Fertilizer on apple trees

[4wanderingeyes]

So I ave a bunch of 3-8 year old apple trees. I have sometimes tossed fertilizer to them, and sometimes I didnt. I never really paid any attention as to if it did much for them.
A lot of my apple trees have never had fruit, or just had a few apples. I am hoping this is the big year for them. I have opened the canopy so they can get more sun, I am hoping for no drought this year, and if it is dry, I will have time to water them a couple times a week, and a gradual warm up, with no late freezes.

But my question is fertilizer, online I read both sides of adding fertilizer. One says to add it, and you will get a great crop of apples if the trees are producing, and others that say if you add fertilizer, you will be more likely to get growth from the tree, rather then fruit. Which is it? Most of my trees are plenty big, and should be putting on fruit now. I just want to do what I can to encourage it, and try to avoid things to prevent them from putting on fruit.

 

[PrairieShadow]

Following along for this.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Both bits of information are correct depending on the age of the tree. Helpful to look at a tree as a reproductive organism. A tree, a plant any living thing is looking to do one thing, reach a developmental stage where it can reach sexual maturity and produce offspring. A young tree say 5 -6 years old or younger is looking to put on growth to reach that point where it can bear fruit and continue to bear fruit. It will eventually switch from a vegetative growth stage to a fruit producing stage. Often times that vegetative stage can be pro longed when high levels of nutrients are present. Not only that but, large amounts of growth in a year tend to produce weaker wood with buds spaced farther apart, not really conducive to a productive tree over the long term. Non-bearing trees should be putting on a minimum of 8-12" of growth/ season. Depending on the vigor of the variety and the root stock it is on the tree shouldnt be putting on more than say 18" of growth a year. Once a tree begins bearing fruit it will grow less vegetatively in a season, say 6" of new growth as the fruit crop begins to take a portion of the trees energy. Fertilizing then becomes more important as the fruit, which contains nutrients is carried away from the area that the root system can tap into.

Fertilizing itself will not produce a crop of apples. The tree has to be in the correct growth stage to produce fruit buds, and then those fruit buds must stay healthy to continue to flower. If you find your trees are producing large amounts of vegetation they will likely not be fruiting heavily. On root stocks other than the most dwarfing you will likely not see much for a fruit crop until year 5 or older. Again this varies a bit as to the variety of apple. Crabapples tend to bloom at a younger age.

 

[Charles Clear]

Both bits of information are correct depending on the age of the tree. Helpful to look at a tree as a reproductive organism. A tree, a plant any living thing is looking to do one thing, reach a developmental stage where it can reach sexual maturity and produce offspring. A young tree say 5 -6 years old or younger is looking to put on growth to reach that point where it can bear fruit and continue to bear fruit. It will eventually switch from a vegetative growth stage to a fruit producing stage. Often times that vegetative stage can be pro longed when high levels of nutrients are present. Not only that but, large amounts of growth in a year tend to produce weaker wood with buds spaced farther apart, not really conducive to a productive tree over the long term. Non-bearing trees should be putting on a minimum of 8-12" of growth/ season. Depending on the vigor of the variety and the root stock it is on the tree shouldnt be putting on more than say 18" of growth a year. Once a tree begins bearing fruit it will grow less vegetatively in a season, say 6" of new growth as the fruit crop begins to take a portion of the trees energy. Fertilizing then becomes more important as the fruit, which contains nutrients is carried away from the area that the root system can tap into.

Fertilizing itself will not produce a crop of apples. The tree has to be in the correct growth stage to produce fruit buds, and then those fruit buds must stay healthy to continue to flower. If you find your trees are producing large amounts of vegetation they will likely not be fruiting heavily. On root stocks other than the most dwarfing you will likely not see much for a fruit crop until year 5 or older. Again this varies a bit as to the variety of apple. Crabapples tend to bloom at a younger age.

Great info Chris, thanks!

 

[Prof.Kent]

I have mature dwarf (M&) trees in my front yard. Sandy soil. Didn't fertilize for 2 years. Third and 4th years both the health of trees and production dropped exponentially. That was my experiment. Now I fertilize yearly again. Adding mulch helps, too.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have about 30 trees, the majority are between 5-8 years old. I have 3-5 that will have apples, and the majority of them have been crabs, with the exception of 1 state fair tree that has produced every year except the first 2 years. It is also the bears favorite tree to trim heavily as well. So I though I would trim a couple of the other trees heavily to see if it helped, but that was last winter, and we were in a heavy drought last summer, and had a late frost, so it was a bad year for apples for me.

I am just hoping for a break out year, and looking to not do anything to them to prevent fruit, and if I can encourage it, I will.

 

[sandbur]

I have about 30 trees, the majority are between 5-8 years old. I have 3-5 that will have apples, and the majority of them have been crabs, with the exception of 1 state fair tree that has produced every year except the first 2 years. It is also the bears favorite tree to trim heavily as well. So I though I would trim a couple of the other trees heavily to see if it helped, but that was last winter, and we were in a heavy drought last summer, and had a late frost, so it was a bad year for apples for me.

I am just hoping for a break out year, and looking to not do anything to them to prevent fruit, and if I can encourage it, I will.

I might be wrong, but I thought for most apple trees that you prune in the winter to stimulate apple production in the second summer later. Apples form on the previous years growth.

Anyway, in our climate, late frosts screw up our best of plans.


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[Native Hunter]

There are some soils where lime is more important than fertilizer when it comes to apple trees.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

There are some soils where lime is more important than fertilizer when it comes to apple trees.

Well luckily this orchard has taken over an old food plot, and it sits at 6.7, with high P and perfect K.

The trees had been creeping over them (canopy) the past few years, and I took care of them a few weeks ago.

 

[wooduck]

Check calcium , some soils can have proper ph without enough calcium available , almost all fruit needs some boron to set buds , doesnt need much though we include it in very small amounts when we have our fert blended apply some every season , do quick search and do not overapply , you cant beat well composted manures as they usually contain most micro nutrients plants need You should be getting 12 inches to 18 inches of new terminal growth yearly if not something is amiss

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have about 30 trees, the majority are between 5-8 years old. I have 3-5 that will have apples, and the majority of them have been crabs, with the exception of 1 state fair tree that has produced every year except the first 2 years. It is also the bears favorite tree to trim heavily as well. So I though I would trim a couple of the other trees heavily to see if it helped, but that was last winter, and we were in a heavy drought last summer, and had a late frost, so it was a bad year for apples for me.

I am just hoping for a break out year, and looking to not do anything to them to prevent fruit, and if I can encourage it, I will.

Fruit buds were formed last growing season, so there isnt anything you will do presently to make your tree flower more than it is already set to.