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How to feed fruit trees in March. Proper feeding of trees and shrubs in spring. Top dressing of trees and shrubs: when to carry out

Lighting
17.05.2022

For high fruitfulness of your garden, it is necessary to fertilize fruit trees and shrubs in the spring. Plantations are fed with fertilizers. The main components in the development of trees are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. When using these types of fertilizers, plantings are saturated with oxygen and useful substances necessary for the activation of vegetation processes. Especially top dressing of fruit trees and shrubs is necessary in the spring, when they wake up and need protection and help.

Fertilizers for fruit trees and shrubs in spring: their types

Many summer residents and gardeners are wondering: How to fertilize trees in spring? To do this, you need to know what kind of fertilizers they need. The need of fruit trees and shrubs for certain elements necessary for nutrition and development varies, depending on the vegetation processes. In the spring, plantings need. Phosphorus and nitrogen are necessary for the formation of fruits.

The feeding process itself is carried out with organic or mineral substances. We present them below:

  1. Organic fertilizers are humus (compost, litter, manure, peat), when used, the soil is enriched with vitamins.
  2. - are divided into simple, when they include one component, and complex, which, in turn, contain several. Their basis is phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.

Organic - natural fertilizers for plantings. Their main function is to improve the composition of the soil. They do no harm. Feeding trees is a fairly popular method. They contain trace elements necessary for growth - copper, manganese, cobalt and others. Compost, as one of the types of fertilizers, is quite a universal remedy. It can be: 1. humus and - as independent components; 2. and a mixture of tops, leaves, and fermented organic residues with the ground.

It is important to observe the dosage, proportions and safety precautions. It is necessary to carefully read the instructions for use, so as not to harm either yourself or the plant.

Potassium fertilizers , must be used diluted (diluted with iron, zinc). The most commonly used remedy is potassium sulphate. The correct dosage will enrich the tree or shrub with the necessary elements, which will provide them with good fruits. When mixing potash and phosphate fertilizers, the best effect is achieved.

Phosphoric , help with adaptation of plantings to environmental factors, which makes them strong and resistant to frost. They must be introduced into the ground deeper in the spring, so that the roots absorb the product as much as possible. This is necessary for the root system, as a result - good quality and quantity of fruits.

Properly selected and used fertilizer for fruit trees and shrubs in the spring will not only enrich them with the components and substances necessary for nutrition, but also improve soil properties, which will ensure a good harvest.

Fertilizing fruit trees and shrubs in spring

Spring feeding of fruit trees and shrubs begins with the introduction of nitrogen-containing elements into the soil. In order to saturate the plant with vitamins and trace elements, you can use either ammonium nitrate. The process of feeding through the root will occur in stages and gradually. Microelements and vitamins introduced into the soil, with precipitation, will sink to the roots and absorb them.

Each plantation has its own system, the so-called feeding, with the necessary substances. Thanks to this, you can find out how to feed fruit trees and shrubs in the spring.

Spring care for the apple tree begins in April. When the first leaves are visible, you can start the feeding process using nitrogen-containing mixtures - humus, urea or ammonium nitrate. They are brought into the near-trunk circles of the tree. These substances activate the vegetative processes. Fertilizers are applied to the soil when it is dug up or loosened. In this case, the root of the tree is fed.

The pear also needs vitamins and microelements in the spring. It is fertilized with ammonium nitrate, urea, and also chicken manure.

It is necessary to introduce chicken manure in a small amount, otherwise there is a risk of burning the trunk and roots of the tree.

When mixing saltpeter with water, it is important to observe the proportions of 1: 0.5. Every year in the spring, the amount of fertilizer used should be increased, as the tree itself grows and grows.

Before the cherry begins to bloom, you need to feed it. Since there are still few leaves on the tree at the beginning of spring, it is during this period that liquid fertilizers should be applied. This will enrich the tree, even before flowering, with all the substances necessary for nutrition.

It is advisable to apply liquid fertilizers periodically if there is a small amount of precipitation. Chicken manure, nitrogen and organics mixed together are also suitable.

Experienced gardeners and summer residents know that shrubs such as gooseberries, currants, raspberries, blackberries are also important and need top dressing in the spring. They should be fertilized like this:

  • potassium nitrate;
  • a mixture of ash with urea;
  • ecofoskoy;
  • a mixture of several types of fertilizers.

Fertilization in the spring under fruit trees and shrubs is an important factor in the formation of fruits and their normal development. Digging up and loosening the soil, annually, leads to weathering of the earth. Therefore, not only plantations, but also the soil need to be fed. Mineral and organic fertilizers feed and enrich the soil and trees with essential substances. This is necessary not only for the growth and fruitfulness of plants, but also to improve the composition of the soil.

