How and what to feed fruit trees and shrubs in spring: schemes and rules for fertilization

You can expect fruit and berry yields, hoping for favorable weather conditions and Mother Nature, and you can try to improve them with the help of dressings. In addition, regular measures to fertilize plants make it possible to improve the soil and maintain its fertility at the required level, as well as its physical properties, and strengthen the immunity of trees.

And here the main thing is to carry out this process correctly, since the erroneous application of fertilizers can be harmful, not good. How to produce fertilizing fruit trees and shrubs in early spring, we will tell in this article.

How to feed

Like any plants, fruit trees and berry bushes for normal growth and development require the supply of such required nutrients as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Nitrogen helps plants grow and bear fruit; phosphorus activates their development and makes a strong root system; Potassium contributes to the fact that trees are better able to survive the adverse environmental conditions, increases their resistance to diseases and affects the quality and keeping quality of fruits.

For fertilizing seed crops (apples, pears), large doses of fertilizers are needed, rather than stone trees (plums, cherries).

Organic and mineral substances are used as fertilizers. Organic substances are suitable:

• manure;
• compost;
• humus;
• bird droppings;
• peat;
• leaf mulch, straw, sawdust, etc.

From mineral additives use:

• superphosphate;
• potassium sulfate;
• sulfur potassium (chloride);
• nitroammofosku;
• urea;
• ammonium nitrate.

Basic tips and tricks

Before proceeding to the description of the process and timing of feeding specific plants, we give general recommendations for making fertilizers for fruit and berry bushes and trees:

1. Start feeding should be at the stage of planting. As a rule, organic matter is introduced into the landing pits: peat, humus, compost. As well as phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Potassium mixed with earth is put on the bottom. Phosphorus is introduced into the upper layer of the pit.
2. There is no need to plant nitrogen when planting.
3. To feed fruit trees start from the second year of their life. For yearling plants, this procedure is not needed.
4. Phosphate-potassium supplements should be introduced in the fall, nitrogenous - in early spring.
5. If in the fall fertilizing was not made, then in the spring it should be fed with complex fertilizers.
6. If the soil on which fruit trees grow is poor, then organic matter should be added to the tree trunk every year. In other cases - after two or three years.
7. Organic fertilizers must be diluted in water. Mineral fertilizers are used both in dry and diluted form, depending on the manufacturer's recommendations.
8. Organic fertilizers can be mixed with mineral. In this case, their doses should be reduced.
9. Stone trees require feeding up to the age of four or five.
10. For garden trees, foliar application is possible.
11. In the first five years, fertilizing is sufficient only in the near-stem circle; in the future, the territory will need to be expanded.
12. Any fertilizer is applied only on well-moistened soil. After their introduction is carried out abundant watering.
13. Before feeding, a prerequisite is weeding the tree trunk and getting rid of weeds.
14. As a rule, feeding in the spring is carried out two to three weeks before the start of flowering.
15. Fertilization for fruit and berry crops directly under the trunk is wrong.
16. If a mixture of substances is used, then each of them is diluted in a small amount of water, and then mixed. Water is added to the required volume.

Below we present the rules for fertilizer application for the most popular garden trees and shrubs.

Features fertilizer fruit trees

Apple trees

In the spring, after waking up and getting out of the state of rest, trees especially need help and feeding with necessary elements.

The first top dressing of apple trees in the spring is carried out at a time when it is snowing. During this period, they require replenishment of nitrogen, which can be applied using mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizers and organic: manure, bird droppings and compost.

They make a digging in the near-stem circle, at a distance of 50-60 cm from the trunk, around the perimeter of the crown, having previously watered it abundantly. In the soil is groove 45-50 cm deep. Directly under the barrel fertilizers are not applied.

The first dressing is best done before flowering with the help of organic matter.Three to five buckets of humus, chicken manure or mullein are kept in the near-trunk circle. Also for the first fertilizer suitable 500-600 g of urea, ammonium nitrate, nitroammofoska: 30-40 g.

The second dressing is carried out already in the course of apple blossom. During this period, use diluted in 10-liter water tanks:

• superphosphate (100 g), potassium sulfate (65-70 g);
• chicken manure (1.5-2 l);
• slurry (0.5 buckets);
• urea (300 g).

Fluid consumption for each tree will be approximately four buckets.

You can apply the following mixture, diluted in a 200-liter container with water and infused during the week:

• potassium sulphate (800 g);
• superphosphate (1 kg);
• bird droppings (5 l) or slurry (10 l), urea (500 g).

Consumption - 40 liters per tree.

In the spring for the apple will need a third dressing - it is done after flowering, when the fruits begin to tie. At this time, a mixture of nitroammofoski (0.5 kg), dry potassium humate (10 g) diluted in 100 liters of water is suitable. The solution must be used on the basis of consumption: three buckets for each tree.

It is also possible to feed with green fertilizers, which are made from green grass, filled with water and infused under polyethylene for 20 days.

