How to Fertilize Plum Trees? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Fertilization Methods and Techniques
The nutritional value of plums: their antioxidant content is extremely high, and they have anti-aging and disease-preventing effects. Regular consumption can beautify the skin and keep it smooth. When growing plums, mastering scientific fertilization methods is the key to improving fruit varieties and increasing yield and income. So how should plums be fertilized? Let's take a look.
1. Base fertilizer
Base fertilizer can supply the nutrients needed for plant growth over a relatively long period and is the foundation of plant growth. It is generally applied during land preparation before planting or placed at the bottom of the planting hole when transplanting. Base fertilizer is usually mainly organic fertilizer or farmyard manure, such as compost, stable manure, green manure, etc. At the same time, some quick-acting chemical fertilizers, such as nitrogen fertilizer, can also be mixed in to meet the nitrogen requirements needed by the plant during early budding and flowering. Base fertilizer is best applied in autumn, because the soil temperature in autumn is relatively high, and the base fertilizer applied then can decompose as quickly as possible without causing excessive damage to the plant roots. Of course, decomposed farmyard manure can also be applied directly.
2. Topdressing
In addition to applying base fertilizer, topdressing should also be carried out 4-5 times each year according to the growth condition of the plant. This can speed up plant growth, enable earlier flowering and fruiting, and also have a certain yield-increasing effect.
1. Topdressing at the flowering stage
In order to meet the large amount of nutrients consumed by budding and flowering, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer once 7-10 days before budding, generally about 200-250 grams per plant, increased or decreased according to tree vigor.
2. Topdressing after flowering
After the flowers fade, it is exactly the peak period of young fruit growth and new shoot growth. At this time, in order to avoid new shoots and young fruits competing for nutrients and causing poor growth of young fruits, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer should be applied in time to reduce physiological fruit drop, increase the fruit-setting rate, and promote the growth of young fruits and new shoots. The application rate is also about 200-300 grams.
3. Fertilization at the fruiting stage
From after physiological fruit drop to the fruit enlargement stage, in order to speed up fruit enlargement and increase yield, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer should be applied in time to enhance leaf photosynthesis and promote the tree to synthesize nutrients. This is beneficial both for fruit enlargement and for flower bud differentiation. At this time, the application rate can be increased somewhat, depending on the number of fruits set.
4. Fertilization in the late fruit growth stage
From when the fruit begins to color until before harvest, topdressing should also be applied once. At this time, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied sparingly or not at all, with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers as the main components, combined with an appropriate amount of boron fertilizer. Using foliar spraying can increase single fruit weight and fruit quality, and can also help the tree accumulate nutrients, which is extremely important for the yield of the following year.
The above is an introduction to how to fertilize plums. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.