Everything you need to know about tree fertilization

Nitrogen fertilizers for trees

The main nutrient for fruit trees is nitrogen. With its deficiency, trees grow poorly, especially those with a lot of fruits that need to be fed. Nitrate should be used, mainly calcium or dolomite. The last nitrogen fertilizer for trees should be at the end of June so that the shoots are ripe before winter. The first nitrogen fertilization is carried out during the spring cultivation of the soil under the trees. Next, you can use any convenient fertilizer that is sold in garden stores. You can't overdo it with nitrogen. For example, with an excess of nitrogen fertilizer for trees in spring, stone fruits suffer from beetles, and on an apple tree, fruits have a less intense taste and are more difficult to store after harvest.

Fertilizing trees with Phosphorus

Phosphorus as a fertilizer for trees in the spring promotes fertility, accelerates fruit ripening and shortens the growing season, thereby maintaining the resistance of trees to frost. One-sided over-fertilization with phosphorus can lead to blockage of calcium, iron, boron, zinc and acidic soils, in which magnesium deficiency prevails in some regions of our country.

Fertilizing trees with potassium

Potassium improves the quality of the fruit, helps the shoots to develop and thereby adds frost resistance to them. Care must be taken to use this fertilizer because too much of it can degrade the quality of the fruit as it blocks calcium and magnesium intake.

Calcium

Calcium reduces the acidity of the soil and improves its physical properties. It is essential for most stone fruits and walnuts. Kernels like neutral soil, and strawberries are more acidic. Too high doses of calcium can cause inadequate intake of magnesium, iron and boron.

Fertilizing trees in spring with magnesium

Magnesium is part of the green foliage of trees and affects important tree development processes such as health, ripening, shelf life, and the like. It is very scarce in acidic, sandy and often irrigated soils from which it is washed out.

Iron

Iron is a very important part of any greenery. Its deficiency is manifested mainly in soils with an excess of lime. If you plant a peach tree, for example, in soil that contains rubble even at a depth of several meters, then yellowing of the leaves will occur, which is called chlorosis or jaundice. It may not appear immediately, but after a few years. The tree can suffer from chlorosis even for many years. To remove it, it is necessary to water or spray the leaves with iron-containing preparations containing ferrous sulfate.

Boron

Boron is necessary from trace elements for good fertilization of flowers. It also helps to increase resistance to frost and fungal diseases. Its source is powdered borax, the solution of which is 0.25%. In the spring, they are sprayed with leaves along with other treatments, for example, from pests. It has proven itself as a fall-back fertilizer for fall foliage spraying for the next year. The nutrients applied in the fall are stored in the buds and tree organs for the winter, and the tree itself can control them in the spring.

Compost

An important fertilizer that should be applied in the fall (if necessary) around tree trunks is mature manure or compost.
In this case, we supply the tree not only with nutrients, but also with the necessary humus, which helps aerate the soil and retains moisture.