Top dressing of fruit trees and shrubs begins in the spring, before the flowering process. During this period, plantings are weakened and need initial care. The root system needs feeding. This is achieved by applying fertilizers to the soil. The very process of feeding fruit trees and shrubs is the first step to a good harvest.

Rules for fertilizing fruit trees - video

Spring feeding of fruit trees and shrubs is the most important agrotechnical event, which determines the further growth of crops, their decorative properties and fruiting. Fertilizers applied in the spring saturate the soil with nutrients necessary for plants, which contribute to abundant flowering, ovary formation, and increased yields. Fruit crops grow for many years in the same soil, from which they continuously consume nutrients. Fertilizers introduced in the fall are not able to fully cover the need of plants for useful elements. Therefore, by spring, when the intensive growth of trees resumes, the soil is in dire need of mineral and organic top dressing. The lack of nutrients during the growing season can seriously weaken the plants, which will certainly affect fruiting and fruit quality.

With the onset of heat, growth and vegetation are activated in plants, and these processes are best carried out with the participation of nitrogen. Therefore, for fertilizing the garden in early spring, nitrogen-containing products are among the first to be used. The second most important are potassium and phosphorus. They are introduced later, at the stage of intensive growth and flowering.

Important for the development of fruit trees in the spring are substances such as hydrogen, carbon, magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur. If trees consume hydrogen and carbon from the soil, then they need to deliver chemical elements through the introduction of complex mineral mixtures. Ready-made industrial mixtures are more effective, as they also contain many microelements: copper, manganese, cobalt, boron in a form accessible to plants. From organic materials, manure of various origins (bird, cow, pig), peat, compost can be used as fertilizer in the spring. Green manure crops introduced in autumn give a good effect. By spring, they completely rot and form an effective natural fertilizer. Green manure is recommended to be grown on sandy and sandy soils, where the lack of humus is especially felt.

The first fertilizing with nitrogen is necessary for all fruit and berry crops without exception. For each species, you can choose the most optimal fertilizer option, but for this you need to know which plants to feed with what:

  • it is good to fertilize apple and pear trees with urea, humus, ammonium nitrate, droppings, after flowering it is necessary to add superphosphate, a potash agent (potassium sulfate);
  • for cherries, plums, the first dressing in spring may consist of urea, or ammonium nitrate, during flowering - from bird droppings, at the end of flowering - from manure, compost, dry organic mixtures;
  • berry bushes in the spring are fertilized with potassium nitrate, nitrophoska, you can also add ash with urea (3 tablespoons of urea, 0.5 cups of ash / 10 l of water) under the root, or rotted manure with the addition of saltpeter (1 bucket of manure / a handful of saltpeter).

Video "Expert opinion on feeding"

Video review of the most popular top dressings for fruit trees, as well as useful fertilizer tips.

What to do in March

The first feeding of fruit crops is carried out in early spring, when the snow cover has just begun to melt. During this period, nitrogen-containing agents are used - industrial mineral mixtures that stimulate the vegetative process. Soluble mineral fertilizers are recommended to be scattered on top of the snow in the near-stem circles, which had to be well loosened in the fall. Such a surface fertilization of the soil is good because the melt water, penetrating into the ground, will dissolve and pull nitrogen with it. Nitrogen products are evenly distributed around the trunks within a radius of about 50 cm - ideally, the radius of top dressing is outlined by the width of the crown. It is in this zone that there is the largest number of root endings that actively absorb useful elements. An adult tree needs 2-4 handfuls of a nitrogen mixture (100-120 g), a young one is enough, about 40 g.

When carrying out top dressing, attention should be paid to the location of the landing. If the site is located on a slope, it is better to wait a little while applying top dressing, since the product can be washed away by melt water, which usually does not linger on slopes. It is also undesirable to apply the mixture to frozen ground with a lot of snow - in this case, the fertilizer will lie on the soil surface for a long time, due to which nitrogen can partially evaporate.

When applying nitrogen-containing preparations in the spring, the dosage should be observed - the principle "the more the better" does not apply here. Excess nitrogen in the soil can provoke fungal diseases, as well as weaken the immunity of plants. Experienced gardeners do not recommend feeding trees with complex mixtures labeled "spring". In such products, as a rule, the concentration of nitrogen is very high, in addition, potassium and phosphorus are present in their composition, which should be added a little later.

For seedlings and young fruit trees, organic top dressing with urea, liquid manure and droppings is more suitable. These fertilizers are diluted with water and applied directly to the soil under a tree or bush. When preparing an organic solution, it is recommended to adhere to the following ratio: 300 g urea / 10 liters of water, 1.5 liters of liquid manure / 10 liters of water, 4 liters of liquid manure / 10 liters of water. The approximate consumption of the solution per tree is 4-5 liters.

