In spring, it is necessary to fertilize various crops, including fruit trees and shrubs. Each month involves holding certain events. It is important to choose the right fertilizer for different types of crops, use them in a certain way and in a specific dosage.

Why do you need spring fertilizing of fruit crops?

In the process of growing various crops, gardeners resort to all sorts of agrotechnical techniques. One of the most effective methods is feeding plants. It provides decorative plantings and a good harvest.

Timely application of fertilizers and the correct selection of compositions allows you to activate crop growth, ensure good flowering and protection from diseases and pests. All this is necessary to obtain a high-quality and abundant harvest.

Fruit trees and shrubs are perennial plantings. During their lives, they need various micro- and macroelements, just like the human body. People get the necessary substances from food, and plants from the soil. Over time, the land begins to deplete, so it is impossible to do without fertilizers.

Feeding stages by month

Each variety of fruit trees and shrubs requires an individual approach. This applies not only to the composition of the fertilizers used, but also to the stages of their application. We can highlight some general points characteristic of each spring month.

March

This month marks the very first feeding of the year. Fertilizers are applied at the beginning of the melting of the snow cover.

For this period, nitrogen products are needed. They stimulate the growing season. It is better to use soluble mineral compounds. They are poured directly on top of the snow, which, when melting, will dissolve the fertilizer and pull it into the soil. It is necessary to prepare for such feeding in the fall by thoroughly loosening the circles around the trunk.

The amount of nitrogen mixture for feeding depends on the age of the plant. For shrubs and young plantings, 40 g of fertilizer is sufficient; an adult tree requires approximately 100-120 g of the product.

If the plantings are located on a slope, then it is better to apply fertilizing later, since the fertilizer may move when the snow melts. It is also worth waiting if there is a lot of snow. In this case, the fertilizer will lie on the surface for a long time, so it may partially evaporate.

April

This month, the deciduous part of the plantings is actively formed and flowering begins. At this stage, plants need potassium and phosphorus. These elements strengthen crops and ensure their normal growth.

Phosphorus is necessary to strengthen roots, their growth and anchorage in the soil. Potassium activates the appearance of side shoots.

Phosphorus can be used in its pure form, while potassium is preferable in combined mixtures.

If the end of flowering occurs in April, then the plants should be fed with organic matter. This feeding is especially important for apple and pear trees.

May

When the plant is actively blooming, you can use both organic matter and mineral fertilizers. Minerals can be applied by foliar application.

This month is characterized by the formation of ovaries and the beginning of fruit growth. At this stage, fruit trees and shrubs need organic matter. As a fertilizer, it is better to resort to compost, rotted manure, and vermicompost.

In May, fertilizers can be applied in various ways:

• digging with soil;
• mixing with loose soil in the tree trunk area;
• mixing with mulch (rot leaves and straw are also used in this capacity);
• filling into depressions in the ground;
• foliar method.

This feeding scheme is generalized. It may be changed according to your region of residence and weather conditions in a particular year.

Options for feeding fruit trees and shrubs in spring

When choosing fertilizers, you need to rely on the type of crop, season, and soil characteristics. You can fertilize plants in different ways, but it is important to correctly calculate the amount of product used.

Chicken droppings

• apple;
• pear;
• plum;
• cherries;
• cherry;
• quince;
• persimmon;
• peach;
• apricot.

Fertilizer should be applied in the spring to the tree trunks. Dry raw materials should be used for feeding, since ammonia is formed if the raw materials are stored improperly.

Concentrated fresh manure has a negative impact on the condition of the roots of fruit crops. Raw materials for feeding must be diluted.

To get the correct solution for feeding, you need to dilute 1.5 kg of bird droppings in a 10-liter bucket of water. First, dry raw materials are filled with a third of the volume of liquid and left for a couple of days. Then the fermented composition is brought to the required volume with water.

Manure

For fruit crops, this fertilizer ranks second in popularity. Apple trees, pears, cherries, plums, apricots and other stone fruits are more fond of this feeding.

Fresh manure is not used. Regardless of the dilution proportions, it is converted to ammonia.

To feed fruit crops, manure must lie for at least 2 years.

Humus

Up to 30 kg of humus must be added to the apple trees. If the plant is more than 9 years old, then this amount must be increased by at least 1.5 times.

To feed pears, humus is mixed with soil in the spring. On average, one tree requires 20 kg of such fertilizer.

