Spring activities to bring the plum tree into ideal condition are not complete without applying fertilizers and fertilizing. True, novice gardeners sometimes have questions about the advisability of such a procedure every year. After all, it is not as it seems to them, this is a significant tree to annually stuff it with a sufficiently large amount of organic matter, chemicals, plus green manure. Everything is correct, but no one says that the plum tree needs daily support, starting from the first months in the ground until it dries up. There are moments in the life of a plum orchard when not a single fertilizer is applied, and if it is applied, it is purely symbolic. But you need to know about this. Where do feedings begin? With an understanding of the procedure, what in principle needs to be done. Or, if you have a little experience, by understanding the signs that indicate the need or cessation of introducing certain types of chemicals and natural substances.
How do plum trees let you know what kind of nutrition they need?
The fact that the garden needs minerals and organic matter can be considered an immutable truth. But, before you feed the plum in the spring before flowering, after flowering and during the formation of fruits, you need to look at the appearance of the garden. Just not on the worms crawling along the branches, but on the leaves, or rather their condition.
If there is a shortage phosphorus the leaves acquire a grayish tint, the tree as a whole grows poorly, and it is impossible to look at the fruits without regret.
Shortage magnesium appears in the brown edging of the leaf. The veins become the same color.
Small amount potassium leads to a complete change in color of the entire leaf from green to brown, the edges begin to gradually curl. The growth of young shoots slows down.
a lack of nitrogen this is lightening and premature falling of the leaf and ovary. If some amount of ovary remains, the fruits will be small.
The manifestation of one of the listed signs allows the gardener to react in time and add the necessary microelements. This is convenient in determining what is missing, but does not exclude complex feeding.
Feeding plums before fruiting
When it comes to introducing the necessary microelements into the soil for plum plantations, most gardeners take this literally. That is, the tree must grow, and something is poured under it. This is both true and slightly different. The first time plums are fertilized in the spring is when planting a seedling.
Taken:
- a bucket of organic matter (compost, if there is humus);
- a bucket of peat to improve the soil;
- gram 250-300 (granulated);
- half a kilo of wood ash. The option is the simplest. Those who prefer fluff lime or dolomite flour are also suitable.
By the way, feeding plums with ash is mandatory, since the crop loves a slightly alkaline environment.
Feeding a two-year-old plum
In the future, until the plum becomes a full-fledged tree and fruits begin to appear on it, no significant fertilizing is provided. There are no significant ones, but a seedling, even well-rooted, is still weak in the second year of its development. For full development, it must be fed with urea. The first time in early spring, the second time at the end of June. Experienced gardeners recommend feeding the plum tree by spraying. But, if you apply it (at the rate of 20 grams per m²) in the form of a solution into the soil, nothing bad will happen. Maintenance feeding of plum trees in spring can also be done in this way.
How to fertilize a three-year-old plum tree
The first time in early May, a urea solution (a bucket of water plus 2 tablespoons of urea).
The second time in early June, nitrophoska (a solution of 3 tablespoons of the substance and 10 liters of water).
The third time in mid-August, superphosphate and potassium sulfate (2 tablespoons of fertilizer per bucket of water).
Each time, two or three buckets of solution are used for one tree.
Feeding plums as a full-fledged fruit-bearing tree
Time has passed, the plum tree has formed and, looking at the emerging inflorescences, it becomes clear that the time has come to truly care for the plantings. Fertilizers are applied to an adult tree in several stages. It all starts with deciding how to feed the plum tree in the spring before flowering at the very beginning of spring.
Feeding plums before flowering is a solution consisting of urea and potassium sulfate. For a bucket of water, 2 tablespoons of one and the other. One complex “Yagodka” fertilizer can replace two separate fertilizers. 300 grams per 10 liters of water is enough.
Feeding the tree after flowering, at the stage of fruit filling, is also two-component. For the same amount of water, take 2 tablespoons of urea and 3 tablespoons of nitrophoska. Some gardeners do not like “prefabricated” fertilizers and feed the garden with complex fertilizers such as “Berry Giant”. Why not, if the fertilizer is appropriate.
The third feeding, to improve the quality of the fruits, is carried out during their ripening. Chemicals are not used at this time; from organic matter, a solution of fermented chicken manure is used (1 part organic matter to 20 parts water).
The fourth and final feeding will be foliar. You can use potassium sulfate and superphosphate (2 tablespoons per bucket of water).
Rules for applying fertilizing
For completely correct implementation of activities related to the application of fertilizers, some points should be noted.
1. Liquid fertilizers are applied to holes dug at a distance of 60-80 centimeters from the trunk.
2. Dry ones are brought in for digging, but not near the trunk itself. If you water the plum after loosening the soil, the effect and rate of “consumption” of substances by the tree will increase.
