Top dressing of trees in the spring with nitrogen fertilizers. Fertilizers for seedlings: when and what to apply

How to care for apple trees, pears, plums, cherries, how to plant fruit seedlings how and with what to properly fertilize an orchard, how to care for seedlings, how to care for orchard when and what fertilizers to apply under apple trees, how to water apple trees.

All these questions can be answered in the article below. This article details how to care for an orchard.

Last spring you planted fruit seedlings. Of course, in the first summer there was nothing to expect normal growth from them, and it’s good that they took root. And now in the spring thin twigs buds swelled and strong young leaves hatched. So, the seedlings survived the first winter successfully. But for a long time the new settlers of your garden will need increased attention to yourself.
In the early years, they use only a small area - both above and below ground. Their roots spread to the sides a little further than the branches. Gardeners occupy the rest of the area between the rows with a vegetable garden or strawberries.
Another thing is yourself trunk circles: here both soil care and fertilizers are intended directly for the young tree. In other words, in young garden there should be two fertilizer and soil care systems: one for inter-row crops, the other for trunk circles.
The area of the near-stem circle is determined as follows: in the first year it is about one and a half times larger than the circle that can be outlined at the ends of the branches, and then every year it expands in all directions by half a meter. As a rule, in middle lane radius of the circle (distance from the stem to the edge).
Most often, the soil of the near-trunk circles is kept in a loose and weed-free state. Twice a year - in spring and autumn - it is carefully dug up (if possible with a pitchfork) to a depth of 10-12 cm at the trunk and 20 cm along the edge of the circle. In the summer, after rains and watering, they again loosen shallowly. And only at the end of summer, and even then, if not too dry, loosening and weeding stop.
The new settlers of your garden need water, and by the way, much more than adult trees. In the first two years after planting, they must be watered 4-5 times per season, regardless of the rains, unless they are very plentiful or protracted. Under each apple tree must be poured. In subsequent years, water less often, but twice as much.
And remember: never pour under the stem; it is best to make a shallow furrow around for this. But the most important, and at the same time, the most difficult thing from the first days of a young tree's life is to establish its proper nutrition. Suppose, when planting, you brought everything that is recommended into the planting pit: 3-4 buckets of humus (or 2-3 buckets of stale manure, or 5-7 buckets of peat); or potassium chloride (the norms are given for apple trees on the soils of the Non-Black Earth Region).
Such doses seem to be sufficient for a tree for several years. But everything is not so simple.
Phosphorus and potassium are really enough, but all of it is within the pit. As soon as the roots grow beyond its borders, they will find themselves in unfertilized and, moreover, unloosened, uncultivated soil, and this will immediately affect the growth of the tree. Your task is to improve the soil not only of today, but also of the future near-trunk circle. And not on the surface, but to the depth of two bayonets of a shovel - then it will be cultivated. And this must be done now, in the first years after planting.
Outside landing pit, further than the ends of the branches, phosphorus and potash fertilizers in higher doses: for each square meter. It is also good to add manure or compost in normal doses here, and dig everything up. On the next year or, in extreme cases, in a year all this must be repeated, and then the ring should be dug twice as deep as usual, that is, two bayonets of a shovel. The lower layers of the soil, which are now on top, must also be fertilized in the future.
Deep digging is best done in spring rather than autumn.
You can do it differently. Instead of a ring, also outside the crown, about 120 cm from the trunk, they dig 4 trenches 40 cm deep. They are placed on four sides, but in such a way that they do not close: there should be 50-75 cm between their ends. The soil taken out of the trenches is fertilized in the same way as for planting pits (per unit volume). For example, the length of the trench on one side of the tree is 120 cm, the width is 50, the depth is 40, therefore, the volume is 0.24 cubic meters. And the volume of all four trenches is about a cubic meter, that is, twice as much as the planting pit, and, therefore, fertilizers will also be needed twice as much (we have already mentioned the doses for the planting pit).
Fertilizers are mixed with the excavated soil, then the trenches are covered (preferably at the same time as watering) and compacted. If the soil is sandy, it is good to make a layer of clay with manure at the bottom of the trench so that fertilizers are less washed out.
In four years, new trenches will be needed. They should be placed 50-70 cm further and - in relation to the old trenches - diagonally, that is, opposite the gaps. In subsequent years, another row of trenches can be made. In other words, on the path of growing roots you substitute nutrient foci. And even if individual “advanced” roots fall under the shovel, do not be afraid: the tree as a whole will receive immeasurably more from improving the soil.
In addition, the usual doses of phosphorus and potassium must be applied to the surface layer of the soil of the entire near-stem circle at least once every 4 years, and.
Such a deep cultivation of the soil will gradually lead to the fact that "the whole garden has become a continuous planting pit," as I. V. Michurin advised.
Well, if such a thing is beyond your power - after all, indeed, this is a lot of work - how to be then? We will have to apply surface fertilizers more than once every 3-4 years, but every year - in the hope that phosphorus and potassium, albeit slowly, not immediately, but will reach the roots. And the doses should be approximately the same for poor, non-chernozem soils: per 1 sq. meter of the trunk circle - 60 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium chloride. And every 2-3 years: (these are the usual doses for surface application).
For cherries and plums, all the figures given here must be reduced by about a quarter: the amount of fertilizer, the depth of digging or trenches, and the time for cultivation, since the volume of roots in the soil, and the life span of these trees is less than that of apple and pear.
Nitrogen, on the other hand, must be given to the trees constantly, as needed, but not in the very first year after planting, because it has been noticed: it has a bad effect on root survival. And starting from the second year, it is brought in constantly - either in early spring, or like this: two-thirds in the spring, a third - in the summer (with top dressing), at the rate of 6-12 g per 1 sq. meter. For the season you need to make 20-40 g ammonium nitrate or 12-25 g of urea, or 30-60 g of ammonium sulfate for each square meter of the trunk circle. Moreover, trees will receive part of the nitrogen from the introduction (although not annual) of manure, peat or compost. young tree it will tell you by itself whether everything is in order with these batteries: weak growth, pale small leaves "speak" that nitrogen needs to be added. If there are no such signs, no.
And finally, let's say it again: all of the above applies only to near-stem circles. The aisles in a young garden receive care and fertilizer, if only because other crops grow nearby. However, over time, the trunk circles will expand so much that everyone will be forced out of the row spacing. By this time, the soil will already be enriched so that fertilizers will need to be applied only in maintenance doses, and this is already much easier. Having entered the time of full fruiting, the garden will thank you in full for those chores that now may seem burdensome.
V. SHERBAKOVA, agronomist.