What to feed in April

April is the period of flowering and active formation of the deciduous part, so it's time to feed the garden trees with potassium and phosphorus. Both elements are necessary for the strengthening and normal growth of trees. Phosphorus strengthens the roots, promotes their growth and fixation in the soil. Potassium promotes the formation of side shoots, so it is especially important for young trees and seedlings.

It is desirable to use these components separately, therefore complex complex mixtures containing both components will not work in this case. Phosphorus fertilizer (superphosphate) is best applied in the first half of April, deepening it into the soil of the root zone in close proximity to the roots. For each adult tree, 60 g of the product is required, for a young tree half a serving is enough.

It is not advisable to introduce potassium in its pure form - it is better if it is included in simple mixtures: potassium sulfate, potassium magnesia, potassium salt, furnace ash. Potash fertilizer is applied at a dosage of 20-25 g/1 tree.

At the end of flowering, garden trees can be pampered with organic matter. In April, be sure to pay attention to feeding pears and apple trees. Many people prefer to use the so-called green fertilizer for this purpose, which must be prepared in advance, since it takes 3 weeks to ripen. The cut grass should be placed in a barrel, filled with water, covered with polyethylene, in which small holes should be made, and insisted. The finished product is diluted with water 1:10 and applied to the root zone.

Fertilizers in May

In the last month of spring, the formation of the ovary occurs and the growth of fruits begins, so fruit crops must be additionally fed with organic materials: rotted manure, compost, biohumus. In the absence of organic fertilizer, you can purchase a complex mixture with a slight predominance of nitrogen, which is most suitable for this type of soil. In May, fertilizer can be applied in different ways:

  • to close up in depressions in the soil;
  • dig with the ground;
  • mix with loosened earth in the near-trunk zone;
  • mix with mulch, as well as straw, rotten leaves.

To fertilize apple and pear trees, you can use mineral and organic products at the same time. In mid-May, during the period of active flowering, it is necessary to feed the berry bushes - apply liquid manure or urea under the root with a small addition of saltpeter, ash. May top dressing with mineral mixtures can also be carried out foliarly. In this case, the crown treatment solution should be slightly weaker than indicated in the instructions. It should be understood that the green part absorbs nutrients well and the trees are saturated faster, but still, root dressing is preferable, since microelements with this method of application remain in the soil longer.

What you need to know

When growing fruit and berry crops, you need to know what subtleties and features should be taken into account in the process of feeding:

  • the root system of any plant absorbs the subcortex better in liquid form;
  • young trees in the first year of life do not fertilize - seedlings should be fertilized only after full rooting, which is achieved, as a rule, in the second year after planting;
  • it is advisable to apply any remedy in the evening, in cloudy weather;
  • it is better to apply dry fertilizers to moist soil, when applying dry compost, manure, the soil must be well watered - the exception is nitrogen mixtures scattered over the snow in spring;
  • liquid solutions are applied only to wet soil - top dressing in dry soil can lead to root burns;
  • in the first years of a tree's life, the effect of applying fertilizer is less noticeable than during the period of growing up and active fruiting;
  • the root system of an adult fruit tree significantly exceeds the boundaries of the crown projection (on average by 0.5 meters);
  • in fertile soils, organic fertilizer can be applied not annually, but once every 2-3 years, poor soils need annual and repeated feeding;
  • lime fertilizer can be applied to the soil no more than once every 5-6 years.

Every gardener knows that getting a high yield is impossible without special top dressing in the spring. Fertilizer, correctly and timely applied during the growing season, plays an important role in the further development of the plant - it increases its chances for a healthy existence and successful fruiting.

Video "Care for fruit trees and shrubs"

Informative video about the care, fertilization of trees to improve fertility and pest control.

Last summer, my fruit trees did not grow well, often fell ill and gave little harvest. A neighbor, having learned about this, advised me to feed all the trees and shrubs in the spring. I did everything on her advice and this summer my apple, cherry and raspberry trees have changed for the better.

So many fruits grew on them that I distributed some of them to my relatives and friends. In this article I will tell you why you need spring top dressing of shrubs and fruit trees, I will list the stages of top dressing and the composition of fertilizers.

It depends on the spring top dressing how healthy and prolific the tree will be in summer. The older the tree, the more mandatory the procedure for introducing nutrients becomes, since the soil under it is usually very depleted.

