Feeding apricots in summer: how to fertilize during fruiting and after harvesting

Apricots are sunny and juicy summer fruits that you can grow in your summer cottage. Proper fertilizing with organic and mineral apricot fertilizers in summer will ensure a high yield, allow you to enjoy the view of a bright fruit-bearing tree and create not only a good mood, but also give he althy fruits.

Why feed?

When planting an apricot tree in a summer cottage, you need to understand that it will need additional attention for a good harvest.

Apricot has a developed root system that goes deep into the soil. This allows the tree to tolerate drought well. But without abundant watering and without the proper amount of mineral fertilizers, the soil will be depleted, which will lead to a deficiency of trace elements necessary for the apricot.

Apricot responds to timely root and foliar feeding with spring flowering, a large number of fruit ovaries and good summer yields.

If you do not feed the tree in a timely manner, you may notice deviations in development: the appearance of wilted leaves, stunted appearance, dry branches. In this case, it is necessary to immediately figure out which element is missing in the apricot and make up for its deficiency.

Main signs of deficiency:

Nitrogen deficiency:

slow development, no growth;
discolored leaves, usually yellow.

Lack of phosphorus:

changing the color of the leaves to purple;
strong shedding of flowers;
ugly looking plant.

Potassium deficiency:

yellow plant;
drying of fruit tips.

Feeding methods by season

It is extremely important to be able to distinguish between feeding methods by season. After all, each season is characterized by different periods of plant development. And it depends on what fertilizers should be applied, and how to do it correctly.

Summer

In summer, apricots are preparing for fruiting, fruit ovaries appear. During this period, it is especially important to fertilize the plant and water it abundantly. After all, the lack of trace elements very quickly affects the quality of fruits.

The first top dressing in summer is carried out by the foliar method, the so-called "leaf top dressing". The action of such top dressing is short-term, so it must be repeated after two to three weeks. When applying the solution, it is necessary to ensure that the sheet is processed on both sides. The best result of spraying will be the complete wetting of the leaf, which will allow better absorption of the fertilizer, since the process of penetration of the nutrient solution is better from the bottom of the leaves.

In early June, when coin-sized ovaries appeared on the tree, spraying on the leaves is carried out with a nitrogen-containing solution, preferably in the early morning or evening. On a hot day, it is better to refuse top dressing because of the danger of burning the leaves.

Nitrogen (urea, organic) has a positive effect on fruit growth, but due to its negative effect on the sugar content of fruits and their preservation, the nitrogen content should be reduced when fertilizing in July and eliminated in August.

In July, the apricot has formed fruits that have entered the ripening phase. During fruiting, nitrogen is reduced in fertilizers and potassium and phosphorus are added.

After harvesting, in August, it is necessary to feed the apricot with mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium, such as wood ash. At the same time, the soil must be fertilized with calcium, for example, crush and pour chalk on the ground. Such top dressing is needed for laying the buds of the future crop. Nitrogen is not used in August.

Also in the summer, when pests are found, it is advisable to fertilize the apricot with the following solution:

soda ash - 2 parts;
blue vitriol - 1 part;
boric acid - 0.5 parts.

These substances are diluted in 10 liters of water, adding 10-15 drops of iodine, and sprayed with apricots. Such a solution not only saturates the tree with nutrients, but also protects it from most pests.

Spring

Spring top dressing should be root. This method of fertilization provides the apricot with the strength to move on to growth, lush flowering and the formation of a large number of ovaries. It is better to feed with nitrogen fertilizers, both at the very beginning of spring, and before flowering, and after flowering.

When asked what to fertilize in the spring, the best answer is fertilizers such as urea, chicken manure, s altpeter, slurry.

Autumn

It is important to understand that the autumn feeding of a fruit tree is aimed at preparing the apricot for winter and its successful wintering. It is better to feed the apricot at the end of September, and use a complex fertilizer. To prepare a mixture for one square meter of soil, you will need:

superphosphate - 35 grams;
potash fertilizer - 65 grams;
humus - 4 kilograms.

All components are mixed with each other, and the resulting composition is applied to the soil near the trunk. First, the earth must be well loosened so that the components are better absorbed.

After harvesting, the obligatory whitewashing of the trunk and autumn pruning of the tree are carried out. Branches that have not produced fruit should be removed, as they take away the nutrients the apricot needs to prepare for a successful wintering and laying the next crop.

Pruning begins with branches that grow inward and thicken the crown, then move to dried or broken branches. The remaining branches are shortened. It is important to note that branches that bear fruit for two to three years can be removed, as their productivity decreases further.

For comfortable trimming, all cuts are smeared with garden pitch or drying oil. This prevents bacteria from entering the wood.

Feeding at different ages

Apricot seedlings should be fed from the age of two.

For a young plant, it is recommended to use a solution of bird droppings in the ratio of 300 grams per 20 liters of water, with the addition of peat or compost.

Further, to feed mature trees, you can prepare the same solutions. The difference will only be in their dosage.

Preparation of feeding solutions

Nitrogen-containing fertilizer solutions:

You can make a solution from organic matter if top dressing is required in the middle of summer. A solution of mullein (rotted manure) is prepared in the proportion of 1 part mullein to 10 parts water. Depending on the size of the tree, a young plant will require from 0.5 liters, and for an adult - up to 1 liter of solution. The soil under the tree should be loosened and prepared “vitamins” should be poured out.
Fresh manure solution is prepared in the ratio of 1 part manure to 15 parts water. The amount of solution for one tree: young - from 0.5 liters and for an adult - up to 1 liter.
Before applying humus, no solution is required. The soil is loosened, watered abundantly, sprinkled with humus and covered with moist soil.
Urea solution - in the proportion of 1 tablespoon of urea per bucket of water, used to spray the plant (foliar application).

Feeding with phosphorus and potassium:

For fast delivery of phosphorus to an oppressed plant, it is necessary to use azophoska, better - diammophoska. Pour 0.5 kilograms of azophoska with hot water (5 liters), stir until dissolved. Drain off the liquid part for use as both root and foliar dressing. The precipitated precipitate can be reused to prepare a feeding solution 2 times. But it is necessary to dissolve the precipitate with less water, namely by adding 2.5 liters of hot liquid.
A solution of superphosphate, for quick help to plants, is prepared at the rate of one tablespoon of granules per liter of boiling water. Used for spraying the aerial part of the plant. The sludge is not to be used and is sent to the compost pit.
A universal foliar solution can be prepared from several mineral fertilizers: superphosphate - 30 grams, urea - 30 grams, potassium chloride - 60 grams; dissolve all elements in 10 liters of water.

Different ways of feeding apricots in summer are considered. It must be remembered that an excess of mineral fertilizers will not contribute to the growth and development of the plant. Therefore, measure is good in everything.

If you follow the recommendations on the garden plot, tasty, he althy, sunny, juicy fruits - apricots will grow. When harvesting, remember that apricot fruits do not ripen after they are harvested, so you need to remove them from the tree only as they ripen, starting from the branches located below.