How to feed a young and adult apple tree in spring, summer and autumn during ripening and fruiting
The soil under the fruitful trees is rapidly depleting. The lack of important valuable substances affects the yield, as well as the health of the plant itself. Top dressing of apple trees is carried out throughout the growing season. Fertilizing in the spring helps to move away from hibernation after winter, making them the most resistant to possible diseases and pests. Nutrition in summer compensates for the lack of valuable components consumed during the period of development and ripening of fruits. Fertilizers applied in the fall increase resistance to cold temperatures and help to survive freezing winters.
When is the best time to fertilize an apple tree
The apple trees are fed in accordance with the recommended fertilization calendar. The feeding schedule for apple trees is developed taking into account what trace elements it needs, at what time and for what.
In early spring
In the spring, the earliest feeding is carried out during the period of bud formation and until flowering has begun. The indicated time in middle latitudes falls on the beginning of March, and in northern latitudes - in the middle of April.
For top dressing in spring, it is recommended to choose those fertilizers in which nitrogen predominates, it contributes to the activation of vegetative processes. You need to use only one type of fertilizer for root nutrition: humus - from 2 to 4 buckets for each tree, saltpeter - 45 g, carbamide - 550-650 g.
Important! Fertilizers are located not in the area of the trunk, but half a meter from it, along the perimeter of the foliage.
With excessive application mineral fertilizers the risk of burning the root system of the apple tree increases, which will lead to death. There is no need to add nitrogen to the soil several times. Closer to the time of flowering, the apple tree needs potassium, which stimulates the formation of ovaries.
In the summer
Fertilizing the apple tree with the onset of summer is considered the second, carried out in early June. At the beginning of summer, fertilizers are used that promote the activation of vegetation processes: phosphorus and potash (for a volume of 10 liters of superphosphate liquid 110 g and potassium sulfate 75 g), chicken manure in dissolved form, slurry from manure, urea (for a volume of 10 liters of liquid 110 d).
It is worth considering that feeding with granular or powder fertilizers is carried out mainly during the rain, in a dry period it is recommended to use fertilizers in a liquid state.
In early July, when the fruits take on the size of an egg, the apple tree is fertilized with a third of nitrogen and a third of potash and a third of phosphorus salt.
Many gardeners argue that at a time when the fruits ripen on late varieties of apple trees, and the early ones are already harvested, there is no need for feeding. This is not entirely reliable. During this period, new buds are formed, on which the future harvest depends. This strengthens the branches, which will allow them to better endure the winter. Therefore, organic and mineral nutrition during August is also important for apple trees.
Autumn feeding
Top dressing in autumn is carried out in two stages: in early September and in October. Autumn is the time when apple trees get ready for the coming cold weather. They desperately need organic and mineral nutrition. It is recommended to use potassium and phosphorus nutrition. Top dressing with nitrogen is prohibited, since it will reduce the frost resistance of the apple tree. For organic nutrition, humus, compost, peat are used, the recommended volume for each tree is about 4 buckets. It is allowed to use a complex fertilizer.
Nutrition is introduced before winter during the digging process at a distance of half a meter from the trunk, along the perimeter of the foliage. Digging holes with a recommended depth of 40 cm is allowed.
The main methods of fertilizing
The amount of fertilizer used for top dressing must comply with the standards developed by agricultural technology. A large number of them, as well as a shortage, will negatively affect the state of fruit crops: the resistance to diseases decreases, the yield decreases.
It is important to understand what kind of fertilizer is applied and how. Recommended feeding methods:
- root;
- foliar.
In the first, the necessary valuable components enter the near-stem area and along the perimeter of the foliage. Well nutrition is used. But sometimes it becomes ineffective. For example, a sufficiently dry soil reduces the absorption of nutrient components of fertilizers.
It is worth considering! Chemical elements introduced chaotically, without meeting deadlines, volumes, will begin to interact and have a negative impact.
The meaning of foliar top dressing is not applying under the root system, but on the green part of the apple tree, on the area of the leaf plate. Foliage is able to actively absorb and assimilate the most important valuable components. The result becomes evident after 3-4 days. The effect lasts for about three weeks. Most often, feeding is carried out in cases where the apple tree is in dire need of any nutritional components.
The frequency of such food is once every 20-25 days. It is recommended to carry out such feeding at least 2 times a season: the first - when the foliage is forming, the second - during the flowering period when the fruits are set.
Foliar feeding rules:
- The selected type of fertilizer must be water-soluble.
- For nitrogen supply, a 0.3% carbamide solution is suitable for a young apple tree, 0.5% for an adult.
