Fertilizer for spruce: how to feed at home for fast growth

Fertilizers for spruce are diverse. Mineral, organic and complex agents are used to feed coniferous crops. Thanks to properly selected substances, it is possible to improve the development of a tree, strengthen its immunity and increase its decorative properties. It is important to strictly adhere to the dosage and recommendations for the use of the substance. An excess of nutrients is just as dangerous for a crop as their lack.

How to tell if food is missing

There are many signs by which experts can determine the nutritional needs of a coniferous plant. Most often, problems appear when the rules of care are violated or the influence of adverse climatic factors.

The main signs of a deficiency of useful elements in conifers include the following:

growth retardation - while the height or diameter of the trunk does not increase;
rare shoot arrangement;
changing the color of the needles - it can become yellow, red or paler;
excess resin;
drying or rotting of the kidneys.

Most of the nutrients for conifers enter the soil during the first planting. The combined composition will be enough for several years. After a while, the soil becomes depleted and begins to require additional help.

By the deterioration of the appearance and development of spruce, it is possible to determine which elements the plant lacks:

when growing conifers in calcareous soil, the culture develops chlorosis - while the needles turn yellow, and there is also a violation of the development of the trunk and roots;
with potassium deficiency, premature yellowing of needles is observed;
in case of lack of calcium, there are problems with the development of roots;
with a lack of iron, the needles turn white, but do not die;
boron deficiency causes problems with seed setting.

What are fertilizers

You can feed the spruce with a variety of fertilizers - mineral, organic or complex. Among all types of dressings, experts advise giving preference to minerals. They are single or mixed. The need for the introduction of certain funds is determined by the state of the needles.

From mineral products, it is recommended to give preference to superphosphates. They are powder mixtures based on phosphorus. This element can be present in the preparation as phosphoric acid or monocalcium phosphate.To make the composition easier to use, phosphorus compounds and gypsum are added to it.

One of the most effective means is dolomite flour. This drug is available in the form of a powder, which is obtained from sedimentary rock. The composition includes more than 90% dolomite. This tool helps to reduce the acidity of the soil and ensures its saturation with magnesium and calcium.

Coniferous plants do not like acidic soil, therefore adding dolomite flour is before making the selected complex composition. Also, this substance is often used when planting firs.

Organic fertilizers help saturate the soil with potassium and other trace elements. However, it is important to consider that such funds can bring great harm to conifers. Therefore, only 2 types of such preparations are allowed to be used for fertilizing fir trees:

Biohumus - this composition is formed as a result of the decomposition of the remains of the vital activity of soil worms. The substance is made in biogas plants in an artificial way. Biohumus contains a lot of humic acids. The mass also includes magnesium, phosphorus and calcium.
Compost is a substance that is formed from the waste products of animals and plants. The maturation of the mass takes 1-2 years. The specific period depends on the composition of the pit and the ripening conditions.

Organic remedies do not always benefit conifers. Therefore, they must be applied correctly, strictly adhering to the dosage. It is best to use organic as a mulch layer.

It is best for coniferous plants to use special substances that are designed to suit their needs. Combined fertilizers contain several mineral components at once. The most effective drugs include:

"He alth for conifers" - should be used in the spring, immediately after the snow melts. The substance includes potassium and some nitrogen. It can be used to strengthen the roots and stimulate spring growth.To feed the tree, it is recommended to take 15-20 grams of the substance, mix it with 20 liters of liquid and use it for irrigation. This is required on cloudy days.
"Needle" - the tool can be used in the spring. It provides stretching of shoots. The preparation contains more than 10% nitrogen.
"Universal for needles" - the product is used during planting and at different stages of the growing season. Thanks to its use, it is possible to stimulate the formation of shoots.
"Aquarin" - to fertilize a coniferous plant, 50% of grams of a water-soluble emulsion is required. The substance ensures the development of the tree and prevents infection by fungi.
"Green Needle" - the drug includes a lot of magnesium. This substance strengthens the root system and activates the development of young shoots. In combination with nitrogen and phosphorus, the substance can be applied in the spring. This is required to be done as the soil warms up to +8 degrees.

How to properly fertilize a tree

To get a quick effect, fertilizer for spruces must be applied correctly. This requires many nuances to be taken into account.

Instructions for adding to the ground

Coniferous plants are recommended to be fed twice - in spring and autumn. At other times of the year, nutrients are added as needed. All types of fertilizers are divided into dry and liquid. When making them, it is recommended to take into account the following conditions:

Preparations in the form of granules or powder should be distributed over wet soil, after which the soil must be loosened. Thanks to this, it is possible to connect the substance with the upper layer of the earth. As the soil gets wet, the granules will move down, closer to the roots. At the same time, soil acidity parameters will begin to stabilize.
Liquid solutions for conifers are made less concentrated than for deciduous plants. To feed the crop, you need to make a furrow 8-10 centimeters from the trunk, pour a solution into it, sprinkle it with earth and level it.
Biohumus or compost is recommended to be applied with the top layer of soil after loosening. Organic is considered a fairly heavy fertilizer. Therefore, coniferous plants need to be fed with extreme caution.

Mulching is considered a popular method of adding nutrients. To do this, the top layer of soil must be covered with the selected material. It is required to leave a free strip of 5-8 centimeters near the trunk.

Feeding schedule

When growing spruces at home and in summer cottages, it is important to follow the nutrient application schedule. You need to do it like this:

In early spring, the trunk circle can be mulched with well-rotted manure. Under loosening, it is worth making a mineral complex fertilizer - for example, "Pokon". The needles need to be sprinkled with "Ferovit" or "Zircon". This is done 2 times with an interval of 10 days.
In summer, spruce can be fed 1-3 times with a complex mineral composition.
In autumn, ready-made mineral fertilizer should be applied. You can also use a composition based on 150 grams of wood ash and 100 grams of dolomite flour.

Tips for beginners

To achieve the full growth and development of spruce, you need to adhere to the following fertilizer application rules:

Carefully study the composition. The nitrogen content in top dressing should not exceed 15%. Spruce necessarily requires potassium and phosphorus.
For ornamental dwarf crops, it is worth using the drug "Hvoinka". It can be applied in spring and summer.
From liquid dressings, Aquarin is perfect. It can be applied for the last time in early September.
To achieve the emerald color of the needles, spruce needs to be fed with the Green Needle preparation.

Today there are quite a lot of effective fertilizers for coniferous plants.To successfully feed the spruce, it is recommended to choose the right composition and follow the instructions for the use of such substances. At the same time, it is important to strictly observe the dosage so as not to overfeed the plant with useful elements.