Do not refuse courtesy if you liked the advice,
don't forget about rec-mu. Sincerely, Yuri Moskvin.
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Various fruit trees grow. Of course, in order for them to give beautiful harvest, pleased with their health and strength, it is necessary to make a lot of efforts. This is primarily due to proper care, which implies top dressing, protection from diseases and pests, and pruning. In this article, I would like to talk in more detail about top dressing. fruit trees during the summer season.

Why do you need to feed

First of all, we all know that in order to ensure active growth and development, the soil in which the fruit tree itself grows must contain a sufficient amount of nutrients and micronutrients. Summer, in turn, is a period of intensive growth, which is why the number of top dressings should increase during this period.

If we talk about what substances are necessary for fruit trees in the first place, then this, of course, is nitrogen. It promotes vegetative growth, development and strengthening of fruits. With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, fruit trees weaken, their leaves lose their saturated pigment, change their color to pale yellow, and the plate itself becomes smaller. Most importantly, a lack of nitrogen leads to a slowdown in the growth of shoots, fruiting, which in this case is unacceptable. Phosphorus is another substance that every fruit tree needs. It affects the formation of new buds and the actual development of the fetus. Therefore, be sure to feed your trees, as well as shrubs with fertilizers containing phosphorus. Potassium, in turn, promotes the absorption of nitrogen, carbon dioxide from the air and soil, and also makes plants frost-resistant, allowing them to easily endure heat and drought. If there is not enough potassium in the soil, then the shoots that appeared during the growing season die off by the end of the season, which is why this should never be allowed.

And nitrogen, and phosphorus, and potassium can be introduced into the soil with the help of mineral complex fertilizers containing in its composition all the necessary substances. In the case of potassium, you can additionally add ash to the soil, which, just 10%, consists of this substance. Feeding ash must be stored in a dry and fairly cool place. As for the regularity of fertilizer application, most of them should be applied at the beginning of summer, that is, June. Top dressing should be regular and quite fruitful.

In addition to mineral fertilizers, compost and manure, which are of natural origin, are used to feed trees. Manure is actually rightfully considered the most effective fertilizer. If we talk about the varieties of manure, then in the case of fruit trees, in terms of efficiency, it is precisely bird droppings, then sheep litter follows, and in last place is cow litter, which is more familiar to us.

It's important to understand that fresh manure is categorically not suitable for feeding trees. He must necessarily perepret or rot. So, for the preparation of manure suitable for feeding fruit and berry trees, you must follow a certain sequence of actions. First of all, stack the manure in layers of 19-20 cm each. Layers should be sprinkled with superphosphate at the rate of 1% by weight of the manure layer. This is how the manure is piled up until the pile reaches a height of 1.5 meters. From above it must be overlaid with turf, moistened if necessary. All this contributes to the acceleration of the process of decay.

It is not bad to use slurry obtained by diluting the resulting manure in water to feed fruit trees. The slurry itself must be infused and fermented. In the future, for top dressing, it must also be diluted with water in a proportional ratio of 1: 8. Compost, formed from the humus of a variety of waste, is also great for fertilizing fruit trees. By the way, it is the simplest and most inexpensive way to feed.

If you want a great harvest, as well as to contribute to the further growth and development of their fruit trees, then feeding them in the summer should be plentiful, regular, because it is on this that the strength of the grown plants primarily depends.

Competent and timely application of fertilizers is the key to the harmonious development of seedlings. However, many gardeners are ill-informed about when and what kind of dressing to apply. This article will help you understand all the intricacies of an important process aimed at increasing the productivity of plant growth.

