Is it time to fertilize?

[Charman03]

Based on how these trees look?

 

[Nova]

I am just a greenhorn when it comes to fruit trees, but I put a cup of urea around all my apples last weekend. There were not even starting to show flowers, but had leaves about half way out of the bud.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I put a good sprinkling of 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 around our trees about now each year. I've done that for their first 5 years in the ground. I've read and been told that after they get well established, you don't need to fertilize if new growth is over 8" or 10". I think Maya and Appleman have said we want "fruiting wood" - not flushes of vegetative wood that need to be thinned out. Soil pH needs to be in the 6.0 to 6.7 range I believe for healthy apples.

Maybe Maya, Appleman, Turkey Creek, or Crazy Ed can jump in - they have more experience.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I fertilize a little heavier--three times year for the first 5-6 years-- but my soil is poor (sand) and I want vigorous growth (limbs and roots) before fruiting starts.
Build the soil with mulch if you can afford it. Wood chips or even grass clippings, leaves, or straw/hay which are more affordable.
Healthy soil, healthy tree.

 

[Peeps]

I fertilize a little heavier--three times year for the first 5-6 years-- but my soil is poor (sand) and I want vigorous growth (limbs and roots) before fruiting starts.
Build the soil with mulch if you can afford it. Wood chips or even grass clippings, leaves, or straw/hay which are more affordable.
Healthy soil, healthy tree.

Do you fertilize the same year the tree was planted or do you start applying the fertilizer the second year on? I also have sandy soil. The trees I planted last weekend each got 4 bags of composted manure added to their holes.

 

[Prof.Kent]

Do you fertilize the same year the tree was planted or do you start applying the fertilizer the second year on? I also have sandy soil. The trees I planted last weekend each got 4 bags of composted manure added to their holes.

"Experts" say don't fertilize the first year. I think that means don't fertilize with nitrogen the first year, which encourages vegetative growth over root growth.

 

[sandbur]

Sandy soil in my area means we need lime. Please make sure the soil pH is in the correct range.

Some say crab apples might tolerate a slightly lower pH.


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[Freeborn]

Here is an interesting read on fertilizing apples.

I need to test my soil in my orchard. I have soil tested my foodplots but not my orchard. I have spread lime around my trees but not the entire orchard.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/kind-fertilizer-use-apple-trees-49268.html

 

[sandbur]

Here is an interesting read on fertilizing apples.

I need to test my soil in my orchard. I have soil tested my foodplots but not my orchard. I have spread lime around my trees but not the entire orchard.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/kind-fertilizer-use-apple-trees-49268.html

What does your natural pH run on the foodplots before amending? Any differences between heavier and light soil?


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[sandbur]

My method for the last few years has been fruit tree spikes applied about this time of year. I use a gopher probe to make a hole and set the spikes about 4 inches below the surface. I add a handful of pel lime on top of that and throw a bit more lime at the tree base.
I have one block of trees left to fertilize and only do this to trees of bearing age. It seems to work.

Natural soil pH is often 4.5 on the light sand where I don’t plant apple trees, and up in the fives on the heavier, low ground. I use pel lime in the hole when planting.

I am open to suggestions.


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[Boone]

Is there a reason to wait until leaves grow? I have been putting triple 10 around my apple trees as soon as the ground thaws. Then again in late may.

 

[H20fwler]

View attachment 18300View attachment 18301View attachment 18302View attachment 18301Based on how these trees look?

Mine look about as far along as yours or a touch more, I put about a half a cup of triple 15 around mine two days ago.

 

[Freeborn]

Here is an interesting read on fertilizing apples.

I need to test my soil in my orchard. I have soil tested my foodplots but not my orchard. I have spread lime around my trees but not the entire orchard.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/kind-fertilizer-use-apple-trees-49268.html

What does your natural pH run on the foodplots before amending? Any differences between heavier and light soil?


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My natural Ph is about 5.9 so not to bad. Similar to you I broadcast a couple cups of Pell lime around each tree in the spring.

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[JFK52]

I just got done putting out 160 Jobe's 8-11-11 apple tree fertilizer spikes around the drip lines of my 27 mature apple trees. Each tree gets an appropriate number of spikes according to the size of the tree. Some of the smaller ones get 4 spikes, bigger trees get 8 or more spikes. I take a spud chucker and pop a hole in the soil. Then just drop in the spike and tamp it down with my foot. The spikes slowly release the fertilizer for the next 60 days. I have been doing this for the past three years. That is when I pruned all the trees after many years of just leaving the trees alone. The ample rain of the past few weeks is certainly helping dispense the fertilizer.

 

[Wild Thing]

Is there a reason to wait until leaves grow? I have been putting triple 10 around my apple trees as soon as the ground thaws. Then again in late may.

I have been fertilizing after the trees are fully leafed out based upon that recommendation from Bill Mayo in a Quality Whitetails article many years ago. Up here that is going to be in mid-late May anyway and it is usually the only time I fertilize except that the fruit trees in my fenced in orchard will also get the lawn fertilizer usually once/year when I fertilize the lawn. The apple trees in my food plots will also get whatever fertilizer the food plots get once/year as well, except that I will avoid fertilizing apple trees when I fertilize fall planted food plots.

Frankly though, I don't think it really matters much if you fertilize before the trees are leafed out. I know that many people do fertilize earlier and it doesn't appear to have any ill-effects that have been noted. Like a lot of things - it probably varies with "when" the average Joe has the time to fertilize more so than anything else.