Tips for Healthy Fruiting Trees
If you are growing fruit trees for your family to enjoy or to make money on the sale of fruit, you know that not only is it crucial to have the right deep root fertilization, but you particular need organic tree fertilizer. Organic tree fertilizer is going to keep your food supply, and your family, safe. Tree care can be tricky, but here are a few tips to make sure that your tree stay healthy and return healthy, plump fruit for a long time.
Tips for Healthy Trees
- Get your nitrogen levels right. Unfortunately, some people enter this business assuming that more nitrogen is always better. Too much of a good thing can be just as bad as having too little, so it’s important to make sure you’ve got a good balance to maintain trees properly. How can you tell if you need more? The important thing is to know what kind of growth you should be expecting from a healthy tree. This will, of course, depend on what type of fruit tree you’re talking about. If your growth is on the upper range, then your nitrogen levels are probably good. If growth is in the middle of the range, then you likely need to add a bit of nitrogen. If you’ve got a young tree, but it grew far less than expected for the year, it needs a good dose of a healthy organic tree fertilizer with plenty of nitrogen. This increases growth and ensures that your fruit will be healthy.
- Apply your fertilizer at the right time. It’s a good idea to apply right before flowering, then again about four to six weeks later, and then another month after that. If you’ve bought an annual fertilizer treatment, divide the entire treatment into three and apply in at separate times. If you’re applying a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, be sure not to add it too late in the season or your trees may not go dormant for the winter at the right time. If they don’t, they could be damaged by low temperatures.
- Consider mulching at the same time you fertilize. If you add mulch at the same time as you apply your organic tree fertilizer, you’re going to help improve your soil as well as help your trees. Mulch protects the soil and the tree roots from extreme temperatures, helps the soil retain moisture, and keeps away competing plants that may steal your tree’s fertilizer. Mulch also increase the micro-organism levels in your soil. If you do this regularly, the whole health of your soil will improve. This means less need for fertilizer down the line.
- Choose an organic tree fertilizer with plenty of nutrients. All-nitrogen fertilizers are not the best choice for the overall health and production of your trees, or your fruit! An organic fertilizer is better for your tree and healthier for those who eat its fruit. Fertilizers should have a range of nutrients, and particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are the three most crucial things your trees need. Nitrogen is essential for the growth of the plant and its leaves. Potassium is crucial for fruiting and the development of seeds. Phosphorus is what your tree needs to develop its root system and enjoy a healthy flowering process.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.There are a lot of people interested in growing their own fruiting trees: get connected! Communities and internet groups abound that are full of helpful tips on how to improve the health and output of your fruiting trees. It doesn’t hurt to ask your fertilizer or mulching supplier for tips, either, as they will have a lot of expert knowledge on root enhancer, how to feed rooting plants, and other ways of maintaining trees in your neck of the woods.
A well-fertilized fruiting tree will do more than just produce lots of delicious fruit. It will also be full of gorgeous blooms and enticing scent. Take good care of your trees and they will please all your senses–from taste to sight to smell–and provide real value to your and your family for years to come.
