Top dressing is one of the key stages of growing plants, regardless of their type. This is important when planting seedlings of fruit trees and shrubs, as well as during the growing season. An adult tree also needs feeding. In this matter, you should choose the right type of fertilizer. The main ones are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Another reason why you should not neglect top dressing - many of them prevent various diseases, strengthening the immunity of trees and shrubs. Thus, feeding fruit trees is an important point in caring for garden plantings.

First feeding

Early spring feeding is of paramount importance, when a tree or bush just wakes up after winter, and the juices begin to accelerate their movement. During the winter period, the tree is depleted and needs vitamins.

Important! Top dressing of fruit trees in spring is applied even before the snow has completely melted (March-April). So, when the first thawed patches appear, it is recommended to apply the first mineral fertilizers. These can be any superphosphates.

The bulk of such fertilizers are in the form of water-soluble granules, but sub-zero temperatures still persist in early spring, which means that watering is useless and unsafe. In this case:

  1. the granules are mixed with manure;
  2. the ground near the tree is slightly loosened;
  3. then cover the place of loosening with a mixture of manure and fertilizers;
  4. sprinkle with snow or soil.

The procedure is carried out at lunchtime, when the daytime temperature is up to 5 ° C. This foliar method will allow you to feed trees without harming them.

Top dressing with potassium sulfate

The second stage occurs in late April - early May. At this time, you can irrigate with mineral fertilizers.

Fertilizing fruit during flowering and after

If spring dressings are aimed at strengthening the health and immunity of fruit and berry crops, then summer ones are aimed at increasing yields. Top dressing of fruit trees in summer consists in the introduction of organic matter and complex mineral fertilizers. First of all, potash fertilizers are important for fruiting, as well as universal preparations from the Azofosk series. Its complex composition will provide the entire set of essential vitamins.

The process of feeding trees and shrubs has its own characteristics. For trees, there are three ways:

  • root;
  • foliar;
  • spraying.

The first method is not suitable for shrubs, since their roots are close to the surface of the ground and they are easily damaged. The latter does not apply to irrigation with fertilizers at the root.

Ash feeding

For trees, the root feeding method is that the soil near the trunk is removed, a mixture of manure, peat, soil and fertilizers is introduced, and then closed again with the harvested soil. Some gardeners add ash, sand, yeast to such compositions. After the harvested soil is returned to its place, urea is added after 2-3 days. It accelerates the process of disintegration of fertilizers and enhances their effect.

Top dressing in the summer is characterized by the fact that it is carried out at different times for each crop. The latter can be divided into:

  • fruit crops of early fruiting;
  • medium early cultures;
  • cultures of late fruiting.

Basically, the same fertilizer complexes are chosen for them, but the procedures are carried out at different times.The total number of summer dressings should not exceed 3-5 times, depending on the variety, type and age of the tree or shrub.

Important! For crops of early fruiting, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers should be chosen in a percentage of the main substance of at least 50%. During the flowering period, it is recommended to feed cherries, cherries, peaches, apricots and plums with such complexes.

Their flowering period falls on June, which means that you can feed the trees already in May. Phosphorus is important in the formation of flower buds and, in fact, the yield of the crop depends on it. In addition, when it comes to apricots and peaches, the fruit will be stored longer, since phosphorus increases keeping quality. Potassium promotes the assimilation of nitrogen from the soil, and also increases the winter hardiness of the crop.

The most convenient time for fertilizing will be the first week of May. During this period, you can use the root method without fear.

Top dressing is performed as follows:

  1. sod is removed around the tree trunk, if any;
  2. half a meter from the base of the trunk, small holes are dug so that they almost reach the rhizome (up to 7 such holes can be made);
  3. fertilizer granules are laid in each well, one handful of potassium and phosphorus;
  4. they must be mixed with soil and poured with water;
  5. seal the holes back and cover with turf.

This method is recommended when the seedling is transferred to the ground or transplanted to a permanent location. Early varieties of apple and pear trees are also fed.

During the flowering period, the culture of early fruiting should be fed with organic matter. It could be compost. Nitrogen fertilizers will be useful, especially for apple trees, quince, pears, plums.

Shrubs also need to be fertilized during the flowering period: currants, gooseberries, stonetoza or felt cherries. Superphosphates and organics are also relevant for these crops.

