Fertilizing fruit trees in winter requires attention to method, and mastering the method is very important

The best time to apply base fertilizer to fruit trees is autumn, but orchards that failed to apply base fertilizer in time for various reasons can apply it as a supplement in early winter. The winter fertilization time for fruit trees should be early rather than late, and it is best done in early winter when the orchard ground is not yet completely frozen. The fertilization method should be scientific and combined with winter irrigation to achieve the best effect.

Winter fertilization of fruit trees is very important. It has a great impact on the growth of fruit trees the following year and is also related to the yield of fruit trees the following year. Therefore, the fertilization management of fruit trees should be strengthened in winter. So, how should winter fertilization of fruit trees be carried out?

????Choose good fertilizer

High-quality fertilizers include decomposed compost, barnyard manure, pen manure, green manure, crop straw, and human excrement and urine, chicken manure, etc. These organic fertilizers contain a variety of nutrient elements needed by fruit trees, and continuous large-scale application can effectively improve orchard soil. The application rate of organic fertilizer can be 2-3 kg of fertilizer per 1 kg of fruit produced, or 20-30 kg of organic fertilizer per mature fruit tree. It should be noted that organic fertilizer must be fully decomposed. If undecomposed organic fertilizer is applied directly into the soil, a large amount of heat will be generated during the fermentation process and cause root burn.

????Pay attention to fertilization time

According to the growth pattern of fruit tree roots in winter, under normal circumstances, the best time to apply base fertilizer in autumn is mid to late September, and another fertilization period is between early October and mid-November. If both times are missed, fertilizer should be applied as early as possible after the soil thaws in the following spring.

????Fertilization method

When fertilizing in winter, apply fertilizer on the ground under the tree canopy with the trunk as the axis, and keep a distance of about 80 cm from the central trunk, and dig 4-6 radial trenches outward, narrow inside and wide outside, shallow inside and deep outside, or dig some strip-shaped trenches in the ground at the outer edge of the tree canopy. Under normal circumstances, the trench depth is 20-40 cm, the width is about 40 cm, and the length is about 80 cm. When digging trenches, if thick roots with a diameter of more than 1.5 cm are encountered, remember to try not to cut them off. After applying fertilizer, do not cover it immediately. Mix the fertilizer and soil thoroughly and evenly, then cover it, and also water it, as appropriate.

????Supplement micronutrient fertilizer

Fruit trees have a small demand for micronutrient fertilizers, but they cannot be lacking. When a certain micronutrient fertilizer is insufficiently supplied, fruit trees are prone to physiological diseases such as nutrient deficiency disorders, for example, iron deficiency can cause chlorosis, and zinc deficiency can cause little leaf disease. For fruit trees that show iron deficiency year after year, ferrous sulfate should be supplemented in the base fertilizer, but ferrous sulfate applied directly into the soil will quickly convert into insoluble compounds, so it is better to apply it together with organic fertilizer. For orchards that are deficient in boron and zinc year after year, apply sufficient boron fertilizer and zinc fertilizer separately each year when applying base fertilizer by trench application or hole application. Generally, each mature bearing tree is applied with 50 grams each of boron fertilizer and zinc fertilizer. Zhang Hongliang