Humus is added to the cherries for the first 4-5 years. It is necessary to scatter the fertilizer around the trunks about half a meter.

Green tea

This fertilizer is prepared independently and is organic. It can be used for any fruit crops.

To prepare the composition, place the green part of the grass in a suitable container and fill it with water. Cover the container with polyethylene, making several holes in it. After 3 weeks, the fertilizer will be ready. This fertilizing is best done after flowering, diluting the resulting liquid in 10 parts of water.

Ash

This fertilizer is attractive due to its natural origin. It combines phosphorus and potassium, which fruit crops are especially in need of in the spring.

The ash can be used for various fruit trees. Cherries and plums are especially loved.

Fertilizing must be applied to the tree trunk circles. To do this, make a groove 10-15 cm deep and pour ash into it, immediately covering it with earth. Fertilizer can also be applied in liquid form. To prepare it, add a half-liter jar of ash to a bucket of water.

Ash can be mixed with urea. For a 10-liter bucket of water you need 3 tbsp. l. urea and half a glass of ash. Among the shrubs, this composition can be effectively used for raspberries, blackberries, rowan berries, gooseberries and currants.

This fertilizer belongs to the mineral group and is mainly based on phosphorus. It can be used for any fruit trees and shrubs.

When planting crops, 0.4 kg of fertilizer is applied to each hole. 40-70 grams are used as top dressing, adding the composition to the tree trunk circle. Fruit crops should be fed in this way after flowering.

Superphosphate can be combined with potassium and some nitrogen fertilizers. You should not combine such fertilizing with the application of urea, ammonium nitrate or chalk. It is necessary to wait at least a week between applying such fertilizers.

Potassium chloride

This fertilizer has a high potassium content. It perfectly replenishes the lack of nutrients and normalizes the development of crops. This fertilizer can be used for various fruit trees, but it is especially effective for apple trees.

One fruit tree requires about 0.15 kg of potassium chloride. The optimal amount of fertilizer should be based on the characteristics of the soil. If it is chernozem soil, then the concentration of the product is reduced, but for light soil it must be increased.

Potassium chloride combines well with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, but it is also successfully used on its own.

Fertilizers must be applied correctly. Liquid formulations are introduced only after watering the soil. Foliar feeding should be done on cloudy days or in the evening. After applying dry fertilizer, watering is necessary.

Urea

This fertilizer is nitrogen and belongs to the amide group. It can be used for various fruit crops.

As a spray, urea is well combined with copper sulfate. For 10 liters of water you need 0.7 kg of urea and 50 g of vitriol. This treatment can be repeated during flowering, and then when the ovaries form.

Fruit plants are also fed during fruiting. In this case, resort to root feeding. For apple trees, 0.25 kg of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water; for cherries and plums, the amount of product should be reduced to 0.15 kg. If organic matter was previously added, the concentration of the composition is halved.

It is advisable to use this fertilizer when the soil is ideally fertile. The product is complex and consists of nitrogen, potassium, sulfur and phosphorus.

Last summer, my fruit trees grew poorly, were often sick and produced little yield. A neighbor, having learned about this, advised me to feed all the trees and shrubs in the spring. I did everything according to her advice and this summer my apple, cherry and raspberry trees have changed for the better.

They grew so many fruits that I gave some of them away to my family and friends. In this article I will tell you why spring fertilizing of shrubs and fruit trees is needed, I will list the stages of fertilizing and the composition of fertilizers.

It is the spring feeding that determines how healthy and fruitful the tree will be in the summer. The older the tree, the more mandatory the procedure for adding nutrients becomes, since the soil underneath is usually severely depleted.

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

• Practically does not suffer from viral or fungal diseases.
• Pests try to avoid it.
• It grows quickly upward and in breadth.
• The quality and quantity of the harvest increases.
• Fruits longer.
• Easily withstands sudden changes in air temperature.
• Increases resistance to weather conditions.

Organic fertilizers

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

Many gardeners most often use bird droppings, wood ash, compost, and 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 found 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, since otherwise it may contain weed seeds, which will negate all the benefits of compost.
• Manure - Can be either cow or horse manure. Most importantly, it must be old, since fresh contains high amounts of ammonia and pathogenic bacteria. Usually dry manure is buried with the ground, but some gardeners use it to make a liquid composition for irrigation. To do this, a kilogram of manure is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of liquid.
• Bird droppings - May be pigeon or chicken droppings. The latter is more common as it contains a large amount of nitrogen, which makes plants grow quickly. But it is not advisable to overdo it with this product, as the roots may get burned. To feed trees, make up the following solution: 60 grams of droppings are diluted in a ten-liter bucket of liquid and left to infuse for about a week.
• Wood ash - It fully replaces any potash fertilizers. But in order to obtain ash, only wood is burned in the fire, making 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 large amounts of calcium and nitrogen. This flour can be purchased at any gardening store.