What and how to fertilize after flowering

After flowering, nitrogen fertilizers should be chosen for plants. If the land is fertile enough, then organic matter can be limited. Nitrogen complexes must be applied to sandy and sandy loam soils.

Important! The mineral complex can be used together with organic matter, but in a minimal amount, while phosphorus can be replaced with calcium fertilizers.

If in early spring there were several dressings with mineral fertilizers, then after flowering you can limit yourself to organic matter. Fertilization can be done with ordinary manure, compost and urea, and industrial potash complexes can be replaced with wood ash.

Root and foliar feeding

In the summer, foliar feeding is the most effective. It is produced by spraying the leaves with compositions of mineral fertilizers. It better saturates the leaves with nutrients and trace elements.

Its main disadvantage is that the exact dosage of substances must be observed. But the problem is solved by using ready-made formulations.

For spraying, you can use both organic matter and mineral fertilizers:

  • manganese;
  • copper sulfate;
  • zinc;
  • phosphorus;
  • potash compounds;
  • urea.

There should be at least three foliar dressings per season, and they all fall on the summer. For these purposes, a spray bottle or hand sprayer is used. At least 10 liters of solution or 1.5 buckets should be spent on one tree. For shrubs, for example, currants, gooseberries, if the bushes are small, half a bucket is enough.

Spraying is carried out in the phase of peduncle formation, as well as during fruit ripening. When harvesting, it is better to refuse such manipulations, but after harvesting, you can carry out another 2-3 sprays.

Important! The first foliar dressing with urea is carried out in the phase of bud formation, which will slow down flowering and avoid the death of the crop due to frost.

One of the methods of root dressing has already been described above, but it is not the only one. Root dressing is the application of fertilizers directly to the soil or under the root. They can be introduced in the form of watering with vitamin complexes dissolved in water or urea.When applied to the soil, fertilizer granules are either simply scattered around the tree, or they loosen the earth, make trenches or holes around the trunk, where dry mixtures are introduced, buried and watered.

The root method is used 20 days before the beginning of flowering time. Using vitamin complexes, you should pay attention to the condition of the soil. For sandy soils, nitrogen and potassium are needed. There are enough of them in fertile soil, which allows you to limit yourself to organic matter, manganese and iodine solution.

Important! After applying root dressings, it is important to ensure abundant watering, since trees absorb nutrients only in dissolved form.

As for the volume, if we are talking about aqueous solutions, then up to 20-35 buckets are needed for one adult tree.

Organic fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle:

  1. at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the alignment, the soil is dug up;
  2. at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m², manure is scattered;
  3. the soil is loosened again;
  4. watered abundantly within 2-3 days.

In addition to manure, compost, dung, wood ash are introduced in the same way.

Top dressing with manure

The last root dressing is carried out in late autumn, when the tree is being prepared for winter. At this time, it is important to add a complex of phosphates, as well as treat trees from insects. At this time, the pest begins to look for a place for wintering, which means that it is possible to additionally whitewash the trunks and add an aqueous solution of slaked lime to the near-trunk circle.

Tips and tricks for fertilizing fruit

Experienced gardeners recommend acting according to the following principle - there is no need to overfeed, it is better to underfeed, especially young trees.

The frequency of fertilizing depends on how rich the soil is in minerals: the more there are, the less fertilization is required. Accordingly, the less, the more feeding. The minimum amount is once a year.

If the plants in the garden are young, then it is recommended for them to gradually increase the amount of substances. Experienced gardeners offer the following scheme for feeding young plants:

  • do not feed in the first year;
  • in the second, use 1/3 of the required amount for feeding;
  • in the third year again, no additional feeding;
  • by the fourth half of the required amount, etc.

Potassium is added depending on the period of development of the plant. For example, its introduction is mandatory during the formation of the plant root system.

Important! Nitrogen fertilizers promote accelerated growth of branches and foliage. Therefore, during the period of fruit formation, their introduction is not desirable, since the fruits will not have enough nutrients.

If nitrogen is required during the specified period, then it must be mixed with another substance, for example, with potassium. In this case, nitrogen will not interfere with the ripening of the fruit.

That's all about feeding fruit trees! Every gardener can use the article as a cheat sheet to always know when and how much to fertilize. If you do everything right, the harvest of fruits and berries will not take long.