When Is the Best Time to Fertilize Fruit Trees? Plus Fertilization Precautions

When growing fruit trees, fertilizing is an essential step for improving both yield and quality. But there is a right way to choose when to fertilize; only by treating the problem with the right remedy can you harvest more fruit in the season of abundance. So when is the best time to fertilize fruit trees? Do you know all three important periods?

1. Fertilizing in spring during the young tree stage

In the process of growing fruit trees, spring is an important period for budding, leafing out and flowering. This period covers the energy for all life activities of the fruit tree and the growth of every part, and it has a great need for a large supply of nutrients, which determines whether the fruit tree can grow and develop healthily later on. So spring is the first important period for fertilizing fruit trees.

2. Fertilizing in summer during the early fruiting stage

Summer is an important period for promoting flower bud differentiation in fruit trees and improving fruit tree yield and the external quality of the fruit, so summer topdressing is also very necessary. According to a large amount of practical experience, when topdressing in summer, the most suitable time is for fertilizer high in potassium, low in nitrogen and low in phosphorus. And the earlier the topdressing is done, the better, as this is most beneficial to the growth of the fruit tree.

3. Fertilizing in autumn during the full fruiting stage

Autumn is an important period for fruit trees to store nutrients, and fertilizing at this time plays a very important transitional role for the fruit tree. This is because if a fruit tree bears too much fruit during the growing season or suffers too much pest damage, it may cause excess nutrient consumption; the nutrients stored in the tree body will then be insufficient to support continued budding, flowering and leafing out the following year, which will affect the overall yield and quality of the fruit tree. So during the period from after fruit harvest to before leaf fall, 0.5% urea and potassium dihydrogen phosphate are the most suitable. Spray the whole tree once about every 10 days, repeating 3 to 4 times; this can help the fruit tree store nutrients and promote flowering and fruiting the following year.

4. Fertilization precautions

During fertilization, differences in the characteristics of fruit trees also determine slight differences in fertilization methods. Fruit trees with denser root systems should be fertilized deeply, at a depth of about 40 to 60 cm; fruit trees with sparse root systems need shallow fertilization, and a depth of 30 to 40 cm is enough. When fertilizing, the fertilization area should be mainly along the projected edge of the tree canopy and slightly beyond it, so that the effect of the fertilizer can be brought into play to the greatest extent.

Overall, when fertilizing fruit trees, only by fertilizing at the right time can you improve fertilizer use efficiency and increase fruit tree yield.