In addition to root dressings, it is good to feed the apple and foliar way. It is used after the formation of leaves and when it will be 20 days after the flowering phase. It is used in the form of spraying leaves, stem and branches. Most often, apple trees are fed with urea (2 tablespoons / 10 liters of water), which not only feeds the tree, but also fights against certain diseases.

Also from foliar fertilizing it is possible to advise spraying the crown with ash dissolved in water (1 cup / 2 l of hot water). This spring dressing is suitable for both apple and pear trees during fruit ripening. Spraying can be done several times, taking intervals in 10-15 days.

Pears

The first fertilizer under the pear is made from the moment of its awakening and the descent of snow.They are introduced by the radical method for digging in solid and liquid forms, depending on the presence of precipitation. Like other plants, at this time the pear requires nitrogen replenishment. It is better if this replenishment is made with the help of organic matter: mullein, slurry, bird droppings. Mullean and slush are simply diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 5. Litter must be fermented for several days.

The technique of fertilizing for a pear is the same as for an apple tree - in the tree trunk, departing 50-60 cm from the trunk.

Of mineral fertilizers recommended use such nitrogen-containing:

• ammonium nitrate (30 g / 1 sq. m, diluted with water 1:50);
• carbamide (80-120 g / 5 l of water / 1 tree).

Foliar nitrogen fertilization is carried out by spraying with urea.

In subsequent feedings, if organic matter is not available, complex fertilizers can be used: nitroammofosku, nitroammfos, etc. The nitroammophosk is diluted in a ratio of 1: 200 and poured three buckets under one barrel.

Cherries

Fertilizing cherries is advised when she will be three years old, provided that fertilizers have been applied to the planting pit. For feeding in the spring, as a rule, only urea solution is used (100-300 g per tree depending on age).However, if a tree grows poorly and gives poor yields, it should be fed with fertilizer mixtures. So, recommended following supplements:

• mullein (0.5 buckets), ash (0.5 kg), water (3 l);
• fermented bird droppings (1 kg);
• potassium sulfate (25-30 g / 1 tree).

Since the age of five, cherries can also be fed in the spring, in the flowering phase, with manure, the Berg complex fertilizer. After flowering - nitrophoska (80 g / 1 tree), ammofoskoy (30 g / 10 l), "Berry giant".

Plums

Plum loves an alkaline environment, so when applying fertilizer when planting, ash must be present. The first dressings of plums are recommended to be carried out at the age of two. This should be urea (20 g / 1 sq. M).

In three years, the drain will require three supplements, one of which should be at the beginning of May. During this period, use 2 tablespoons of urea, diluted in a bucket of water.

From the fourth year on, the plum will become an adult fruiting tree,which will need three root dressings and one foliar: before flowering, after flowering, during the ripening of the crop. Before flowering enter:

• urea mixture (2 tablespoons), potassium sulfate (2 tablespoons), diluted in 10 liters of water;
• Berry fertilizer (300 g / 10 l).

After flowering contribute:

• carbamide (2 tbsp. l.), nitrophoska (3 tbsp. l.);
• Berry Giant fertilizer.

In the fruit ripening phase, the plum is fed with organic matter. Fermented chicken manure, diluted with water 1 to 20, is well suited for this.

Manure and ashes recommended to make no more than once every two to three years.

For plums good mulching of peat and compost. Also effective are green fertilizers (green manure), consisting of the following herbs: winter rye, mustard, phacelia, etc.

Apricots

Apricot is fed from the second year of life. Up to four or five years, fertilizers sprinkle or pour in around, but not near the trunk. In the future, as the root system grows, the area for adding supplements increases by half a meter every year.

The most popular for apricot during and after flowering are considered following feeds:

• humus (manure) (4 kg), nitrogen (6 g), phosphorus (5 g), potassium (8 g) per 1 sq. km. m;
• compost (5-6 kg / 1 sq. m);
• bird droppings (300 g / 1 sq. m);
• urea (2 tbsp. l. / 10 l).

How quickly the plants will be able to assimilate the fertilizer applied depends on soil moisture and air temperature.

Fruit shrubs

Feed fruit bushes (raspberries, currants, blackberries, etc.) in the spring is best the following substances:

• ammonium nitrate (25-30 g / 1 sq. m);
• ammonium sulfate (40-50 g / 1 sq. m.).

Drugs close up with simultaneous loosening and watering.

Under the root make:

• diluted in 10 liters of water, urea (3 tbsp. l.) and ash (half a cup);
• manure (1 bucket) and saltpeter.

When yellowing leaves contribute ammonia nitrate (12-15 g / 10 l of water).

In May, foliar dressing will be helpful.Spraying with potassium sulphate and superphosphate, manganese sulphate and boric acid is used for them.

Good yields are observed in plants sprayed with potassium permanganate (5-10 g) dissolved in water (10 l), boric acid (2-3 g), copper sulphate (30-40 g).

The introduction of the required nutrients is an important and necessary step in the care of any plants. However, it must be remembered that both the lack of substances and their overabundance can be disastrous for trees, shrubs and crops, and lead to the development of diseases and the invasion of parasites.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that nutrition is balanced and is carried out only if it is really required for plants and soil, and in the quantities that are recommended for this particular culture.