When to Fertilize Kiwifruit? Detailed Guide to Fertilization Timing and Methods

Kiwifruit is a vine fruit, originally a wild fruit, with strong vitality, but after artificial cultivation, in order to grow well, increase yield and achieve high yield, attention needs to be paid to fertilization and topdressing during cultivation. Generally, topdressing is applied according to the growth stage. Fertilization methods should also be adjusted according to growth conditions, and specific fertilization situations can be analyzed in detail.

1. Base fertilizer

For base fertilizer application, for young trees, the first base fertilizer should be applied before planting. This base fertilizer can be spread throughout the whole orchard, which is beneficial for absorption and utilization and for seedling growth. Apply about 3000 jin of farmyard manure per mu. If it is one year after planting or a mature fruiting tree, base fertilizer can be applied around November, after fruit harvest and before the soil freezes. It is best to apply fertilizer by digging trenches, which is beneficial for plant absorption and avoids waste. The base fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure such as livestock manure, soil and miscellaneous manure, and straw compost, as well as some quick-acting fertilizers such as calcium magnesium phosphate.

2. Topdressing for young trees

Young trees generally refer to the period after planting and before fruiting. At this time, the main purpose is growth, and the fertilizer requirement is relatively much lower. In order to supply fertilizer for continuous growth, only a small amount of topdressing applied multiple times is needed. Continuous topdressing is mainly farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer. The fertilization method is circular trench fertilization, or radial fertilization, both of which are methods beneficial for root absorption.

3. Topdressing for mature trees

Before flowering and before sprouting, fertilizer can be applied, mainly to promote branch and shoot growth, so nitrogen fertilizer is mainly applied. After flowers fade, fertilizer is applied during the fruiting period. As the fruit grows rapidly, the need for fertilizer increases, mainly benefiting fruit growth and canopy expansion. In the early stage of fruit ripening, topdressing is needed once more to ensure fruit quality and nutrition. During this period, foliar spraying can also be used to protect flowers and fruits.

4. Fertilization methods

For the first base fertilizer for young trees, it can be spread throughout the whole orchard, which helps enrich the soil and improve the soil, and it is applied before planting. Afterward, it is used in late autumn and early winter. Because the fertilization amount is large, trench application can be absorbed and save labor. Topdressing for young trees must be carried out effectively, so circular trench fertilization is best, carried out tree by tree. For multiple topdressings for mature trees, water-soluble application can be used, or circular trench application, direct row trench application, and root-outside topdressing can also be used.

Kiwifruit is also a fertilizer-loving plant. Generally, fertilization is very important, with different fertilization standards at different stages. More suitable fertilization methods can also be selected.