How to feed an apple tree in the fall so that it bears fruit 

It is unlikely that there will be at least one personal plot on which this unpretentious and unusually productive tree would not grow. Due to the ease of care, apple trees grow in almost any region of Our Country. But not every gardener pays them due attention in the autumn. Most are limited to harvesting and gardening. Few people know that, in addition to the mandatory annual work, it is necessary to help the trees accumulate nutrients and prepare for winter. And feeding apple trees in the fall will help in this.

Why fertilize an apple tree in the fall

If you want to get bountiful harvests in subsequent years, help fruit trees regain their strength. Contrary to popular belief, they need to be fed not only in spring and summer. Fall fertilization is equally important. Feeding apple trees with fertilizers in autumn has its advantages:

• Restoring the balance of nutrients after abundant fruiting;
• Preparing apple trees for winter;
• Strengthening the root system;
• Increased frost resistance;
• Increasing the resistance of fruit trees.

The most important autumn top dressing of apple trees in the northern regions with long winters and severe frosts.

When to Fertilize

It is very important to fertilize fruit trees on time. It is necessary to fertilize apple trees immediately after carrying out standard work in the garden – pruning and whitewashing. It is desirable to combine this process with pre-winter watering. In this case, all fertilizers applied will be assimilated to the maximum extent.

You need to finish feeding before mid-late September, depending on the region of growth. Consider a very important point when determining the timing: for the complete dissolution of fertilizers and their assimilation, apple trees will need at least 3-4 weeks. During this entire period, provide the trees with abundant watering. If autumn is generous with rainfall, in this case, watering the apple trees is not required.

Tree preparation

Before you apply fertilizer under the apple trees, you need to put things in order in the garden. After harvesting, collect all debris and leaves. It is desirable to remove it from the site and burn it to prevent the possibility of the spread of diseases, as well as to destroy numerous insects and their offspring.

After the autumn pruning of trees, do not forget to treat the cut places with garden pitch.

Make mandatory spraying of apple trees in the fall to destroy pests and prevent diseases.

In the autumn, after harvesting, more concentrated and powerful solutions can be used for processing without fear of harming the trees.

If you do not want to use chemical-based pest and disease prevention and control products, you can use solutions prepared by yourself. Folk remedies will help you with this. Various infusions and decoctions protect trees no worse than store-bought chemical compounds.

Only after that you can start autumn feeding, taking into account the climatic features of your region. After the measures taken, at least 3-4 weeks must pass before frosts hit and snow falls. The colder the soil, the slower the root system of the apple tree absorbs mineral fertilizers.

How to fertilize

When choosing fertilizers, you need to focus not only on the seasonality of work. An important role is played by the age of apple trees, their variety and, of course, the chemical composition of the soil. How to feed an apple tree in the fall? How to correctly calculate the dosage depending on the variety and age of the trees? In what weather should these events be held? You will find answers to these and many other questions in this article.

In autumn, apple trees need to be fertilized with fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen fertilizers in the autumn should be abandoned so as not to provoke the formation and growth of young shoots. They will not survive the winter and are guaranteed to freeze. And their appearance and active growth will significantly weaken your apple trees before the onset of frost and they are likely to freeze.

How to fertilize apple trees depending on the composition of the soil

Before fertilizing apple trees in the fall, you need to pay attention to the level of soil acidity in your area. Increased indicators of acidity or alkalinity of the soil, even with careful and timely care, immediately affect fruiting. Outwardly healthy and abundantly flowering apple tree bears fruit very poorly.

If the acidity level exceeds the norm, then the soil needs to be deoxidized. To do this, the following are introduced into the root zone and along the perimeter of the crown:

• A piece of chalk;
• Hydrated lime (fluff);
• wood ash;
• Dolomite flour.

Of all the above fertilizers, gardeners deservedly consider wood ash to be an ideal top dressing. It not only perfectly normalizes the acid balance, but also enriches the soil with potassium and phosphorus.

Any of the elements you have chosen must be scattered around the apple tree and gently dig the top layer of soil with a pitchfork. It is not worth going too deep when digging, so as not to damage the roots of the tree.

With elevated alkaline indicators, it is possible to normalize the composition of the soil with the help of sawdust or peat.

Mineral fertilizers: dosage and application rules

In autumn, when the growing season comes to an end, apple trees need potassium-phosphorus top dressing most of all. It is best to fertilize in dry weather.

Make shallow grooves around the perimeter of the crown. Pour the required amount of fertilizer into them and carefully level the ground. Water apple trees generously. In the absence of precipitation, do not forget to water the trees at least 2-3 times a week so that the applied fertilizers are completely dissolved.

For one apple tree you will need:

• Potash fertilizers – 15-20 g per m²;
• Phosphorus fertilizers – 40-50 g per m² of the trunk circle.

When fertilizing, consider the age of your trees. An overdose is no less dangerous than a lack of nutrients.

