A stable apple harvest is the dream of every gardener. A well-groomed tree bears fruit regularly, the fruits are large and fragrant. If the apple tree is poorly looked after, then gradually the yield decreases. What to do in this case? Feed the tree and carry out sanitary pruning.
Do I need to feed a young apple tree in spring
You need to take care of the seedlings immediately after planting, in addition to pruning, the trees in the garden are regularly fertilized. The first year, young apple trees do not fertilize if fertilizers were applied for planting.
The type of fertilizer depends on the composition of the soil. A garden on black soil does not require fertilizer in the first few years. It is enough to regularly loosen the ground under the seedlings, weeding.
In a young garden, it is recommended to grow siderata in the aisles, with their subsequent incorporation into the soil. This will not only provide additional nutrition to the tree, but also enrich the soil with useful substances. Mustard or other crops are used as siderates.
Clay soil before planting is dug with the addition of organic matter. The tree trunk circle is regularly mulched with plant debris, humus or compost. This procedure significantly improves the structure of the soil.
When to start feeding apple trees in spring
It is best to feed the trees in the third year of cultivation. At this point, the crown grows sufficiently, obscures the trunk circle, and siderats can not cope with the task.
The first spring feeding of apple trees is carried out with the beginning of the growing season. In each region, the timing will vary, tentatively - the beginning of April - May.
Fruiting trees are fertilized several times a season. The second top dressing is introduced during the flowering period of the apple tree, and the third is during the period of fruit formation. This well raises productivity, replenishes the supply of nutrients in the soil. Fertilizers are applied under the root by digging a groove in a circle.
Important! Trees that do not yet bear fruit are fed a second time in summer and autumn.
It will not be superfluous to spend several foliar top dressing of the apple tree. In the spring, somewhere in the middle of May, a tree is sprayed on a leaf. This top dressing provides not only additional nutrition, but also protects the garden from pests.
How to feed an apple tree in spring
At the very beginning of the growing season, trees need nitrogen fertilizers. They are applied under the root in liquid form or in granules. Apply a solution of mineral fertilizers, which watered the tree. Granular fertilizers are applied to the grooves at a distance of 60 cm from the trunk, slightly embedded in the soil. Such fertilizers gradually dissolve and nourish the apple tree.
Experienced gardeners recommend feeding the apple tree in spring with organic fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen.
• Humus 5-6 buckets are made dry or pre-insisted, top dressing is carried out with a working solution.
• Bird droppings insist and water the trunk circle with it.
If there is no humus and droppings, then feed the trees with a solution of urea. Bred 500 g of fertilizer in 50 liters of water.
Nitrogen fertilizing apple trees
Recipe number 1:
• Ammonium nitrate - 40;
• Water - 10 l.
The solution is used for one fruiting apple tree, for young trees the amount of nitrate is reduced by 2 times.
Recipe number 2:
• Water - 5 l;
• Ammonium sulfate - 15 g;
• Ammonium nitrate - 10 gr.
If saltpeter is not used, the amount of ammonium sulfate is increased to 25 grams per 5 liters of water.
Fertilizing apple trees during the flowering period
During the flowering period, trees need mineral fertilizers. A solution for feeding is prepared in 200 liters of water, use:
• Superphosphate - 1 kg;
• Potassium sulfate - 800 g;
• Urea - 500 gr.
Instead of urea, you can add 5 liters of bird droppings or 10 liters of slurry. Set the mixture for at least 7 days, after which water the garden, spending up to 40 liters per tree.
What to fertilize during the period of fruit formation
When the first fruits appear, the apple tree needs fertilizing with sodium. The solution is prepared in 200 liters of water:
• Nitrofoska - 1 kg;
• Sodium humate - 1 tbsp. l
On one tree spend up to 4 buckets of fertilizing. Use immediately after dilution.
Green fertilizer in the fruit loading phase:
• Green slurry - 1 part;
• Water - 10 parts.
They put grass in a barrel, weeds without seeds will do, and fill them with water. Insist until the end of the fermentation period, about two weeks. Dilute the solution with water and watered.
Foliar top dressing of an apple tree in the spring
Foliar top dressing is carried out before flowering and immediately after it. Urea or wood ash is used. These components give strength to the tree, positively affect fruiting.
The urea solution is prepared as follows:
• Water - 10 l;
• Urea - 2 tbsp. l
Wet the solution with leaves, branches and trunk. Repeat dressing 15-20 days after flowering.
Ash solution:
• Water - 10 l;
• Wood ash - 1 stack.
Heat the water, pour ash and mix well. The solution is insisted for a day, strain and spray the tree. Top dressing every two weeks until the fruit ripens. A month before harvesting, top dressing should be stopped.
Basic rules for feeding
Fertilizing the apple orchard is not difficult, just follow the basic rules for fertilizing:
• fertilizers are applied only to moist soil, dry mineral fertilizers are closed up before rain or after watering;
• dry feeding is not used if the spring is dry;
• fertilizing solutions are not used if in spring there is too much rainfall and moisture in the soil;
• Nitrogen supplements are used only in the early spring, otherwise the risk of growth of green mass increases;
• bird droppings can be used in dry form, pre-chopped;
• organics are used on heavy soils to improve its structure;
• sandy and clay soils are fertilized with mullein so that the soil is loosened and trapped in moisture;
• Nitrogen fertilizers are not used on chernozem soils;
• for foliar top dressing, the solution is prepared less saturated so as not to burn the leaves;
• spraying is carried out early in the morning or in the evening, so that the leaves have time to dry before sunset;
• in rainy weather, foliar top dressing is not used;
• Column-shaped trees are fed with dry fertilizers, the soil is not loosened so as not to damage the root system.
With age, the needs of the tree change; solutions make them more saturated. Mineral fertilizers are used in case of deficiency. Old apple trees respond well to foliar top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers. If a tree sheds its ovaries, its leaves twist and fall, then there is not enough potassium in the soil. Do phosphorus-potassium top dressing.
In order to achieve regular fruiting and active growth of apple trees, be sure to adhere to all recommendations for fertilizer application, inspect trees in time, and properly care for them. Only a few well-groomed apple trees can provide the family with delicious fruits until the next harvest.