It is noticed that if the shrub is regularly fed, then it is very different from other plants by these factors:

  • Practically does not suffer from viral or fungal diseases.
  • Insect pests try to bypass it.
  • Grows quickly up and down.
  • The quality and quantity of the crop grows.
  • More fruitful.
  • Easily withstands sudden changes in air temperature.
  • Increased weather resistance.

organic fertilizers

Both organic and mineral elements can be used as dressings. The former are much cheaper, but it is difficult to dose them correctly, while the latter can be purchased at any gardening store without any problems, and they are very convenient and easy to use.

Many gardeners most often use bird droppings, wood ash, compost, manure as organic matter, since with their help it is not only easy to increase the nutritional value of the soil, but also to make it loose.

  • Compost - It is in almost every summer cottage in the form of a pile of rotted weeds, tops and other vegetation. In order for it to be used, it must lie for at least a year, otherwise it may contain weed seeds that will nullify all the benefits of compost.
  • Manure - Can be either cow or horse. Most importantly, it must be old, as fresh contains a high amount of ammonia and pathogenic bacteria. Usually dry manure is buried with the ground, but some gardeners make a liquid composition for irrigation from it. To do this, a kilogram of manure is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of liquid.
  • Bird droppings - It happens pigeon or chicken. The latter is more common, as it contains a large amount of nitrogen, due to which plants grow quickly. But it is undesirable to overdo it with this remedy, as the roots can get burned. To feed the trees, they make up such a solution: in a ten-liter bucket of liquid, 60 grams of litter is diluted, left to infuse for about a week.
  • Wood ash - It fully replaces any potash fertilizers. But in order to get ash, only wood is burned in a fire, they make sure that no construction or household waste gets into it. Ash protects plants from insects and various diseases.
  • Bone meal - It is used to reduce the acidity of the earth, as it contains a large amount of calcium and nitrogen. This flour can be purchased at any gardening store.

Mineral fertilizers

If there is any doubt about which minerals are needed, then you can purchase a ready-made complex fertilizer, since they consist of the main substances - nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. But if the gardener knows what he wants to achieve, then you can purchase individual substances:

  • Nitrogen - Strong roots and shoot growth.
  • Phosphorus and Potassium - Increased number of fruits and strong flowering.

With a careful examination of the leaves, you can understand what the tree is missing:

  • Nitrogen - Leaves grow small and pale.
  • Boron - The veins on the leaf plates turn pale, the foliage itself curls, falls off early.
  • Iron - Foliage quickly turns yellow and its edges turn brown. New shoots grow very slowly.
  • Potassium - Greens become pale, the edges of the foliage fall down.
  • Calcium - The leaves curl up, its color becomes almost white.
  • Magnesium - Greens change their color to red, yellow, but their edges remain green.
  • Copper - Foliage becomes limp and brown spots.
  • Phosphorus - The color of the green becomes green with a bronze sheen, sometimes with purple.
  • Zinc - Leaves shrivel, grow small, narrow.

Feeding stages

Some gardeners think that it is enough to feed the shrub once and forget about it. Actually not. From March to the end of spring they feed two or three times:

  • In order for young shoots to grow better, nitrogen becomes the first fertilizer. But it is not brought to the cold ground. It is necessary to wait until the soil warms up, otherwise the substance will simply evaporate before it reaches the roots.
  • A week before the first buds appear, potassium and phosphorus are given.
  • Immediately after the last petal has flown off, they give a complex fertilizer based on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

It will not be superfluous to write down the date of the procedure, the name of the substance, its quantity in a notebook.

Fertilizer Application Methods

Fertilizing methods depend on the form of the substance itself:

  • Watering - For any dry or liquid elements that can dissolve in water. Usually watering is done around the trunk.
  • Burrowing - Used only for dry elements, which are more convenient to mix with the ground than to dissolve in water for irrigation. Usually buried to a depth of no more than 15 centimeters.
  • Spraying - Performed with a spray gun so that the substance gets on the leaves and shoots. But in this case, the amount of substance in the water should be less than during normal irrigation.

Fruit trees

Fruit trees grow best with organic fertilizers such as compost, horse or cow dung. But each type of tree has its own needs:

  • Apple and Pear - In early spring they are given nitrogen in the form of bird droppings, carbamide, humus, since they are the ones that they perceive best. Then they are given superphosphate along with any potash fertilizer.
  • Cherry and Plum - At first they are fed in the same way as an apple tree, and during flowering they are recommended to give bird droppings. After the last petal flies off, the earth is mixed around the trunk with any dry organic mixtures or liquid manure is poured.

In order for fruit trees to bring more yield, you need to make sure that there are no weeds under the trunk, and the crown is always well-groomed. It is not recommended to allow strong growth of the branches, since all the nutrition will go into them, and not into the fruits.

berry bushes

They wake up much earlier than the trees, so they are fed for the first time immediately after the snow has melted. Due to their weak roots, nutrients are applied by spraying to the leaves, which absorb them well.

