good morning! I am hoping to get some advice today. I planted 2 apple trees (1 a year and a half ago and 1 last April). I was thinking about fertilizing them this spring…too soon?? I was also wondering if anyone had good recommendations on an organic fertilizer for them?
While I’m at it, I was going to fertilize blueberries too (also planted a year and a half ago). Any recommendations on organic fertilizer for them?
Lastly, I passed on fertilizing the strawberries at the end of last season (it was their first season). Should I wait until fall again?
In most soils establishing trees only respond to nitrogen. If you want to use organic fertilizers your best results for stimulating rapid growth will come from the rare, quick release forms of it. Organically locked N is released at highest rates when soil warms in mid-summer, if there is adequate moisture, and apple trees will grow fastest if N is available at high rates in spring at first growth.
If you are a man, I recommend you save your urine in a gas “can” and use it to fertilize your trees, diluting it with about 75% water and than watering that in with straight water to eliminate the odor.
Unfortunately, I haven’t the exact quantities figured out, but I’ve never killed a tree by overdoing it.
You may think I’m joking, but that is what I use and think it a shame to flush away half of the N that our bodies dispose of with our excessive protein diets.
Otherwise, you can always use an organic source, but make sure a substantial part of the N is in soluble form as in fish based products.
Other nutrients will probably be adequately provided by a nice organic mulch, which tends to stimulate rapid growth as much as adequate N. Just realize that N applied directly to the mulch may not reach the trees and volatilize instead. Stir the mulch and water the N into to soil so it reaches the roots.
And beware of competition from nearby, established trees.
Wow, I certainly did not expect to be reading that. This is interesting advice and I’m definitely going to have to think on that. The good thing is we have so much in the way of wild animals that urine isn’t going to cause a big stink…literally.
So, for other comment about the soluble form, it that what causes it to be quick release?
Would you only fertilize once in early spring or would you keep doing it throughout the season?
If I did a nitrogen based blood meal or something like that, would I need to mix it in with a different type of fertilizer or would that suffice?
I have chicken compost thats been drying for a month or two now that I’m planning on putting around the trees in the spring, possibly after I put the urine down
Fresh manure has lots of soluble N and can be carefully used as a top dressing to provide season long nitrogen. Soluble means that the N isn’t bonded to carbon and requires no bacterial breakdown to become available to plants
Urine changes quickly over to urea which is a form only some species can use directly but in 2 or 3 days it converts to ammonium and becomes available.
I’m not sure what form the N is in blood, but it seems to release as fast as urine so would certainly create a quick enough response. Sometimes coons dig it up, though.
I think for establishing trees, at least a second app will help a lot in late spring.
I use a synthetic and cheap 90 day slow release urea that provided the fastest growth of anything I’ve tried, even compared to my magic wand:wink:.
As far as other nutrients needed, in most soils this only becomes an issue when trees start bearing crop. Commercial growers do a soil test before even planting trees and alter the pH and often apply phosphorous. I have never seen a fruit tree with a P deficiency, however, and I never add it to any of the many soils I mange for fruit trees. I think its over rated and too much can be a problem. For that reason I wouldn’t use chicken manure as a long term solution. .
I like to use Holly-Tone for blueberries. If going organic. It can be expensive. You can buy Holly-Tone in 20 pound bags. makes it a little cheaper, often Wallmart has end of the year sales of such items. I never go there! I have to start! They also make a Tree-Tone product.
I like using it as my soil is good but not perfect. It’s low on some trace minerals, so I try to add organic matter whenever possible. So coffee grounds, leaves, grass, pine straw, etc. I usually use whatever I have on hand for fertilizer. I’m still experimenting. What blueberries do you have? Is your soil acidic?
Drew,
Sorry for the delay. I decided to mix it up this time to see what works (I only had my last patch for 2 years before we moved so we didn’t much in the way of production). I got some Patriot, Duke, Northland, and Jersey.
I ordered a acidity tester from Amazon but haven’t gotten it yet. I’d imagine though that we don’t have much acidity- so I know that battle will start soon.