- For phosphorus nutrition - superphosphate. It does not dissolve well, it is recommended to fill it with boiling liquid. You need to bring up to 3% concentration.
- For potassium supply - 1% potassium sulfate solution.
- If necessary, it is allowed to use complex means, as a rule, they include several extremely important trace elements.
Organic food for apple trees
It is recommended to feed young and fruiting apple trees with organic fertilizers.
Fresh manure
This type of fertilizer has a large number of essential and valuable components. It helps to improve the structure of the soil, its physical qualities. It contains a lot of potassium, it is perfectly preserved in the ground, rains do not wash it out. July feeding is quite enough to provide the apple tree with the necessary useful components before harvesting fruits.
It has a significant drawback - the complete absence of phosphorus.This trace element must be provided with other types of fertilizer, for example, bone or fish meal.
Humus
This type of fertilizer includes last year's manure, which is overfilled, it has a large number of nutrient components. Remains of animal and plant origin, when recooked, form humus. Overripe organic matter is not capable of harming the roots. The introduction rates for fertilizing are the same as for manure.
Boric acid
Fertilization with boric acid is made for the purpose of treatment or for the prevention of deformation and drying of leaves, reddening of the veins.
Bird droppings
Eating chicken manure is a fairly effective fertilizer, the roots are able to quickly assimilate it. It is used as a liquid food: 120 g of dry component per 16-17 liters of liquid. Withstand at least 8-10 days. Dry dressing is carried out when digging in the spring.
It has a large specific gravity of nitrogen when compared with organics of cattle. Given this fact, its use in the fall is extremely limited. In the spring, it is also important to observe the application rates, excessive nutrition will provoke a burn of the root system, especially young apple trees may suffer.
Wood ash
An excellent contrast to phosphorus or potassium supplements. It is effectively used to prepare the tree for the winter season. It contains easily digestible substances: copper, boron, potassium, phosphorus, molybdenum, calcium, manganese. Moreover, there is no chlorine. This is a significant advantage over store counterparts.
It is recommended to deposit when digging at the rate of 1 kg / m2... It is important to take into account the rates of introduction, since it has an alkaline environment, in excessive quantities it is detrimental to microorganisms and earthworms.
Bone flour
You can fertilize a tree with bone meal. It includes, in addition to phosphorus, calcium with potassium. Calcium affects the palatability of apples, as it takes part in the synthesis of sugar. It is considered a long-acting fertilizer.
The dissolution period is about 8 months, although it begins to act immediately after application and releases valuable components with constant frequency. Top dressing is carried out every three years.
Mineral dressing
This kind of feeding is extremely important for plants, but it is important to observe not only the timing of introduction, but also the application rate. It is also worth remembering the incompatibility of some fertilizers of this type, they cannot be mixed.
Calcium
Increases the apple tree's resistance to stress, takes part in the transport of auxins to the roots, this contributes to the activation of the development of the root system. Calcium in apple juice contributes to the absorption of nitrogen, mainly urea. Strengthens cell walls, allowing apples to form a mechanical barrier against pathogens. Strengthens the stalks, which prevents unripe fruits from falling off, promotes their ripening.
It is recommended to apply in spring and autumn together with organic matter to a depth of 40 cm along the perimeter of the apple tree. After the leaves appear, foliar feed according to the instructions so that the apple tree does not get burned.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen provides a lush crown. The apple tree receives this element when urea is added. It (another name for carbamide) is able to dissolve perfectly in liquid and is very quickly absorbed.
You do not need to feed it during the rainy period, the granules decompose quickly, nitrogen evaporation will occur, the tree will starve. The introduction rate is up to 230 g, the amount depends on the size of the apple tree and its age. It is worth considering that carbamide acidifies the soil, a large volume burns the tree. It is allowed to replace urea with nitrate or ammonium sulfate.
Phosphorus
A very necessary element in the life of an apple tree. Its deficiency affects the flowering and ripening of apples, the shade of the foliage instead of green becomes crimson. It helps to withstand frost and drought.For nutrition are used: superphosphate, diammophos, ammophos, bone meal.
Saltpeter
This fertilizer is recognized as one of the most effective nitrogen fertilization. Used as root method.
It is presented in the form of granules or in powder form. Promotes growth, increased harvest volumes, improves resistance to harmful factors.
Magnesium
Magnesium is needed to prevent the appearance of gray spots on the foliage and falling off from the lower layers of the crown. For this, treatment with magnesium sulfate is performed.
Potassium
Potassium helps to increase productivity, improves the taste of apples, strengthens the immune system. Potassium chloride or potassium nitrate is used. They actively dissolve in liquid, but penetration into the soil is relatively slow. On soils with a sandy composition, the application rate is increased.