It is necessary to loosen the earth around the trunk, but this must be done carefully, since many shrubs have a superficial root system.

Usually berry bushes are given nitrophoska, potassium, rotted manure. But they can be replaced with ash with urea. To do this, dissolve half a glass of wood ash and three tablespoons of urea in a ten-liter bucket of water.

seedlings

Many gardeners plant young seedlings in the spring. In order for it to successfully take root, a pit for planting is prepared in the fall. To do this, choose a suitable place, dig a hole a little more than the height of the roots.

For example, for shrubs, a sufficient depth of 30 centimeters, and for trees - 60 centimeters. After that, the pit must be filled with nutrients, and not left empty until spring:

  • The bottom layer is 2 buckets of manure.
  • The middle layer is 2 buckets of peat or humus.
  • The top layer is 2 cups of wood ash.
  • The closing layer is the Earth that was dug out of the hole.

In the spring, during planting, the same hole is dug up again, a seedling is planted in it according to all the rules, not forgetting about drainage, and they are buried with this mixture that they have dug.

If there is a desire to feed with a mineral solution, then it is watered at a respectful distance around the trunk so that young and sensitive roots do not get burned. Usually, seedlings do not need to be fed during planting, since all the necessary minerals are already harvested in the fall.

foliar nutrition

This procedure consists in spraying the crown of a tree and a bush, since young leaves absorb all the nutrients well. Spray with a nutrient solution only in May and it should be weak.

This procedure is very convenient for gardeners who come to the dacha once a week, or even less often. If shrubs and trees are treated in this way, then there will be no need to worry about watering them all summer.

Conclusion

Spring fertilization is a mandatory procedure for the orchard. Thanks to this procedure, fruit trees and bushes bring a large harvest, almost do not get sick and are not attacked by pests. And it should be remembered that during the spring it is necessary to introduce three nutrients in any form:

  • Nitrogen.
  • Phosphorus.
  • Potassium.

And the remaining elements are introduced as needed or in a complex form. If you correctly calculate the dose of nutrition, do not forget to water in time, cut off old branches, then caring for the garden will be a real pleasure for the gardener.

Fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers is extremely important for seedlings in the first years of their life. Usually not very fertile soil is allocated for gardens, so fertilization is the only way to improve the quality of the soil. In soil rich in nutrients, planted crops are more likely to take root, grow and develop better. At the initial stage of growth, plants absorb a lot of organic substances, micro- and macroelements. Fertilizers during this period should be applied intensively and be varied so that the plants do not lack any element. Only complex feeding of young trees will help to grow healthy crops, which will further affect their fruiting and crop quality.

If the soil was filled correctly, then in the first year after planting, the plants do not need any top dressing. Proper filling of the soil involves the application of organic or complex fertilizers, which contain all the necessary nutrients in sufficient quantities. Most of all, planted plants need nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus - these substances must be added additionally, since initially they are few in the soil. No less important for planted trees are carbon, oxygen and hydrogen - these components are absorbed by plants from the soil, but on poor soils they may be deficient. Relatively little plants require calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper and other elements at the initial stage of growth.

The need for fertilizer also depends on the type of fruit crops. For example, seedlings of apple, quince and pear trees consume more nutrients, preferably of organic origin. Stone fruits (plum, cherry, apricot) are less picky - they can be fed with both organic and mineral mixtures. And at the same time, the lack of any element will not significantly affect their development.

Unfortunately, it often happens that plants after planting cannot take root for a long time, start to hurt, and may even die. You can determine which element is missing for the harmonious development of young trees by the following external signs:

  • a lack of nitrogen is indicated by a pale color of greenery, weak stems and small leaves;
  • a lack of potassium can be determined by the spotty, yellow or brown color of the foliage, the leaf plates become wrinkled, dry out along the edge;
  • with a lack of magnesium, the formation of chlorophyll is disrupted, the leaves become light, and then turn yellow and die (fall off);
  • a lack of phosphorus is evidenced by small, dark, almost black, drying leaves, the problem most often begins to develop from the lower part of the plant;
  • iron deficiency is manifested in the drying of the edges of leaves and shoots; seedlings of apple, pear, plum, raspberry and grape trees are very sensitive to iron deficiency;
  • the lack of copper is indicated by the whitened tips of the leaves, the greens lose their elasticity and then die off.

