Hi folks, as a newbie fruit grower, I got the soil in my front and back yards tested (MySoil test kits, hope they’re ok). I’m in zone 10a, Sunset Zone 17, and get a bit of coastal fog in the Bay Area. Looks like a consistent low nitrogen level and boron deficiency in both yards. The MySoil site recommended 13-0-0 organic fertilizer for the front yard and 9-0-9 for the back yard. I put down some blood meal in the front yard and some 9-0-9 will go near each tree in the backyard this weekend. Planted some vetch to fix nitrogen too, and have been starting on mulching my prunings and putting a ring around each small tree (not touching the trunk).
Any suggestions for other ways to get my nitrogen levels up? I can use a borax drench for the boron, yes?
That might be legally problematic if the neighbor’s adolescent children see it.
Boron is one of those nutrients where a tiny amount is enough. A level tablespoon of borax powder applied to a 100 ft long row of cabbage will supply all the cabbage needs and leave plenty for another crop. An acre of ground would take about 9 cups of borax evenly distributed to reach a similar level. Be EXTREMELY careful with boron because the toxicity level is very close to the sufficient level. In other words, if you put the recommended amount plus 25% you can easily kill plants with boron toxicity.
This is what boron toxicity looks like. You can see the yellowing and necrosis on the leaves. I have flushed each tree that had it for a while with a garden hose to hopefully dilute and wash away some of the boron. I had to use boric acid on a few of my trees earlier this summer because giant ant nests were trying to move in and form around their bases. Especially the trees I grow in hot, exposed, sunny sites. I’ve lost fair sized seedlings to ant nests, and with the size ant nests attain here in the northwoods if I don’t control them it’s doubtful the tree will end up living. Ants have tied voles and winter as my number one outright tree killers.