Potassium sulfate is recognized as a universal fertilizer with a huge amount of valuable elements: calcium, magnesium, sulfur and potassium. It promotes the development and growth of apple trees, improves the taste of the fruit.
Top dressing is used at any time of the season, but it is mainly recommended to feed in the fall. It is important to evenly distribute the pellets over the ground area at a distance of 25 cm from the border of the trunk. They help to increase resistance to adverse winter conditions, improve soil fertility and yield quality.
Sodium humate
This fertilizer is used to accelerate the fruiting processes, increase the immunity of trees. Also helps to get rid of excess nitrite accumulated in fruits. Gardeners believe that it helps the fruit ripen faster.
To carry out foliar feeding in the spring, you need to dilute 3 g in 10 liters of liquid. It is necessary to spray all the foliage. Fertilizer includes: nitrogen, potassium, humic acids, phosphorus and other microelements. Spring nutrition helps to gain strength, strengthens the protective properties of the apple tree and increases productivity.
inkstone
Apple trees are highly susceptible to chlorosis, it is characterized by a lack of iron, as a result of this, underdevelopment of the leaf plate, early fall of foliage occurs. A decrease in productivity is also noted due to the underdevelopment of the fruits themselves.
For treatment and prophylactic purposes, iron sulfate in solution is effectively used. It can be made at home: add 10-12 g of citric acid to 12 liters of liquid, mix thoroughly until completely dissolved and pour 10 g of vitriol. The resulting solution is sprayed on the apple tree in early spring or autumn, when the foliage is shed.
The difference in the care of adults and young apple trees
It is important to apply all fertilizers in accordance with the developed norms. There are differences in the variety and rates of feeding. It is worth knowing that the same fertilizer has different input dosages in accordance with the age category of the apple trees.
The seedling, first of all, is in short supply phosphate fertilizers, it is important for the growth and strengthening of roots. Within a year after planting, the apple tree does not require additional nutrition, provided that the necessary components were introduced during planting.
For the 2-3rd year, food is already needed. Attention is paid to feeding in the spring, it contributes to the growth of the apple tree branches and roots. The introduction of nitrogen alone is not enough, there will also be little slurry of manure. A complex composition is required: 900 g of bird droppings, 950 g of superphosphate, 750 g of potassium sulfate per 18 liters of liquid. After 2-3 weeks, it is recommended to make foliar feeding.
Trees over 10 years old, to ensure high yields, experience a shortage of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, which is introduced only in spring, and potassium and phosphorus during the growth and ripening of apples.
In the process of digging up and applying top dressing, young apple trees are dug in, the recommended depth is up to 20 cm, for adults - up to 40 cm.
Feeding the roots of a young apple tree is carried out along the perimeter so as not to burn the trunk.
Apple trees after the age of 10 years require separate care, since the development process stops, they spend their energy on the processes of root and crown regeneration. A lot of energy is given to fruiting.
The trunk circle of a young and an adult apple tree is different. For trees aged after 10 years, it is 5-6 m2.
Planting pit fertilizer
In order not to feed immediately after planting, it is important to correctly introduce the necessary components into the pit. It should be appropriately dug up and filled.
Digging a large hole (1 m deep) is mistaken. If the fertilizer is located too deep, the young roots are not able to reach them. Phosphorus also becomes indigestible at depth. Deeply assimilated potash fertilizersbut small roots are unable to reach them.
When planting, you need to dig a hole 50 by 50 cm in size. At the bottom there is 150-200 g of ash, which can be replaced with 10 g of potash fertilizers. After pouring black soil mixed with 25 g of superphosphate. About 15 cm of the pits are left empty; the main food is placed in this layer.
The soil is mixed with humus in equal proportions. Add complex fertilizer, according to the instructions, but during the spring planting period. In autumn, it does not have time to assimilate, and the presence of nitrogen will damage the tree.
When planting in the fall, complex nutrition is transferred to the spring. When loosening, you need to introduce azophoska. You can use manure.
Popular bugs
When feeding, some gardeners make similar mistakes:
- Fertilizer input rates should not be increased, an excess is just as harmful to apple trees as a deficiency.
- During foliar feeding, an overdose of nitrogenous components will burn the crown.
- Foliar dressing is carried out in the morning or in the evening, mainly when it is cloudy.
- Excess potassium interferes with the absorption of magnesium and phosphorus.
Correct feeding, consisting of a competent choice of the necessary fertilizers, compliance with the norms and terms of introduction will provide the gardener with a quality harvest, and the trees with health.
