Fruit trees are those plants whose flowers end up becoming fruits. In the Iberian Peninsula the most common are orange, apple or pear trees, but we can find many others such as lemon, cherry or peach trees.
These trees, like any plant, need specific care to a greater or lesser extent so that they can grow vigorously and provide the maximum number of quality fruits. Therefore, it is important to know how to care for them and what fertilizers are suitable for each type of fruit tree according to their requirements.
How to take care of fruit trees
As we have already mentioned, in order to obtain a good number of fruits, good care and maintenance of the trees is essential. Factors, such as the geographical area in which they are located and the temperature must be taken into account, but in addition, there are a series of basic care:
- Pruning in fruit trees
For any tree to grow healthy and strong it is necessary to prune it. With this, we manage to eliminate weak or poorly positioned branches that hinder the growth of the tree. In addition, with this technique we favor the appearance of new shoots.
- Graft the fruit trees
Through this technique, which consists of introducing a part of a plant into another and both grow as one, the aim is to modify some characteristics of the trees in order to obtain improvements or create new varieties.
- Fumigation
To prevent pests and diseases of fruit trees, the use of phytosanitary products is used.
However, in addition to this care, it is also important to have a good fertilisation plan for our trees. It is important to know when to fertilize fruit trees and what fertilizer is good for their type:
- fertilizer for orange trees,
- fertilizer for lemon trees,
- fertilizer for apricot trees,
- fertilizer for avocados,
- fertilizer for mango, etc.
Fertilizers for fruit trees,
When to fertilize fruit trees
Fruit trees are among the crops that consume the most nutrients, therefore, they need a continuous supply of them. That is why there is no ideal time of year to fertilize fruit trees, but fertilizers will be applied regularly througout the year.
Generally, they begin to be fertilized in spring with specific fertilizers for each type of fruit tree. During the winter it is important to apply fertilizers based on organic matter such as manure, compost or earthworm humus.
As for young trees, it will depend on the type of tree as well as how old it is and the state it is in. They recommend applying the fertilizer at the end of winter, so that they have availability of nutrients at the beginning of spring.
With a good fertilization plan for fruit trees, not only is it possible for the trees to give their maximum yield, but also to protect themselves from pests and diseases.
How to fertilize fruit trees
There are two types of fertilizers for fruit trees:
- Bottom fertilization plan: It is used to fertilize the soil before planting or transplanting the tree. It is applied during the winter and strengthens the trees during this time of fertilization. Through bottom fertilization, organic fertilizers such as manure, compost or earthworm humus are slightly incorporated into the soil.
- Maintenance fertilization plan:It is applied three or four times a year so that the trees can grow properly, providing them with the necessary nutrients. Mineral fertilizers are usually used in the form of granules that contain the necessary doses of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other elements.
In addition, if nutritional deficiencies are detected, for example iron, they can be corrected by spraying a liquid iron deficiency correcting fertilizer on the foliage or adding iron sulfate to the soil.
What types of subscriptions are there?
Whether we are talking about fertilizers or chemical or organic fertilizers, these can be classified according to their format in:
- Liquids fertilizers: its effectiveness is quite fast since they are usually very concentrated. However, it is important to dilute the indicated dose in water before application to avoid overdoses that could damage the trees.
- Powdered or granulated fertilizers: they are usually released slowly during irrigation. They tend to mix with the land. So it is the irrigation water that carries the nutrients for the growth of the plant
- Homemade: egg shells, fruit peels, animal feed, wood ash or vegetable remains can be used as natural fertilizers. However, it is not recommended to pay only with this type of fertilizers since the trees could have significant nutritional deficiencies, thus affecting their correct development.
Depending on the type of tree and plantation, we must know what fertilizer is good for fruit trees.
Fertilizers for growing trees
When trees are growing it is very important that they obtain the necessary nutrients from the soil, so thechoice of growth fertilizer is a key factor during this stage.
Each fertilizer has a different composition, which adapts to different types of plants and crops. Therefore, it is essential to know what nutritional requirements our fruit tree has.
There are fertilizers for the growth of organics trees, which are composed mainly of organic matter from animals or plants. This type of fertilizers are respectful with the environment,they improve the conditions of the agricultural soil and the quality of the crops.
These fertilizers are the best option if what you want is to have a 100% organic crop, but,
What is the best fertilizer for fruit trees?
At Fervalle we have Algavalle, an ecological fertilizer whose formulation is based on a 35% algae extract together with amino acids. The advantages of applying algae to crops are:
- To provide a high content of calcium, micronutrients, vitamins and organic matter
- To promote an increase in the content of macro and micronutrients in the soil, such as iron, zinc and manganese
- To act as a biostimulant on plant development, enhancing the physiological processes of the plant, such as rooting, flowering, setting, ripening and fattening of the fruit
Furthermore, we also find mineral growth fertilizers from organic minerals present in nature. They have a high amount of macronutrients (NPK), which makes them ideal for plants to grow faster and more vigorous.
If you want to get the highest possible yield at the lowest cost, a mineral fertilizer is the most suitable to achieve it.
Excalibur, a highly concentrated solution of American Leonardite extracted in an acid medium and highly enriched with organic acids. It has benefits such as:
- High cation exchange capacity to the soil
- Great power of stimulation in the aerial part due to its great contribution of direct energy and its influence on the enzymatic and hormonal metabolism of the plant.
In conclusion, it is important to know what the nutritional requirements of our fruit trees are in order to choose the best fertilizer for them and ensure that they provide us with the maximum number of fruits.