Proper fertilization of the soil will create favorable conditions for the existence of crops and will avoid problems in the future. But it is necessary to fertilize with knowledge of the matter. Uncontrolled introduction of organic matter or complex dressings can do harm. So, how to feed the seedlings?

Young plants primarily need phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Usually it is they that are lacking in the soil, which means that this should be compensated. Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon are no less important components of "excellent health". If the nutritional value of the soil leaves much to be desired, then the seedlings will lack these elements of the periodic table. But calcium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese at the beginning of the journey requires a minimum amount.

The need for certain fertilizers depends on the type of crops that you have planted. So, pears and apple trees are more in need of organic matter. Cherry and apricot - in minerals.

How to find out what exactly is missing?

If the seedlings are not rooting well, you should take a closer look at them. With careful visual inspection you will definitely find characteristics deficiency of an element.

Thin weak stems, small pale leaves indicate that the seedlings lack nitrogen. Leaves dry at the edges, turn yellow or brown? You need potassium. Acute shortage magnesium manifests itself in the form of blanching of the leaves, which subsequently turn yellow and fall off.

Small and almost black foliage, mainly in the lower part of the plant, is a signal that phosphorus should be fed. Intensive wilting of leaves and shoots indicates a lack of iron. Most often, raspberries, grapes, apple trees, and plums need iron. But when there is not enough copper, the leaves at the tips brighten, become lethargic and soon die off.

Phosphorus and potassium: what you need to know

Experts advise to make phosphorus and potassium only in the 4th year after planting. It is better to do this in the fall, because. such complexes contain hardly digestible substances. An exception is made for fruit-bearing plants - they are fed in the spring.

Many make such fertilizers during fruit set. And they do it right - it favorably affects the quality and quantity of the crop.

So what fertilizers for seedlings containing potassium and phosphorus should be applied first?

potassium sulfate used as the main fertilizer for fruit-bearing crops. The content of the main active ingredient is 50%. It is applied mainly in spring;
potassium salt. Universal top dressing is suitable for any type of crops. The content of the main substance is 40%. It is brought in in the fall;
superphosphate. Fertilizer in granules. The content of phosphoric acid - up to 20%. It is brought in at the rate of 35-40 gr/m2;
phosphate rock. Not only a valuable fertilizer, but also an effective neutralizer hyperacidity soil. Phosphorus content varies from 15 to 35%. Oriented to top dressing of any fruit trees.

There are special mixtures containing other substances in addition to potassium and phosphorus. For example, nitrophoska and diammofoska include potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen in different ratios.

Nitrogen: when and how to apply?

If the soil was fertilized with nitrogen during planting, then the first top dressing is practiced in the 3rd year after planting. Most of the nitrogen is applied in spring, the smaller part in autumn. Calculate as follows: 20 g / m2 (for poor soils) or 10 g / m2 (for fertile soils). If you plan to apply nitrogen, then you should use:

urea (carbimide). Contains rapidly digestible nitrogen. Young plantings can be fertilized with urea in two ways: by instilling a dry mixture into tree trunks or spraying the trunk and leaves with a solution (for this, 0.5 kg of urea is dissolved in a bucket of water);
ammonium nitrate. Feeding in granules is well absorbed by seedlings. Saltpeter can be used in dry (15 g / m2) and liquid (25 g / bucket of water) form;
compost, bird droppings and manure. Designed to feed the soil of medium fertility. Contains a small amount of nitrogen. Optimal as an addition to other mineral complexes.

Weak seedlings should not be fertilized with nitrogen. This will significantly extend the growing season and reduce frost resistance.

Organics: rules to remember

Most useful fertilizer for seedlings - manure. It should be made in the 3rd year. Chicken manure is especially valuable. They fertilize the land in the spring at the rate of 5 kg / m2. For fertilizing fruit trees, manure is diluted with water (1 kg / bucket of water) and infused for 4-5 days. In autumn, the dosage of manure is reduced to 0.3 kg/m2. Manure from domestic animals is brought in only in a rotted state. Fertilize with manure once every 3 years. If the land is very poor, you can once every 2 years.

Another useful organic fertilizer- peat. Improves air permeability and soil structure. Furnace ash reduces the acidity of the earth. Make it at the rate of 100 g / m2. Mix with other organics or prepare a solution.

Compost deserves special attention. It is introduced in the first year after planting. Increases the nutritional value of the soil, enriches it with humus and improves aeration. Contains substances necessary for seedlings to grow.

High-quality compost can successfully replace any mineral mixtures. It is also easy to make compost. To do this, they dig a trench in the fall and fill it with leaves, grass, sawdust, tops, tea leaves and other waste. The compost pit is covered with earth and safely forgotten about it until spring. During the winter, everything that you threw into it will turn into a wonderful fertilizer.

The interval between top dressing is 2 seasons. The optimal time for fertilizing with compost is September-October. Important: compost is lightly dug into the top layer of the earth or simply laid out near tree trunks.

Don't know what else to feed the seedlings? Ready-made fertilizers - Aquarin, Kemira, Ecofoska, AVA, Uniflor-growth, Florist, Ferovit, Uniflor - have proven themselves to be excellent. The main thing is to carefully read the instructions (the composition of the drugs is different) and follow the dosage.