An informative video with helpful tips on fertilizing young plants.

nitrogen fertilizers

The need for seedlings in nitrogen occurs 2-3 years after planting, provided that this element is sufficiently introduced when planting the plant. Nitrogen is mostly introduced in the spring, when the vegetation process is especially active, and in a small amount in late autumn. Spring top dressing is carried out at the rate of 20 g / m. sq. near-stem circle, for fertile soils it is enough to apply 10 g / m. sq. You can fertilize the soil with nitrogen using the following means:


  • ammonium nitrate is a granular fertilizer containing up to 35% pure ammonium nitrate and up to 14% sulfur, thanks to which the mixture is well absorbed by plants. You can feed the plants with saltpeter both in dry and liquid form: when embedding granules in the soil around the trunks, the norm is 15-20 g / 1 sq. m, to prepare an aqueous solution, you need 20-30 g / 10 l of water;
  • urea (carbamide) - a mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen in an easily digestible form - plants in the second year after planting can be fertilized with a dry mixture by embedding them in the near-stem circle, also planted trees can be fed with a liquid solution at the rate of 0.5 kg of urea / 10 l of water (solution crown and trunk are sprayed).

It is not recommended to fertilize weak and not strengthened seedlings after planting at the end of the growing season and in autumn with nitrogen preparations - this will prolong their growth period and reduce frost resistance.

Phosphorus-potassium mixtures

Potash and phosphate fertilizers are recommended to be applied in the fourth year after planting trees. Potassium, phosphorus and complex mixtures containing these elements are introduced mainly in autumn, as they contain substances that are difficult for plants to digest. Only fruit-bearing crops should be fertilized with phosphorus and potassium in the spring. If by the fourth year the tree begins to bear fruit, then it must be fed during the formation of the fruit ovary. Potassium fertilization can be carried out by applying the following fertilizer:

  • potassium salt - contains 40% potassium, is a universal fertilizer for all crops, applied to the soil in autumn;
  • potassium sulphate - contains 50% of the main substance, is used as the main fertilizer for fruit crops, due to the absence of chlorine, the drug can be applied in the spring.

Phosphorus top dressing can be carried out using the following mixtures:

  • superphosphate - granular fertilizer contains up to 20% phosphoric acid, as the main nutrition, the mixture should be fertilized at the rate of 30-40 g / m. sq.,
  • phosphate rock - depending on the type, it contains from 15 to 35% phosphorus, any fruit crops can be fertilized with the product by embedding in loose soil, it has a neutralizing property on acidic soils.

You can also fertilize fruit crops with complex preparations: nitrophoska (contains potassium 12%, phosphorus and nitrogen), diammophoska (potassium and phosphorus 26%, nitrogen - 10%), special mixtures "Autumn", "AVA", which, in addition to potassium and phosphorus, contain some trace elements.

Products based on organic substances

The universal and most valuable fertilizer for seedlings of fruit crops is the manure of animals and birds. It is introduced into the soil in the third year after planting at the rate of 5-6 kg/m. sq. circumferential circle. Bird droppings, especially chicken droppings, are most useful. It is applied as a fertilizer to the soil in the spring. To feed fruit crops, litter should be diluted with water in the proportion of 1 kg / 10 l of water, then insist for several days. Dry manure is recommended to be applied in autumn at the rate of 0.3 kg/m. sq.

Fresh manure from cows, horses, pigs is not recommended. For fertilizing seedlings, only humus (rotted manure) should be used. Fertilizing with manure is carried out in the fall no more than 1 time / 2-3 years; on poor soils, plants can be fed more often.

Peat as a fertilizer is not as effective as manure, but when applied for digging, it improves the structure of the soil and increases air permeability. Furnace ash contains phosphorus, potassium and lime. It lowers the acidity of the soil, so podzolic and soddy soils are recommended to be fertilized with ash. Ash is added at the rate of 100-120 g/sq. m. It can be mixed with any other organic top dressing, or prepare an aqueous solution for root application.

Fertilizer with compost

Compost is considered a very valuable organic fertilizer. It enriches the soil with humus, improves aeration, helping to increase soil fertility. In addition, compost contains a large amount of trace elements and nutrients necessary for the growth of young trees. Using high-quality compost for feeding the garden, you can completely do without the use of mineral preparations and mixtures.

Most gardeners prefer to fertilize fruit tree seedlings exclusively with homemade compost. Everyone knows that when planting seedlings, the soil should be well fed so that the plants do not experience a lack of nutrients at the start of their development. Therefore, experienced gardeners are preparing for planting young animals in advance. Since autumn, they have been digging holes into which various organic wastes intended for compost are poured: dry leaves, peat, sawdust, dry tops and other materials. Then sprinkle the pits with a small amount of earth, cover, and leave until spring. Over the winter, the waste will turn into compost, which will serve as a good organic top dressing for the planted trees during the first year of life.