Mineral fertilizers

If you have doubts about which minerals are needed, you can purchase a ready-made complex fertilizer, since they consist of basic 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 fruit production and strong flowering.

By carefully examining the leaves, you can understand what the tree is missing:

• Nitrogen - Leaves grow small and pale.
• Boron - The veins on the leaf blades turn pale, the leaves themselves curl, and fall 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 upward, its color becomes almost white.
• Magnesium - Greens change their color to red, yellow, but their edges remain green.
• Copper - Foliage becomes limp and covered with brown spots.
• Phosphorus - The color of greenery becomes green with a bronze tint, sometimes with purple.
• Zinc - The leaves wrinkle and grow small and narrow.

Feeding stages

Some gardeners think that it is enough to feed the bush once and forget about it. Not really. From March to the end of spring, feed two or three times:

• In order for young shoots to grow better, nitrogen becomes the first fertilizer. But it is not brought onto 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 fallen off, a complex fertilizer based on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is given.

It would be a good idea to write down the date of the procedure, the name of the substance, and its quantity in a notebook.

Fertilizer application methods

Methods of applying fertilizers 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.
• Burying - Used only for dry elements, which are more convenient to mix with soil than to dissolve in water for irrigation. Usually they are buried to a depth of no more than 15 centimeters.
• Spraying - Performed using a spray bottle 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 watering.

Fruit trees

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

• Apple and pear trees - In early spring, they are given nitrogen in the form of bird droppings, urea, humus, since this is what 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 it is recommended to give them bird droppings. After the last petal flies off, the earth around the trunk is mixed with any dry organic mixtures or liquid manure is poured in.

In order for fruit trees to produce more harvest, you need to ensure that there are no weeds under the trunk, and that the crown is always well-groomed. It is not recommended to allow the branches to grow too much, as 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 first fed 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 soil around the trunk, but this must be done carefully, since many shrubs have a superficial root system.

Typically, berry bushes are given nitrophoska, potassium, and rotted manure. But they can be replaced with ash and 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 take root successfully, the planting hole is prepared in the fall. To do this, choose a suitable place and dig a hole slightly larger than the height of the roots.

For example, for shrubs, a sufficient depth of 30 centimeters, and for trees - 60 centimeters. After which the hole 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.
• Top layer - 2 cups of wood ash.
• The covering layer is the soil that was dug out of the hole.

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

If you want to feed with a mineral solution, then water it at a respectful distance around the trunk so that young and sensitive roots do not get burned. Typically, seedlings do not need fertilizing during planting, since all the necessary minerals have already been prepared in the fall.

Foliar nutrition

This procedure consists of spraying the crown of the tree and bush, since the 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 their dacha once a week, or even less often. If you treat shrubs and trees in this way, then you won’t have to worry about watering them all summer.

Conclusion

Spring fertilization is a mandatory procedure for an orchard. Thanks to this procedure, fruit trees and bushes bear a large harvest, are almost free of disease and are not attacked by insect pests. And you should remember that during the spring you definitely need to add three nutrients in any form:

• Nitrogen.
• Phosphorus.
• Potassium.

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

When caring for a young garden, good development and fruiting of fruit trees cannot be achieved without the systematic use of fertilizers, especially in areas of the non-chernozem belt.

For successful tree growth in young garden, accelerating their entry into the time of fruiting and creating conditions for obtaining high and regular yields in the future is of great importance application of fertilizers. The best results are shown by the combined application of organic and mineral fertilizers.

The use of organic fertilizers when caring for a young garden

Widely used in skin care young garden must get first organic fertilizers(manure, compost, peat, peat feces and others), which not only provide the nutrients necessary for trees, but also improve the soil structure, which is destroyed by digging and frequent loosening.

Manure is applied in the fall, when digging up the soil, having previously scattered it evenly on the surface of the tree trunk in an amount of 4-6 kilograms per 1 square meter. This will amount to 15-20 kilograms for one two- to three-year-old tree, 30-40 kilograms for a five- to six-year-old tree, and 50-70 kilograms for a seven-ten-year-old tree.