I second the Holly-Tone and the chicken fertilizer. I always use Holly-Tone for blueberries and it’s actually very friendly on the roots of plants, it makes plants grow like weeds, I use it for just about everything, things grow very fast with chicken fertilizer, yet be careful that stuff burns roots easily if you are not careful, put it on very lightly if you use it, if you use it leave it a day or two in the hot full sun first. In case it might have Salmonella in it. Animal droppings is were it comes from. Of course it’s best to use organic.
PS: I myself wait until I know if there is any chance of freezing before I put any sort of nitrogen in the ground. Make sure you get a soil testing kit that checks each element of fertilizer individually, home depot caries one.
Thanks. I have chickens and have them working on compost piles so I think I’m going to spread the compost around the apples and blueberries. I think I might mix some fresher manure in as well for the apples.
I used Hollytone before but we moved out of the house before I saw any results.
I picked up a bag of HollyTone at Rural King the other day. Is now a good time to fert the bloobs, and is HT good for rasps and gooseberries? I’m not giving the blackberries anything, they grew like weeds last year.
It can be used as an all around fertilizer, you can use it on anything. It’s close to time. it takes about 2 weeks to work, so if you think they will start growing in 2 weeks, yeah a good time. I do mine April 1st, but I’m farther north.
I got several bags of Hollytone on clearance at Walmart last fall, so we will see how it works. Previously I always used ammonium sulfate and iron sulfate on my blueberries, plus lots of wood mulch. Their growth has been slow, so if the Hollytone is better, it should be obvious by the end of a year. I add sulfur each spring and more if they start looking peaked, and mix a lot of peat in the planting holes. Our water is about 7.0, so I try to avoid watering if I can. I have started a new bed in full sun out at our rural land to see if they do better there than in our sand at home with trees around.
Yes or more a handful. I don’t measure out. I feed them monthly with organics. Blueberries respond to feeding, they like to eat. You can burn them, so you have to be careful not to overdo it. What I do is feed a liquid soluble fertilizer, like Miracle Grow for acid loving plants, or J R Peters Jacks Classic No.1.5 17-6-6 Acid Special Fertilizer. With the Holly-Tone. So they get fed instantly and it runs out in time for the organic to kick in.
I grow a few blueberries in huge pots, 25 gallon grow bags. The soil is peat and pine bark and so requires no adjusting. The pH is perfect. I like to use the miracle grow soluble as it is urea based, which is not very acidic, compared to jacks which uses Ammonium sulfate. I use that on the in raised bed plants. As the bed’s pH creeps up with time. AS is very acidic, so I don’t like to use it in pots. If I do i water with tap for a week! Kill that extra acid.Otherwise I collect and use rainwater for the blueberries.
I check pH of everything at ;least once a year. Plants should be nice and green.
Holly-Tone is not a slow release fertilizer, or a fast release fertilizer it’s in between those two. Chicken Compost is instant release so it makes a difference much faster.
Usually it gives both vegetation, and flowers/fruit a faster/stronger start. Yet some plants will put most of the nitrogen in to the vegetation preventing fruit growth if the plant gets nitrogen at the wrong time of the year.
Yeah I’m a big fan of slow feeding. I heard trees don’t really benefit, but I have had no problems. My trees always fruit well. I have enough fertilizer this year, but was looking at this stuff at Leonard’s. Leonard’s has free shipping promotions from time to time and that is when I buy. Fertilizer is becoming high tech! I grow trees and woody fruiting shrubs. Like honeyberries, currants, elderberries, gooseberries, etc. https://www.amleo.com/florikan-4-5-month-18-5-12-controlled-release-fertilizer-50-lb-bag/p/FLK18512140/
I want to try these others too. I have a bag of this.
alfalfa pellets are good slow release fert and sell for 13/50lb bag where i am. i also like hollytone and watch for it on clearance. find bags for $10/20lb in fall at Walmart. manure it’s often free from ranchers and works great.
