The subtleties of the process of feeding apricots in the spring

Apricot is one of the most popular garden crops, which produces tasty and fragrant fruits.At the same time, this plant requires constant care, and the application of mineral fertilizers is one of the necessary factors for tree growth and obtaining a good harvest.

Any fruit trees after a long winter need feeding, and apricot is no exception. At this point, the trees awaken from hibernation, go to the stage of active growth and have a need for mineral substances that will help him grow, blossom and bear fruit during the whole season. Spring is the optimal time for fertilizer application, because the root system during this period responds quite well to all types of fertilizing.

Mineral or organic substances obtained in spring, provide good nutrition of the plant, contribute to the formation of ovaries and fruit ripening. During the spring, it is necessary to conduct several dressings: in early spring, after the snow melts, at the very beginning of flowering and immediately after it.

Adult fruit trees should be fed throughout the growing season. Different types of fertilizers are suitable for this.

• Phosphoric - they contribute to the timely flowering and the formation of a large number of ovaries, which directly affects the yield. It should be borne in mind that the phosphorus compounds are not completely dissolved in the earth, so they are usually introduced in large quantities.
• Potash - are responsible for the resistance of plants to frost, all kinds of fungal infections, and in addition, increase the ability to absorb nutrients of micro-and microelements from the soil. Usually they are recommended to make twice per season.
• Nitrogen - this type of dressing has a positive effect on the formation of green mass of the plant and ensures the formation of crown. Such fertilizers are applied in the first half of spring.

In addition, the soil should be fertilized under apricots with organic compounds (manure). If the plant is only planted, the organic matter is plowed into the prepared pit, and if the plant is already adult, then cow or bird droppings are dissolved in water and watered under the root.

The first feeding is carried out quite early - in the spring, right after the snow melts, even before the buds swell, approximately this corresponds to the beginning of April. At this point, the plants need nitrogen, because it is actively involved in the growth of shoots and green mass. Therefore, you can use the following compositions per bucket of water:

• carbamide - 50 g;
• urea - 2-3 tbsp. l;
• ammonium nitrate - 5-9 g.

Apricots respond very well to complex fertilizer: 8 g of ammonium nitrate, 5 g of potassium salt and 20 g of superphosphate dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Top dressing foliar. The resulting solution is necessary to spray the trees at the rate of 30 liters for each tree in three stages of 10 liters. Usually fertilized in the morning and evening. In the future, such treatment must be repeated several times.

The second and third stages of fertilization include nutrient enrichment of the soil. Most often, a mixture of ammonium nitrate (50-60 g), superphosphate (100 g) and potassium chloride (40 g) is used for this. Some gardeners use a mixture of urea with potassium sulfate. This proportion is taken for young apricots, and when the trees reach the age of 5 years, the amount of the required substrate is increased by one third.

Pellets are scattered around the trunk and slightly buried in the ground, then the earth is moistened, it is best to carry out such manipulations early in the morning or after sunset.

In addition to basic nutrients, apricot requires other trace elements that ensure the full development of the tree. For example, using calcium chloride using calcium chloride at the rate of 10 ml per bucket of water. It is made 3-4 days after the main feeding directly under the root.

Many gardeners prefer natural products that are considered not as aggressive, and their excessive concentration will not harm fruit trees.

Another advantage of folk feeding methods is due to the fact that they do not include nitrates and other components hazardous to human health.

As a rule, use different formulations. Often used herbal fertilizers:

• algae - they should be crushed and dig up with the soil around the trunk;
• sawdust - optimal for clay soils, in which they are made in a mixture with sand.
• leaves;
• weeds;
• young shoots;
• Lemna and other aquatic plants.

In order to make fertilizer out of the grass, it is necessary to grind it and pour water at the rate of 1 kg of green per 10 liters of liquid. The prepared composition should be insisted 7-10 days in the heat with regular stirring to remove excess oxygen. The infusion should ferment; it is at this point that it is converted into nitrogen-containing fertilizer, which also contains potassium, magnesium, and many other nutrients.