Compost also has a good effect on fruit trees. Compost is prepared from household waste in specially constructed heaps. Compost heaps are a must on every household. Wood leaves, fallen pine needles, vegetable tops, weeds, rotten straw and chaff, soot, house waste, kitchen waste, road dust, etc. can be used to prepare compost.

The compost heap is made 1.5-2 meters wide (at the base), 1-1.5 meters high and of arbitrary length (depending on the amount of material). They lay it on a special cleared and compacted area. Tops, house debris and other household waste and weeds are layered with soil when placed in a compost heap. The soil layer should be 5-6 centimeters thick. To ensure that the compost is always moderately moist, it is watered from time to time with water or, even better, with slop or slurry. It is useful to add lime, ground limestone and ash to the compost.

Once or twice a summer (every two to three months), the compost heap is thoroughly shoveled and stacked again. Shovelling speeds up the decomposition of waste. When the compost turns into a homogeneous mass, it can be used as fertilizer. The rates, timing and depth of application of compost are the same as for manure.

“Night gold” (feces) is also a valuable fertilizer when caring for a young garden. It is better to mix it with peat, to prepare the so-called peat feces. For this purpose, take fine, well-decomposed peat, lay it in a layer of 20 centimeters and water it generously with liquid feces. After watering, a second layer of the same thickness is laid on the first layer of peat and also watered, and this is done until the heap reaches a height of 1.5 meters. After this, it is covered with peat and left to decompose.

Peat feces can also be prepared directly in cesspools - latrines. To do this, peat is poured into the pit every two to three days and mixed with the contents of the pit with a pole. Peat feces is a very strong fertilizer: its application rate is two to three times lower than the rate of manure.

In areas where there is no peat, compost, manure and even ordinary soil are used to prepare fecal fertilizers.

When caring for a young garden, you should also use bird droppings. It is applied at a rate of 100-150 grams per 1 square meter of tree trunk area. But it is better to give this fertilizer in the form of liquid fertilizer in the first half of summer.

A good fertilizer is stove ash, containing potassium, phosphorus and lime. Ash is added at approximately 100-150 grams per square meter (a glass of stove ash weighs about 125 grams). The use of ash gives particularly good results on soddy-podzolic soils of the non-chernozem zone, reducing their acidity. In this case, the ash application rates are increased by at least two to three times.

Pond, lake and river waste or decomposed waste from landfills can be used as fertilizer.

The use of mineral fertilizers for caring for a young garden

If there are mineral fertilizers, then you need to use them.

They are divided into nitrogen (ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, montanium nitrate), phosphorus (superphosphate, tomasslag, phosphate rock) and potassium (potassium salt 30 and 40 percent and potassium chloride). Nitrogen mineral fertilizers have a good effect on tree growth in most areas. A complete mineral fertilizer, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, works better everywhere.

Mineral fertilizers Apply at the rate of approximately 8-10 grams of the active substance of each type of fertilizer per 1 square meter. For example, ammonium sulfate (ammonium sulfate) contains 20 percent nitrogen. Therefore, 40-50 grams of ammonium sulfate must be added per 1 square meter.

One glass contains from 150 grams (superphosphate, ammonium sulfate) to 250 grams (potassium salt) mineral fertilizers.

The amount of mineral fertilizers that must be applied to one tree, depending on its age and the size of the trunk circle, is given in the table.

Montana nitrate is added by 20 percent, and ammonium nitrate by 40 percent less than ammonium sulfate. Double superphosphate is added twice as much as usual.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, partly nitrogen fertilizers, are applied in the fall, before deep digging. These fertilizers are best applied in granular form. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can also be applied in liquid form in patches into wells made with scrap, 30-40 centimeters deep; Wells are made approximately two per 1 square meter.
It is better to apply the bulk of nitrogen fertilizers (about two-thirds) in the spring, during the first spring loosening.

