supply will be enough for several years. But as soon as young apple trees begin to bear fruit, you need to add vitamins to the "menu" of fertilizers. SSPDaily tells about it.
In March, at the beginning of the season, trees actively absorb nitrogen, which they need for the growth of new shoots and leaves. It is recommended to apply it as soon as the buds begin to open. Complex nutrition should be introduced during the flowering period. Trace elements are especially important:
- Boron - for fruit setting;
- calcium - good ovary formation;
- potassium - to improve the taste of the fruit, as it stimulates the accumulation of sugar.
Potassium fertilization additionally increases the resistance of trees to various diseases and ensures the ripening of shoots. It is recommended to apply them during the period of fruit filling.
What fertilizers to apply in the spring for apple trees
There are several ways to fertilize fruit trees. Gardeners usually use dry or liquid fertilizers. Most often, mineral fertilizers are scattered under the apple tree trunk, in particular nitrogen fertilizers (urea, ammonium nitrate, complex nitroammophoska). Wood ash, which is a source of potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, is also a popular fertilizer. Dolomite flour is used to deoxidize the soil.
Mineral fertilizers are also incorporated into the soil with a hoe. Approximately 1 tbsp of fertilizer per 1 square meter of land is used for one trunk circle. When applying nitrogen fertilizers, do not forget to take into account that ammonium nitrate will have a faster effect than, for example, nitrate nitrogen, which is absorbed only at a soil warming temperature of up to +10 °C. Urea, on the other hand, will start to work only after the soil warms up to +15 °C.
Another popular method of fertilizing is mulching. Fruit trees collect a lot of nutrients from the soil. Therefore, their volume needs to be replenished every year. You can use not only mineral fertilizers, but also humus, which contains all the necessary micro and macro elements.
Organic matter feeds earthworms, which makes the soil more fertile and improves its structure. You can also use compost: straw, sawdust, hay, and fallen leaves. It will gradually decompose and turn into fertile soil.
How to treat apple trees in spring from pests and diseases: liquid fertilizers
Liquid fertilizers give faster results, because the tree instantly absorbs such nutrition. Any water-soluble fertilizer can be used for root feeding. It is poured under the root several times, allowing the liquid to be absorbed. Calcium nitrate will be especially useful for the apple tree, which is needed for fruit formation. In the case of calcium deficiency, the ovaries fall off.
It is convenient to apply complex fertilizers in liquid form. They usually contain a complete diet for fruit trees. You can also add ash dissolved in water. Take 2 cups of this component for one bucket of water. And if you add another 1 liter of 9% table vinegar to the solution, the fertilizer will become even more effective.