What fertilizers to feed apple trees in spring

With the onset of spring, all living things awaken. The first buds are starting to appear on the trees in your garden, everything is blooming and fragrant. But do not waste time in vain, because trees need proper and timely nutrition. The article will tell you how to feed apple trees in spring and how to do it most effectively. After all, their development and productivity depend on the timely and proper feeding of apple trees in the spring.

Feeding rules

Garden trees need to be fertilized periodically throughout the year. The first top dressing is carried out in early spring, when young leaves are just appearing on the apple tree. Trees come out of dormancy and need to replenish their resources after winter. Most of the nutrients trees get from the earth, water and air, however, minerals are not always in the required amount. And even more so in spring, the trees need additional nourishment. However, everything needs a measure – an excess of nutrients is just as dangerous as their lack. If a young apple tree is oversaturated, for example, with nitrogen, which affects the growth of shoots, you will get a large tree with many shoots, but without fruits.

Fertilizing gardens in the spring, amateur gardeners use 2 types of fertilizers in their practice: mineral (nitrogen, potash, microfertilizers) and organic (compost, slurry, manure).

When choosing a mineral supplement, proceed from what type of soil you have in your summer cottage. It is advisable to give the tree those elements that it cannot take in sufficient quantities from the ground. If the soil is sandy, and accordingly there is little nitrogen in it, it will be most rational to fertilize it with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

But with black soil, things are different. It is rich in nitrogen and does not need nitrogen treatment.

Fertilizers should be applied not only under the tree, but also at a distance of half a meter from the crown. Thanks to its root system, the apple tree will assimilate them even at such a distance. To know exactly how many minerals a particular tree needs, a simple calculation can be made. We need to find the area in square meters that we will fertilize. It is easy to determine it: measure the diameter of the crown, add one to it and multiply the result by 3,14. Then we multiply the resulting number by the amount needed to fertilize 1 square meter (usually it is written on packages).

An important role in determining the right amount of useful nutrients is played by the degree of soil moisture. If the apple tree is properly watered and its soil is sufficiently moist, then sweeteners can be applied in large doses. The combination of proper watering with the application of the optimal dose of nutrients will give a generous harvest.

Remember that in wet and rainy weather, fertilizers should be added undiluted (in dry form). Simply scatter the substance of your choice around the tree, and it will fall on the roots with rainwater.

In addition to root top dressing, foliar top dressing can also be used. Thanks to this method, the apple tree will receive the necessary nutrients directly through the leaves. It is carried out by spraying the crown. Remember that spraying is best done early in the morning before the sun has risen or after sunset in the evening. If it is cloudy, then this procedure can be carried out during the day. After all, it takes time for the leaves to absorb the nutrient solution, and under the influence of sunlight it will quickly evaporate and we will not achieve the expected effect. In the process of spraying, follow the recommendations. Do not prepare and use solutions with a high concentration. Their use leads to a burn of the leaves.

Choice of fertilizers

With the onset of spring, apple trees need fertilizers that promote the processes of flowering and the formation of ovaries. From mineral gardeners, nitrogen-containing ones are used, and from organic ones, manure, compost and bird droppings are brought in in the spring.

Organic

Mullein is a good spring feed. The required amount of manure is 4–8 kg per 1 sq. m of soil. With its regular use, you can improve the structure of the soil. Sandy soils begin to retain moisture better, and clay soils become loose and lighter.

Bird droppings can be used dry or diluted with water. Before introducing dry bird droppings into the soil, it must be crushed. If it is necessary to dilute with water, then the proportion should be as follows: 1 part of the litter to 15 parts of the liquid. The resulting solution should be fertilized the garden immediately and not left in reserve.

Compost is made from dry sawdust, leaves and all kinds of waste. Thanks to organic matter, the earth is saturated with many nutrients necessary for the plant, and its structure also changes: the soil becomes loose, it passes water better.

Mineral

These include nitrogen-containing flavoring substances: potassium sulphate, ammonium sulfate, as well as microfertilizers.

Each species contains a certain amount of the active element, which is usually indicated on the package in the form of symbols from the Periodic Table (for example, N-nitrogen, K-potassium). As a rule, minerals are partially assimilated by trees.

Nitrogen fertilizers affect the volume of the crop. They must be applied in early spring. With a lack of nitrogen, the quality of the fruit will decrease. An apple tree needs 12 g of this element per 1 sq. m area. Ammonium nitrate contains up to 35 percent nitrogen. Fertilizing the soil, you need up to 30 g of this substance per 1 sq. m. And if we want to fertilize a young garden with liquid top dressing, then only 20 g of saltpeter is enough for a bucket of water.

Potassium sulphate is rightfully considered one of the best potash fertilizers for feeding apple trees, because it contains up to 46 percent of potassium. It promotes active growth and better fruiting of the apple tree. If we carry out top dressing, 10 g per 1 sq. m, and for the main fertilizer process, you need to take 25 g.

Ammonium sulfate, which affects the quality of the future crop, is perfectly preserved in the soil and is not washed out of it for a long time. Based on this, it is advised to make it both in spring and autumn. For top dressing, 25 g per 1 sq. m, and for the main method of fertilization – up to 50 g.

Microfertilizers help fight fungal diseases, improve the quality of fruits.

Now you know why and how to properly fertilize the land on your site. This means that your garden will receive all the necessary nutrients and will actively bear fruit.

Video “Spring dressing of apple trees”

This video depicts when and how to fertilize apple trees in the spring.