Approximate amount of mineral fertilizers applied to one tree (in grams):

Spring feeding of fruit and berry crops. Proper feeding of trees and shrubs in spring. Work time Feeding with mineral and organic fertilizers is extremely important for seedlings in the first years of their life. Typically, gardens have soil that is not very fertile, so applying fertilizer 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 comprehensive feeding of young trees will help to grow healthy crops, which will subsequently affect their fruiting and the quality of the harvest. If the soil was filled correctly, then in the first year after planting the plants do not need any additional feeding. Correct 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 the soil initially contains little of them. Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are no less important for planted trees - plants absorb these components from the soil, but in poor soils their deficiency may be felt. Plants require relatively little 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 crop. 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 after planting, plants cannot take root for a long time, begin to get sick, 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 pale coloring of greenery, weak stems and small leaves; potassium deficiency can be determined by the spotted, yellow or brown color of the foliage, the leaf blades become wrinkled and dry out along the edges; 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 indicated by small, dark, almost black, drying leaves; the problem most often begins to develop from the lower part of the plant; iron deficiency manifests itself in drying of the edges of leaves and shoots; seedlings of apple, pear, plum, raspberry and grape trees are very sensitive to iron deficiency; A lack of copper is indicated by the whitened tips of the leaves, the greenery loses its elasticity and then dies. Informational video in which you can hear useful tips on fertilizing young plants. Nitrogen fertilizers The need of seedlings for nitrogen arises 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 growing season is especially active, and in small quantities in late autumn. Spring feeding is carried out at the rate of 20 g/m. sq. tree trunk circle; for fertile soils, application of 10 g/m is sufficient. 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 plants with saltpeter in both dry and liquid form: when planting 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 (urea) is 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 in the trunk circle, also planted trees can be fed with a liquid solution at the rate of 0.5 kg of urea / 10 liters of water (solution the crown and trunk are sprayed). It is not recommended to fertilize seedlings that are weak and not strong after planting at the end of the growing season and in the fall with nitrogen preparations - this will prolong their growth period and reduce frost resistance. Phosphorus-potassium mixtures It is recommended to apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers in the fourth year after planting trees. Potassium, phosphorus and complex mixtures containing these elements are applied mainly in the fall, 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. Feeding with potassium 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 the fall; potassium sulfate – 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 feeding can be carried out using the following mixtures: superphosphate - granular fertilizer contains up to 20% phosphoric acid; the mixture should be fertilized at the rate of 30-40 g/m2 as the main nutrition. sq., phosphate rock - depending on the type, contains from 15 to 35% phosphorus; any fruit crops can be fertilized with the product by embedding it 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 microelements. Products based on organic substances The universal and most valuable fertilizer for fruit seedlings is animal and bird manure. It is applied to the soil in the third year after planting at the rate of 5-6 kg/m. sq. circumventricular circle. The most useful is poultry, especially chicken droppings. It is applied to the soil as a fertilizer in the spring. To feed fruit crops, the droppings should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 kg/10 liters of water, then left for several days. It is recommended to apply dry manure in the fall at a rate of 0.3 kg/m. sq. It is not recommended to apply fresh manure from cows, horses, and pigs. To fertilize 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 during digging, it improves the structure of the soil and increases breathability. Furnace ash contains phosphorus, potassium and lime. It reduces the acidity of the soil, so it is recommended to fertilize podzolic and turf soils with ash. Ash is added at the rate of 100-120 g/sq. m. It can be mixed with any other organic fertilizer, or an aqueous solution can be prepared for root application. Fertilizing 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 microelements and nutrients necessary for the growth of young trees. Using high-quality compost to fertilize 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 prepare for planting young trees in advance. In the fall, they dig holes into which they pour various organic waste intended for compost: dry leaves, peat, sawdust, dry tops and other materials. Then the holes are sprinkled with a small amount of earth, covered, and left until spring. Over the winter, the waste will turn into compost, which will serve as a good organic fertilizer for the planted trees during the first year of life. In the future, it is recommended to apply compost to crops in the third year after planting, but if there is a lack of humus in the soil, it may be necessary to apply it in the second year. It is necessary to apply compost to the seedlings in the fall (from mid-September to early October) - at this time it is still warm, so some of the nutrients will be absorbed by the crops in the fall, which will help them adapt and survive the winter. The fertilizer should be dug shallowly into the top layer of soil around the trunk circles. Alternatively, you can simply spread it around the trunk and sprinkle it with a little earth. Video “How to properly care for seedlings” Informational video on how to care for young grapes. These tips can be used for most other fruiting plants.