In the future, it is recommended to apply compost for crops in the third year after planting, but with a lack of humus in the soil, it may be necessary to apply it in the second year. It is necessary to make compost for seedlings in the fall (from mid-September to early October) - it is still warm at this time, so part of the nutrients will be absorbed by the crops in the fall, which will help them adapt and survive the winter. Fertilizer should be shallowly dug into the top layer of soil near the stem circles. Alternatively, you can simply spread it around the trunk and sprinkle it a little with earth.

Video "How to properly care for seedlings"

An informative video on how to care for young grapes. These tips can be used for most other fruit plants as well.

Work in the garden lasts throughout the warm season. To get a rich harvest of fruits and berries, it is worth taking care of plant health in advance and fertilizing. However, not every substance will be equally useful. They are introduced in different phases of crop development and participate in certain vegetation processes.

Purpose of feeding

Garden care necessarily includes regular fertilization. Trees and shrubs have a permanent place on the site and feed on substances that are present in the soil. As they grow, as well as for the formation of fruits, they consume significant reserves of trace elements, so it is important to replenish them in time with special mixtures.

Trees that receive the required doses of top dressing annually will differ from those that are not cared for in several ways:

  • high resistance to temperature extremes and weather conditions;
  • the quantity and quality of the harvest;
  • rapid growth;
  • duration of fruiting.

Important! To understand what type of fertilizer is suitable for plants, it is worth analyzing the composition of the soil in the garden and monitoring the condition of the trees. Deficiency of any of the elements is manifested by characteristic symptoms.

Work time

Fertilizers are applied to the soil throughout the warm season. The norms and the method of their application depend on the needs of plants in certain trace elements in different periods. There are two main top dressings - autumn and spring, at this time they add a significant part of the nutrients. Also, trees should be fed during flowering and fruiting, since the spring reserves of trace elements in the soil are gradually depleted.

spring

Work on the care of the garden begins to carry out after warming. The first top dressing occurs in early spring - it is important to replenish nitrogen reserves in the soil and add additional trace elements for tree growth. In total, three top dressings are recommended for the spring period:

  • in early spring, after the activation of the vegetation processes, about half of the annual nitrogen norm is applied to stimulate the growth of young shoots; no more than 15% of the total amount of potassium and phosphorus can also be added;
  • a week before the formation of flowers, during the budding period - additional feeding with the addition of 10-15% of all the main trace elements, allows you to increase the number of healthy full-fledged ovaries;
  • if necessary, carry out another top dressing a week after the end of flowering in the same dosage.

Summer

In summer, nutrients are introduced in small quantities. The main summer top dressing is carried out at the end of June, with a slowdown in the growth of shoots. After harvesting, to stimulate the laying of buds for the next year, it is useful to apply 15% of the annual rate of all basic fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus and potash).

autumn

In autumn, it is recommended to add at least 50% of potash and phosphorus fertilizers for digging. They are stored in the ground and can be used by plants for next year. Nitrogen fertilizers during this period can harm fruit trees. If, under their influence, they begin to grow intensively and form young shoots, they may die with the first frost.

What fertilizer should be applied?

Plants receive nutrients from the soil through the root system or through the surface of the leaves when sprayed. They can be added in the form of natural or commercial organic mixtures - complex chemical compounds that improve soil properties. These substances can also be in the form of separate mineral elements, convenient for assimilation through the rhizome.

organic

These are pet manure and bird droppings, compost, humus and herbal decoctions. Such mixtures contain minerals in a bound form, which ensures their prolonged action. When decomposed in the soil, trace elements are released and can be absorbed by the rhizome. Organic fertilizing is the best way to increase the nutritional value of insufficiently fertile soil.

mineral

Mineral supplements contain individual trace elements in a ready-to-use form. These can be mono-fertilizers based on only one active ingredient or complex mixtures. To use them, it is important to understand what substances plants need in different phases of development:

  • for the growth of rhizomes and shoots in warm weather - nitrogen compounds;
  • for abundant flowering and fruiting - preparations of potassium and phosphorus;
  • additional trace elements (boron, zinc, molybdenum, calcium and others) - in case of their deficiency in the soil.

The main elements for plant nutrition are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Additional minerals are present in the composition of complex fertilizers in smaller quantities, and some are absent. However, their role for the integrated development of trees and shrubs is no less important.

Popular fertilizers

For feeding trees and shrubs in the garden, it is easier to purchase a ready-made mixture. They are available as liquid solutions, solid powders or granules. The main method of applying fertilizer is watering, it is additionally useful to spray the leaves to quickly absorb the elements.

Joy

This is a granular fertilizer based on a large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus, potassium is contained here in a lower concentration. Granules are introduced directly into the soil without prior dilution with water. The rate of their application varies from 30 g for shrubs to 80 g for adult fruit trees. Top dressing is suitable for use throughout the warm season, from March to October.