Organic fertilizers: how much and how to apply

At all times, humus, humus and manure are considered to be the best fertilizers of organic origin. Gardeners are advised to apply organic matter not only near the trunk circle, but also on the entire area occupied by the roots. You can determine the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe soil that needs to be fertilized in the summer. At noon, the shadow from the crown of the apple tree outlines the approximate area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbroot growth.

There are two methods for feeding apple trees in the fall:

• foliar;
• Root.

Organic fertilizers can be fed to young apple trees in the fall when planting. In this case, the root system will not suffer, and the seedlings will be accepted much faster and have time to gain strength and nutrients before the onset of winter.

Mix well-rotted organic matter in a 1:1 ratio. Lay some of this mixture at the bottom of the planting hole. Dig the seedling with the rest of the soil and water it abundantly.

Foliar top dressing

In the first case, fertilizer, diluted in the prescribed amount of water, is applied to the trunk of an apple tree by spraying. Before fertilizing apple trees in this way, it is advisable to clean the trunks of cracked bark, growths, lichens, and moss. All damaged areas should be treated with garden pitch immediately after cleaning.

For foliar top dressing, you can use a 5% solution of copper sulfate. Spray the bark of the apple tree with the prepared solution. In this case, the trees will receive additional nutrition and will be protected from lichen.

Also, urea is perfect as a top dressing, which must be diluted in water at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for 10 l. With the resulting spraying solution, it is necessary to treat the trunks to a height of 1,5-1,8 m.

Foliar top dressing should be carried out in cloudy, calm weather. It is desirable that in the next day or two there will be no precipitation. Otherwise, all your labors will be washed away by the rains.

It is necessary to spray apple trees in early to mid-September, when juice is still actively moving in the trunks. Later work will be inappropriate.

Root top dressing of apple trees

Root top dressing is the most common method used by almost all summer residents and gardeners to increase the yield of fruit trees. Its difference lies in the fact that organic fertilizers are applied not at the trunk of an apple tree, but at a distance of 50-60 cm from it along the perimeter of the crown. It is on this site that thin roots are located that perfectly absorb fertilizers.

The method of applying organic fertilizers:

• To prevent diseases (rot, scab), spray apple trees with a 2% solution of copper sulfate.
• Scatter fertilizer at a distance of 50-60 cm from the trunk.
• Carefully dig the soil with a pitchfork. No need to dig the ground under the apple trees too deep so as not to damage the root system – 15-20 cm will be enough.
• Mulch the trunk circle with moss, sawdust or peat.

Whatever method of fertilizing apple trees in the fall you choose, remember that any organic fertilizer must be well rotted and decomposed. Otherwise, you will cause irreparable damage to your apple trees.

Features of fertilization depending on the age of apple trees

With any method and type of fertilization, it is important to know that young seedlings need much less minerals and nutrients than large, fruiting trees.

To feed a young, from 1 to 4 years old, apple tree, 10-15 kg of manure or humus will be enough. But an adult tree will already need at least 50-60 kg of organic matter.

When applying mineral fertilizers, the dosage should be increased gradually, in accordance with the age of the trees.

So, to feed a 2-year-old apple tree with superphosphate, you will need 200 grams of fertilizer, and for a tree aged 10 years or more – at least 500 grams.

Dig shallow, 15-20 cm holes around a young apple tree at an equal distance from each other. Pour the prescribed amount of top dressing evenly into them, dividing the total dose into equal parts. Fill the holes with soil and water the trees generously.

The amount of fertilizer depending on the variety

Of great importance in the selection and dosage of fertilizers is the variety of apple trees. This takes into account not only the age and height of the tree, but also the growth and location of the root system.

For example, when fertilizing apple trees of dwarf or undersized varieties, the dosage should be reduced by 25-30%.

The root system of columnar apple trees is located very close to the surface of the earth. This circumstance must be taken into account when fertilizing. The generally accepted feeding technology for such trees and seedlings is unacceptable due to the high risk of root damage. Therefore, columnar apple trees are fertilized with top dressing in liquid form, or simply sprinkle a dry mixture of fertilizers around the tree, gently mix with the top layer of the earth and water abundantly.

Fruit trees can grow in one place for several decades. During the period of abundant fruiting, the soil gives them all the nutrients. Their lack immediately affects not only the yield. When the soil is impoverished, the trees are more likely to get sick and soon die completely. Therefore, top dressing, as one of the stages of caring for an apple tree in the fall, is of no small importance.

About why and how to fertilize fruit trees in the autumn, the author of the video will tell you:

Conclusion

Any tree or plant always responds with gratitude to the care and timely care. A very generous reward awaits every hardworking gardener. In spring, your garden will be fragrant with abundant flowering, and in summer and autumn you will be rewarded for your labors with a bountiful harvest of ripe and fragrant apples.