Trees continuously consume nutrients from the soil, so over time the soil beneath them becomes depleted. Because of this, the productivity of the garden decreases, and young plants develop worse. Even if the soil was fertilized in the fall, this does not mean that it does not need to be fed in the spring. After all, with melted snow, many useful elements leave, including nitrogen. It is in the spring, during the resumption of active plant growth, that the soil especially needs additional fertilizing. Spring feeding of fruit trees is the most important condition for their rich fruiting. Therefore, with the onset of warm weather, gardeners should take maximum care of fertilizing their garden, otherwise the prospect of a good harvest will be very vague for them. In spring, fruit trees need to be fed with mineral and organic means. Organic fertilizers The advantage of organic fertilizers is their availability and environmental friendliness. With regular use of organic fertilizers, the soil becomes looser and absorbs water better. Compost is rotted plant waste. Its addition promotes better absorption of minerals. It is not advisable to use poorly rotted compost; it may contain weed seeds. Manure fresh mullein or horse manure is used. It should be used with caution due to its high ammonia content, which can harm the plant's rhizomes. To prepare a liquid composition, 1 kg of manure will require 10 liters of liquid. When adding manure during digging, you will need 10 kg per 1 sq.m. Bird droppings contains large quantities of nitrogen, which stimulates rapid and balanced plant growth. It must be used carefully, strictly observing the proportions to prevent burns to the rhizome. In the spring, manure is used in the form of liquid fertilizer for apple trees in the following proportion: 100 g of manure/15 liters of liquid. Moreover, the solution is infused for 5-10 days. Dry droppings are used for digging. Wood ash It is valuable for its high content of various chemical elements and is an excellent replacement for potash fertilizers. Used as soil protection against insects, rot and fungal diseases. Bone meal It has a high content of nitrogen and calcium and is used to deoxidize the soil. Currently, bone meal can be purchased in specialized stores. Mineral fertilizers There is a widespread belief among gardeners that such fertilizers can be harmful to both human health and the plant. But with the rational use of mineral fertilizers and strict adherence to dosages, this risk is reduced to zero, and the benefits are enormous. The use of mineral fertilizers is most desirable for soils poor in microelements and depleted. Nitrogen fertilizers(ammonium sulfate, urea, ammonium nitrate). They promote rapid growth and have a positive effect on the quality and volume of the harvest. Sandy soils need such fertilizing more. Phosphorus fertilizers(superphosphate, phosphate rock). They help strengthen and grow the root system. They are introduced into the soil and buried closer to the roots. Such fertilizers are not washed out of the soil and remain in it for a long time. Potash fertilizers(potassium sulfate). They increase the cold resistance and drought tolerance of plants, and help fruit crops produce sugar. Potassium has a positive effect on the formation and growth of lateral shoots. In spring, it is especially necessary for young trees. But it is not recommended to use it in its pure form. It is better when it is part of mixtures, for example, potassium salt or potassium magnesium. Wood ash contains a lot of potassium. In peat or sandy soils, potassium accumulates worse than in chernozems. Microfertilizers contain the most essential microelements for plants: boron, zinc, iron, manganese, sulfur, copper, manganese). It is best to fertilize fruit trees in the third year of cultivation. By this point, the crown has grown sufficiently, shading the tree trunk, and green manure does not cope with the task. Fruit-bearing trees are fertilized several times a season. This increases productivity well and replenishes the supply of nutrients in the soil. First feeding of fruit trees Experts advise feeding fruit trees for the first time at the very beginning of spring. You shouldn't wait for all the snow to melt, but the ground should thaw a little. To feed during this period, use nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, urea). Scatter them around each trunk on the snow, which, when melting, will deliver nitrogen and other important chemical elements to the root system of fruit trees and shrubs. Moreover, fertilizers must be applied at a distance of approximately 50-60 cm from the trunk with mandatory loosening of the soil. When carrying out such fertilizing, it is important not to overdo it, as excess nitrogen will harm the crop. Having received an extra portion of this element, the tree will begin to develop its crown and root system so actively that it will have very little energy left for fruit set and good development. How to calculate the amount of feeding? It’s very simple - use about 40 g for one young tree, about 100 g for an adult tree. If you are a fan of organic fertilizers, wait until the ground thaws completely. Prepare a nutrient solution by adding 300 g of urea, 1.5 liters of litter or 4 liters of manure to a bucket of water. As a guide: use 3-4 liters of fertilizer per tree. Second feeding of fruit trees During flowering and leaf formation, fruit trees especially need potassium and phosphorus. Potassium is necessary for the formation of new shoots, increasing sugar levels in fruits, as well as for crop resistance to diseases and adverse external factors. Phosphorus helps strengthen the root system of trees. Experienced gardeners say that it is better not to purchase mineral fertilizers containing both substances at once, but rather to add them to the soil separately. First, phosphorus, called “superphosphate,” - 60 g per adult tree. A little later, potassium (potassium salt, potassium magnesia, potassium sulfate, ash) - 20 g per tree. A special mixture is popular among Ural gardeners, which is prepared in a large barrel. The proposed volume of fertilizer is designed for 3 trees: . 400 g potassium sulfate . 0.5 kg superphosphate . 2.5 liters of bird droppings (can be replaced with 250 g of urea or 2 bottles of the drug “Effekton”) . 