Gumi Omi

Organo-mineral top dressing based on the main trace elements (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus), additional minerals and organic matter. Produced in the form of granules. The organic part is represented by fermented chicken manure - a valuable source of potassium for maintaining the processes of carbohydrate metabolism in trees. The drug is applied in dry form or aqueous solutions for irrigation are prepared on its basis.

Hello

Top dressing Zdraven "for fruit trees and shrubs" is a complex mineral mixture. This is a dry fertilizer that is suitable for both simple application to the soil and for the preparation of aqueous solutions. They can be used for watering or foliar spraying. In total, fertilizer is applied three times during the season: during the period of active growth of trees, and then after flowering and during the formation of fruits.

Important! Fertilizer Zdreven begins to act only after dissolution with water. When applied to the ground in its pure form, it is useful to water the plants on the eve of the procedure. This event will also protect the roots from chemical burns.

Hera

"Orchard" is one of the most popular mineral fertilizers for trees and shrubs. It contains the main and additional trace elements in optimal concentration, is well absorbed by plants, increases their resistance and productivity. Fertilizers of this brand are present on the shelves of almost all flower shops and are notable for their low cost.

Ava

They differ from analogues in their maximally prolonged action. It is enough to apply this preparation into the soil in the form of granules during planting, and then repeat the procedure every 2-3 years. The modern form of release allows nutrients to be released gradually, as needed. The granules remain in the soil, are not washed off by rain and water during irrigation.

How to enter correctly?

Depending on the form of release, all fertilizers can be divided into two categories: liquid and dry mixtures. The latter can be presented as powders or granules, which are dissolved in water or used in dry form. There are several methods of fertilizing:

  • watering - liquid or dry fertilizers are dissolved in water and applied to the soil along the trunk circle;
  • spraying - the solutions are poured into the spray bottle and distributed over the surface of the leaves, while the concentration of active substances should be lower;
  • water-soluble granules and powders can be used to prepare water mixtures for irrigation or spraying;
  • dry fertilizers of prolonged action can be mixed with the soil in its pure form - they are scattered over the surface of the soil and dug to a depth of 10-15 cm.

Purchased drugs should be used in the dosages indicated in the instructions. When preparing solutions on your own, it is necessary to take into account the annual need of plants for mineral elements and make them in small quantities.

Feeding features

Despite the fact that the same mixtures are used to feed garden plants, there are several features of their use for trees and shrubs. They depend on the life cycle of plants, their nutrient requirements and fruiting timing.

Fruit trees

Fruit trees respond well to the addition of organic fertilizers. They can be used in pure form or as part of aqueous solutions for irrigation. On the farm, there is always the opportunity to make homemade compost from waste or to add additional cow or horse manure.

The main top dressing for plants is carried out after the mechanical cleaning of the garden. Twice a year, when the vegetation processes of trees are slowed down, it is useful to clean them of old dried branches and bark, form a crown, and remove last year's grass. In this case, nutrients will be absorbed faster, and yields will increase markedly.

berry bushes

Garden shrubs begin to wake up after winter earlier than trees. The first fertilization should be in early spring, immediately after warming. In addition, these plants have a poorly developed root system. It is useful for them to periodically apply top dressing by spraying so that nutrients are absorbed through the surface of the leaves.

Important! In the instructions for many drugs, dosages are indicated separately for plants and shrubs. The latter need less concentrated solutions due to the thinner bark (when spraying) and the more sensitive root system (when watering).

Fertilizers for planting seedlings

It is recommended to prepare a pit for seedlings in advance. If planting is planned in the spring, it is better to form a place for trees in the fall. To do this, you need to dig a shallow hole (from 30 cm deep for shrubs to 70 cm for trees) and add nutrients to it. If you plant a tree immediately in the ground, when the soil shrinks, it will gradually go underground. The result of this process is moisture stagnation and uneven development of the plant.

The pit should not be left empty for the winter, otherwise water will accumulate in it. To refuel it, it is recommended to add a complex nutrient mixture:

  • 1-2 buckets of rotted manure;
  • the same amount of humus or peat;
  • 1-2 cups of wood ash per 1 m of soil;
  • soil that was in the hole.

Many gardeners do not recommend applying mineral fertilizers directly when planting seedlings. At this point, the nutrients will already be present in the soil - they were added during the preparation of the pit. The root system of young trees is still very sensitive, so mineral mixtures can leave burns on it. If necessary, fertilizers are added at some distance from the stem of the seedlings.

Conclusion

The only way to get a rich harvest from fruit trees and berry bushes every year is to regularly apply all the necessary top dressing. If the plants receive the right amount of nutrients, they will grow large and healthy, resistant to weather conditions and pests.