Of course, an irreplaceable source of nitrogen and other useful substances is mullein and bird droppings - these fertilizers are often used for the spring nutritional feeding of apricots.

Before flowering, in this case it is necessary to prepare a solution consisting of 1 part of mullein or bird droppings and 20 parts of water, there you can add 1 part of compost or peat.

The prepared composition is poured at the root at the rate of 6-7 liters for any tree under 4 years old, for older plants the volume of fertilizer is increased.

The same dressing should be repeated directly during flowering and formation of ovaries. As a rule, this occurs in the last decade of April - early May (depending on the weather and regional climatic features) and lasts for 10-14 days.

Organic has a positive effect on the plant. However, we should not forget that its excessive use can lead to acidification of the soil, and this, in turn, causes acupuncture, in which yellow-brown thick sores are formed on the trunk and branches (the so-called resin). That is why a week after adding organic matter, plants should be fed with ash or dolomite flour - they effectively deoxidize the soil, and in addition, they are an invaluable source of magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Ash is also considered a natural fertilizer, especially useful when it comes to burning young shoots of trees and shrubs. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, sodium and other substances. However, it should be borne in mind that it does not contain nitrogen, so it can only be used as an additional, but not the main dressing.

Apricots, like any fruit trees, must be fed on time and correctly. In order to use fertilizers to achieve the desired effect, you should follow the recommendations of experienced gardeners.

When selecting the type and time of fertilizer, it is necessary to take into account the age and condition of the tree:

• nitrogen-containing compounds are required to use at the very beginning of the growing season;
• During the period of active flowering fertilization for plants is extremely necessary, as well as during the period of fruit formation, otherwise the crop will be less scanty and of poor quality.

Fertilizers should be applied with or immediately after irrigation. During the first 5 years of life, the plant should be supplemented strictly under the crown. With increasing plant age, the trunk circle and the radius of mineral application should be increased:

• for plants 2-5 years old, the trunk circle should be 50 cm;
• for trees aged 6-10 years - 100 cm;
• for plants older than 10 years - 150-200 cm.

It is necessary to use different types of feedings so that the plant receives a balanced diet.

All the above recommendations for fertilizing plants are common. The need for an apricot in one or another nutrient depends largely on the type of soil and how the pit was prepared, in which the seedling was placed. Therefore, in each individual case, it is necessary to carefully examine the plants - they always make it clear if they lack a certain microelement.

If the plants are low in nitrogen, they begin to lose their green saturated color, the leaves narrow and fall, often red dots form on them, and young shoots are shortened and flowering weakens. In this case, the tree should be fed with ammonium nitrate and urea.

But if there is too much nitrogen in the soil, then the plants, on the contrary, begin to thrive, but the stalks become soft and there are almost no flowers. In such a situation, the tree should be fed with phosphorus-potassium compounds, and ammonia should be completely excluded.

The lack of phosphorus leaves the leaves dark, even violet-red reflux, and spots often appear on the edges. The leaves become small and fall off, the shoots are rather quickly bent, the flowering stops, and the root system weakens. In order for the plant to gain strength, and the foliage does not crumble, superphosphate will help, which should be mixed with peat and sealed in the tree trunk.

If the leaves turn yellow and their edges dry up, then most often this indicates a lack of potassium. At the same time, flowering practically stops, and the process of dying off of the ovary begins. In this situation, you must make potassium sulfate or any complex fertilizer.

On alkaline soils, trees often lack iron, which results in leaf discoloration. This problem is easily eliminated by the introduction of ash or magnesium sulphate.

Boron has an important effect on young shoots, with its deficiency they die off, and the leaves are bent upwards. A good source of this trace element is ash, which should be scattered around the bush with its further incorporation.

Timely and competent feeding apricots in the spring is the main key to obtaining a rich and high-quality crop, do not neglect it - the tree responds well to fertilizer and thanks its owners juicy and appetizing fruits.

See the video below for tips on feeding apricots.