100 liters of water All ingredients must be diluted in water and allowed to brew for a week. Then fertilize the trees with the infused mixture in the root zone (50-60 cm from the trunk). One fruiting apple tree requires approximately 5 buckets of fertilizer. Third and fourth feedings It is very important to feed fruit trees in the spring after flowering for the full development of fruits. Organic is best during this period. Of the organic fertilizers, compost is especially popular among gardeners. It is used to water the root zone of flowering garden plants, after diluting it with water. During the development of fruits, it is advisable to once again feed garden crops with organic matter (mullein, compost, vermicompost). If this is not possible, then purchase a special mineral mixture with a slight predominance of nitrogen. Fertilizer is either embedded in the ground or mixed with mulch. Foliar feeding of fruit trees In spring, you can fertilize your garden not only by enriching the soil, but also by foliar methods. A weak solution is prepared from the feeding mixture and the green crown is sprayed with it. The leaves absorb substances well, and the tree receives the necessary elements faster. This method is considered an emergency aid for plants. It is often used to stimulate shoot growth or if the root system or trunk is damaged and cannot fully utilize nutrition from the soil. For foliar feeding, you can use both organic matter and mineral mixtures. Spraying trees with microfertilizers has a good effect. For example, boron promotes more abundant flowering, zinc prevents diseases, manganese increases the sugar content in fruits and increases yield. To ensure that there is enough calcium in the fruits, in early spring the fruit trees need to be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (4%), at the same time this will serve as protection against diseases and insect attacks. When foliar fertilizer is used, very weak concentrations of solutions are used so as not to cause burns to leaves and wood. To spray the crowns of pear or apple trees, you can use a solution of manganese sulfate or zinc sulfate at the rate of 0.2 g per liter of water. If two microelements are used at once, their dosage is halved. Stone fruits (cherry, plum, apricot, cherry plum) will grow and bear fruit better if in the spring they are treated with urea diluted at the rate of 50 g per 10 liters of water. Spraying is repeated a couple of times at intervals of a week. The result will be better if you use this method alternating with classic root feeding. It is the soil that is able to retain the substances necessary for fruit crops longer. You should not fertilize young one-year-old seedlings. It is better to start fertilizing them from the second year after planting. Young fruit trees are fed in the spring with both organic and mineral preparations. Organic fertilizers (urea, manure) are diluted with water in the following proportion: 300 g of urea per 10 liters of water or 4 liters of liquid manure. One young tree should receive about 5 liters of liquid fertilizer. For a tree that has been growing for less than 5 years, it is enough to add about 20 kg of humus to the root zone. Any liquid fertilizer is applied to moist soil, otherwise it can burn the roots of the plant. In the first few years, the effect of applying fertilizers to trees is subtle. It becomes more pronounced as fruiting approaches. For full growth and fruiting, adult fruit-bearing apple trees must be fertilized at least three times in the spring. Features of feeding an apple tree In spring, a fruit-bearing apple tree needs organic and mineral feeding. An apple tree between 5 and 9 years old needs about 30 kg of humus; an apple tree over 9 years old needs at least 50 kg of fertilizer. Slurry is diluted in a ratio of 1:5. A tree that has not reached 8 years old needs 30 liters of such feeding; a tree older than 8 years needs about 50 liters. The application of mineral fertilizers has a positive effect on the apple tree: ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate, superphosphate, magnesium sulfate. Their rate is calculated according to the instructions in accordance with the age of the tree. Read more about feeding apple trees in THIS article. Features of feeding pears Spring feeding of pears is similar to apple feeding, but has some differences. Pears need humus in large quantities. It is mixed with the soil in the spring during digging. A three-year-old tree needs about 20 kg of humus, and every year its amount is increased by 10 kg. After 11 years, the trees are fed once every 2 years, adding 100 kg of fertilizer. In the spring, the fruiting pear is sprayed with a weak urea solution. The first time at the end of the flowering period, the second time is repeated after 10-15 days. Pears respond well to spring feeding with mineral solutions: superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride. Features of apricot feeding Apricots are fed several times throughout the spring. First, nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Then after flowering with organic matter. Most often, urea, saltpeter, slurry, and chicken droppings are used for this. Features of feeding plums and cherry plums Humus for plums and cherry plums is added 10 kg each if the tree is under 6 years old and 20 kg each if the tree is older than 6 years old. Plum prefers alkaline soil, so fluff lime or wood ash is often added to fertilizers for it. Features of fertilizing cherries For trees up to 4-5 years old, humus is added every spring. Scatter it around the trunk, with a radius of about 0.5 m, in a layer of about 4 cm. For trees older than 5 years, one fertilizing with humus is enough for 3 years. Urea and ammonium nitrate should be fed to trees in early spring and late May. There are some features in feeding garden plants in the spring that every gardener must know: . Water acts as a carrier of chemicals from fertilizer to the roots of a tree or bush, so after applying dry fertilizer, thorough watering is necessary. . Liquid fertilizer should not be applied to dry soil to avoid burns on the roots. . Garden crops do not need to be fertilized during the first year after planting. . It is better to fertilize in the evening. . When feeding, it is important to take into account that the root system of an adult tree extends beyond the boundaries of its crown by about 50 cm. Important! An excess of nutrients is just as dangerous as a lack of them. Therefore, observe moderation in everything, and your fruit trees will thank you for your care with a generous harvest. When feeding trees, two important aspects must be taken into account: soil growing conditions and their age. In the first 3-4 years, there is no need to fertilize if a sufficient amount of substrate was added when planting the tree. It is undesirable to be too zealous with fertilizing, since oversaturation with nutrients entails a decrease in fertility. Based on the type of soil, it is determined which fertilizers for fruit trees and in what quantities will be most effective. For example, chernozem contains a sufficient amount of nitrogen, so treatment with nitrogen fertilizers is not recommended. But with sandy and clayey soils the situation is the opposite. The scientific and production association “Gardens of Russia” has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the widespread practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. The association uses the most modern technologies and has created a unique laboratory for microclonal propagation of plants. The main tasks of the NPO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material of popular varieties of various garden plants and new world selections. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian Post. We are waiting for you to shop:

