Fertilizing apple trees with mineral and organic fertilizers
Content
What does an apple tree need
As soon as leaves appear and bloom on the plant, it's time to fertilize it. Gardeners prefer both organic and mineral compositions. To begin with, nourish the soil with nitrogen-containing mixtures, as they promote active foliage growth. A complex fertilizer consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is also suitable. Remember that potassium and phosphorus stimulate flowering, so in most cases they are added to the substrate of the apple tree later.
Among the types of fertilizers with which apple trees are fed, the following are distinguished:
- urea;
- nitroammophoska;
- ammonium nitrate;
- manure.
Do not overdo it with fertilizers: if you add too much nitrogen to the soil, the tree will develop shoots and grow foliage, but you will have to forget about fruits. It is better to feed the apple tree in moderation.
With a deficiency of mineral or organic components in the soil, the apple tree looks sparse, and few fruits are formed. The sooner you notice the first signs of a lack of fertilizer in the soil, the more effective the plant nutrition will be.
If the apple tree needs nitrogen, small and faded castings grow on the tree, if the boron, the veins on the leaf plate turn yellow, and the foliage quickly falls off. With a lack of iron, the foliage of the apple tree becomes discolored, and the edges die off. If there is a lack of potassium, the leaves turn pale, and their shade turns bluish-green. In the absence of phosphorus in the soil, the foliage of the apple tree acquires a dark green color with a bronze tint, purple or reddish blotches.
Video "How to feed an apple tree"
In this video, you will learn how to properly fertilize an apple tree in your garden.
Time for procedure
Find out in advance what fertilizers it is recommended to feed the apple trees, and which compositions to give preference to during different seasons.
Experienced gardeners know that in July-August it is important to saturate the substrate of the fruit plant with potassium and phosphorus substances. Otherwise, fewer flower buds will appear on the tree next spring, which means less fruit will form.
Keep in mind that if during planting you added both mineral and organic fertilizers to the soil, during the first two years, do not apply any additional fertilizing to the substrate.
In the spring, the apple tree is fed in three stages:
- before flowering - in March;
- during flowering - mid to late April;
- after flowering - at the end of May.
In summer, the emphasis is on nitrogen, potash and phosphorus substances, and feeding is carried out from June to August. Before the onset of cold weather, it is important to add phosphorus-potassium mixtures to the soil of the apple tree.
What can be fertilized
Foliar feeding of an apple tree or watering a plant with nutritious compounds - it's up to you. Find out how mineral and organic fertilizers differ, when they prefer one mixture, and when they feed the tree with other vitamins. This will allow you to draw up a competent plan for feeding the fruit plant for the whole year.
Organic
Gardeners who prefer organic fertilizers feed the tree with liquid manure or compost.Rotted manure is also scattered in the trunk circle (there are 3-5 buckets of organic composition per adult plant).
Remember that manure contains a lot of potassium, which stays in the soil for a long time and is not washed out by rains. Apply this feed once in the summer and the plant will not need potash feed until harvest. It is important to saturate the soil of the apple tree with phosphorus, but it is not in the manure. That is why, if you prefer such an organic fertilizer, add vitamins containing phosphorus to the substrate.
Bone meal or fish meal are beneficial. Bone meal contains potassium, calcium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Calcium is good for the apple tree because it has a beneficial effect on the palatability of the fruit.
Ash is another effective organic fertilizer. It contains a lot of potassium. Ash is also notable for the fact that it contributes to the entry of oxygen into the soil, which is important for the full development of the rhizome.
Minerals
Young seedlings and adult plants are fed with mineral compounds. Among the popular vitamins is carbamide (urea). It contains nitrogen, which is quickly absorbed by the fruit specimen.
One tree accounts for up to 600 g of urea. In spring, when the apple tree is preparing for fruiting, give preference to complex mineral compositions:
- nitroammophoska;
- diammophoska;
- nitrophoska.
Immediately before feeding the garden apple tree, carefully read the instructions.
It is important to adhere to the dosage for a quality plant nutrition. Gardeners add minerals to the tree trunk zone to nourish the root system or spray them on the tree. Dissolve the nitrogen-containing composition in water and spray on the leaves - they will acquire a rich shade, stop turning yellow and fall off prematurely.
Application rules
The first rule for a gardener who wants to nourish an apple tree: dilute the fertilizer, adhering to the schemes and dosages indicated in the instructions. In addition, there are a number of recommendations:
- Feed the tree no earlier than 10-15 days after the last procedure.
- It is important to stop feeding the plant in time. Add the last vitamin composition to the substrate one month before harvesting.
- For full-fledged fertilization of the apple tree, make 3-4 feeding per year.
- The first time the tree is fed before flowering.
- Water the apple tree with the solution, distributing it around the trunk circle. In this case, it is important to retreat from the trunk by 60 cm, otherwise the rhizome will suffer from a high concentration of the compounds.
Caring for an apple tree in the garden should be phased and well-organized. Take care of it, and you will reap a generous harvest, and the tree will survive the winter without any problems.