Fruit trees always demand more and pull out all they can from the soil. Therefore, in order for the garden to remain beautiful, healthy and productive, it must be fed. And all the time from the moment the frosts finally end. We tell you how to feed an apple tree in spring!
How to understand if top dressing is needed and what is missing?
In the spring, the first thing an apple tree needs is nitrogen in its various forms. It starts vegetative processes and promotes the growth of deciduous mass. It is applied in various forms, even when the young tree no longer requires any other feeding.
The lack of nutrients first of all manifests itself on old leaves, because the tree is trying to throw off "ballast". The sure signs of imbalance are small, lethargic and deformed leaves and buds, crooked shoots, discoloration of the petioles, chlorosis. With a large potassium deficiency, marginal necrosis of the leaf plates begins, which gradually spreads further.
The main thing is not to harm or burn the root system. You cannot mix fresh manure and compost into the soil, pour concentrated nitrogen mixtures under the root and abuse copper. Do not use last year's reserves of fallen leaves or weeds for fertilization - only fresh grass.
The best time to feed an apple tree
The feeding schedule for apple trees depends on the age of the tree, the condition of the soil and the climatic characteristics of the region. Very young trees do not need anything other than phosphorus to strengthen the root system. All the rest is still enough for them in the ground.
After two to three years, you can gradually add nitrogen. By the end of April, in addition to it, use potassium-phosphorus mixtures - about 2/3 of the norm for adult trees. Before the start of the growing season, one more spot feeding is needed - micronutrient fertilizers.
For young trees, fertilizers need to be sealed away from the root system, but from three years old - already closer to the roots. Insert them into grooves about 40 cm deep over the entire area of the near-wellbore circle or dig them into wells. They can be deeper and two or three pieces per square.
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Fertilizers for feeding apple trees
The main and perhaps the only limitation is not to pour nutrient solutions directly on the rhizome. Watering and granules are combined with spraying, the results of which can be clearly seen in just a couple of days. Fertilizers can be both mineral and organic.
Organic
The main organic fertilizer for spring feeding of apple trees is manure, which contains many nutrients. It improves the condition and structure of the soil and promotes the growth of green mass. A solution of poultry manure is also used, which is very easily absorbed by the root system.
In addition to a solution of fresh manure, humus from last year's rotted is suitable. It is embedded in the soil during loosening. Likewise, you can apply peat-based compost - one of the most versatile fertilizers.
Mineral
In the spring, the first thing an apple tree needs is ammonium nitrate. Spread about 40 g of granular fertilizer around the perimeter of the crown. A distance of about half a meter from the trunk, and not along the stem, helps to protect the sensitive root system. In addition to her, 600 g of carbamide will be needed for feeding.
For spring feeding of apple trees, superphosphates and potassium salt are used. The most delicate method to add potassium is in the form of chlorine-free sulfate. It is the excess of chlorine that most often provokes chlorosis in fruit trees.
Separate microelements are applied pointwise in the form of micronutrient fertilizers - these are molybdenum, boron, manganese. For the prevention of chlorosis, spraying with iron sulfate is needed: 1 tbsp. vitriol, 2 tsp. citric acid in a bucket of water.And to improve the structure of the soil, bacterial fertilizers are useful.
Only 3 g of sodium humate per bucket of water during spraying increases the immunity of the apple tree and eliminates the remains of nitrates. In spring, the tree will gain strength faster and recover from frost. Potassium sulfate in granules is also rich in calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
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Folk remedies
Apple trees need a lot of nutrients, especially if it is an old tree that is more than seven years old. Therefore, many homemade recipes are not very good because they are not saturated enough. But there are still a few win-win remedies!
Top dressing of apple trees with ash
Wood ash contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and also molybdenum, copper and manganese. All the nutrients in it are in an optimal assimilable form, so ash is taken in dry form or solutions are prepared from it. But you should not abuse it anyway, because it is alkaline, and this is dangerous for beneficial organisms in the soil.
Top dressing of apple trees with weeds
Freshly cut grass and weeds are called siderates by gardeners and are widely used to fertilize apple trees. To prepare a concentrated infusion, pour a third of a bucket of green manures with water and let it brew for about a week. And the green mass can be immediately covered up with soil during digging.
Feeding apple trees with bone meal
Another fertilizer rich in nitrogen and calcium is bone meal, which is also added in dry and liquid form. To prepare a solution, dilute 200 g of powder in water. This is a good way to reduce the acidity of the soil, which is bad for the health of the root system.
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How to feed an apple tree in spring for a good harvest?
To increase the yield of the apple tree, fertilizers need to be applied on schedule. Do not forget about mulching, which has a good effect on the structure of the soil and better retains beneficial components with moisture. Trace elements are recommended for spraying: these are magnesium, zinc, borax, vitriol, copper and manganese.
Before kidney formation
The most effective feeding during bud swelling is foliar feeding. Only 50 g of urea per bucket of water will help to strengthen the growing processes, and at the same time become a prevention against scab. The urea solution helps fight pests that have overwintered in the bark of the tree.
With the first leaves
The first top dressing can be applied at the end of March or as soon as you notice the first tiny leaves on the tree. One tree needs 500 g of urea, 30-40 g of ammonium nitrate and nitroammofoska, or about 5 buckets of humus. For varieties with a shallow root system, do not embed fertilizer into the soil, but cover the area with granules and spill it with water.
During budding
At this time, complex mixtures for fruit trees are best suited. They determine the quantity and quality of the future harvest. But you can prepare a complex fertilizer yourself 10 kg of manure, 1 kg of superphosphate, 800 g of potassium sulfate, 500 g of urea per 200 liters. After a week, about four buckets of such a solution will be needed per tree.