• When using mineral and organic fertilizers together, application rates are reduced by half of those indicated.
• When mixing fertilizers, you must adhere to the established rules. It is best to mix them just before adding them to the soil.

Feeding fruit trees caring for a young garden

Great value at at In the course of a young garden, fertilizing of fruit trees is widely used by leading gardeners.

For fertilizing, first of all, you need to use local organic fertilizers.: slurry, urine, fermented solutions of bird and cow droppings, etc. Slurry and animal urine for liquid feeding are diluted with 5 parts of water, and feces and bird droppings with 10-12 parts.

You can also feed fruit trees only with nitrogen or complete mineral fertilizer.

When feeding, mineral fertilizers can be applied in liquid or dry form.. In dry soil, the trunk circles are pre-watered with water before fertilizing. When applying fractionally, the indicated average rate is divided into parts according to the number of fertilizings: each time the corresponding part is applied (half or a third of the rate). The first feeding is given in the spring, during bud break, the second - two or three weeks after the first, during the intensive growth of shoots (in the central regions - in June), and the third - two to three weeks after the second.

Considering that nitrogen fertilizers, if applied untimely, cause growth retardation, fertilizing with them should be carried out only during spring and the first half of summer or late autumn.

The garden should be fertilized annually on poor soils and once every two to three years on other soils. In the first year after planting, they limit themselves to mulching the tree trunk circles with manure, humus, compost, etc.

Podzolic soils, in addition, should also be limed. Lime or ground limestone is applied once every five to seven years at an average rate of 1.5 kilograms per 1 square meter. The best time to apply lime is autumn.

Video: How and with what to fertilize fruit trees correctly

In this video, an expert will tell you how to fertilize fruit trees correctly and with what exactly.

Video: Apple orchard technology

When caring for a young garden, it is necessary to ensure the survival of all planted fruit trees, create conditions for good growth of seedlings and the construction of the correct tree crown, and also ensure that the trees enter the fruiting season early.