4. Ash is added at the same intervals.
5. Peat and compost work well as a mulch layer.
6. Don’t forget about green manures – green fertilizers. The best for plums are vetch, mustard, phacelia, and winter rye. “Grass” is planted in the tree trunk circle and in the row-spacings. Green fertilizers can be a good substitute for manure if it is unavailable.
7. On fertile soils, it’s not like not applying fertilizers at all, but their quantity must be limited. Depending on the “fat content” of the soil, one and a half or two times. Too much will not help the tree and will harm the person.
According to the basic rules, everything seems to be. The number of recipes may be somewhat meager, but as a primary recommendation from experienced gardeners to beginners, this is enough, everything is taken into account. If anyone wants to “pamper” a plum with another kind of fertilizer, after several years of caring for plum plantings, a sufficient number of recipes for mixtures and solutions will appear that can significantly improve the development of the tree and its productivity. In the meantime, the main thing is not to overdo it.
People usually read along with this article:
The nightmare of any gardener is a drooping plum with nibbled young shoots, crumbled or shriveled fruits, well-fed fat caterpillars on the remains of leaves... To avoid such a picture, it is necessary to correctly and timely treat the plum in the spring against diseases and pests.
In some garden plots you can see a plum growing in the form of a large fruiting “thorn”. This is when many small shoots in the form of thorns grow on all the branches of the tree, there are larger shoots, and fruits try to find a place for themselves between them. It shouldn't be like this!
When planting a plum tree, you need to try to take into account all the indicators that can affect the proper development of the tree in the future. These are the quality and preparation of the soil, the correct location of plantings, the time of work, but most importantly - the rules of planting in your climatic zone.
Stone fruit trees are quite capricious and finicky garden plants. It is for them that it is necessary to carefully select the soil and maintain the acid-base balance, regularly apply fertilizers, form a crown and ensure that pests do not infest. Plum trees have special care requirements.
If 4–5 years after planting the plum tree bore fruit, which means everything was done correctly. How to feed plums for a good harvest and how to deal with pests are the main aspects of this article.
Caring for plums from the moment of planting
There are more than 200 varieties of plum trees: early, late, mid-season. From them you can choose a suitable specimen for your summer cottage. It is recommended to select a variety in a specialized farm, where there is less chance of buying poor planting material.
Then you can start planting. It is advisable to plant a plum tree closer to the neighbor's plum tree or buy two different varieties. The fact is that most varieties must be pollinated by their own kind, otherwise there will be no harvest.
It is necessary to prepare compost or fertilizer to feed the plum when planting. The tree likes neutral or alkaline soil, so acidic fertilizers will not work. The most suitable soil is clay or loamy.
Planting stages:
- Dig a hole 60–70 cm deep and 80 cm wide.
- Place compost, ash, phosphate rock or dolomite flour (optional) on the bottom. Mix with soil.
- Install the root system in the hole and cover it with soil.
- Drive a wooden stake to tie the tree down.
The plum root system forms slowly, so it needs phosphorus substances, as well as a suitable chemical composition of the soil for successful rooting and rapid growth.
If a young plum is planted in the fall, processing and fertilizing are carried out in August so that the seedling has time to get used to the new place. If you plant in the spring, you need a different fertilizer composition that contains more nitrogen substances to stimulate shoot growth and protect the plant from pests.
Organic and mineral fertilizers in autumn
How to fertilize plums was described above, but this applied to young plants. How to feed a plum in the fall in order to get a rich harvest for the next year depends on the appearance of the tree - foliage, shoots, size and number of fruits. There is an unspoken rule among gardeners: if a tree is sick this season, then there will be no harvest next year.
Feeding plums is primarily aimed at maintaining immunity to fungal diseases and pests. During the fruiting period, the tree consumes and releases a large amount of nutrients to the fruit: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Which fertilizer is responsible for what:
- nitrogen stimulates the growth of shoots and promotes the accumulation of green mass, is responsible for immunity, therefore, in early spring, garden trees are sprayed with urea, and when the leaves bloom, they are sprayed again;
- potassium– the main element of fruiting in fruit trees, affects the number of ovaries and their preservation on the branches; due to a lack of potassium, the tree can shed flowers or ovaries;
- phosphorus has an effect on the root system; if there is a deficiency of phosphorus, the absorption of potassium will be inadequate, the ovaries will fall off, or the fruits will form an irregular shape.
The acidity level is influenced by calcium and carbonate fertilizers. Fertilizers for plums in the fall should contain alkaline elements - lime, chalk, dolomite flour. Phosphate rock works well on acidic soils, since this fertilizer breaks down over a long period of time under the influence of soil acids and maintains balance in the soil.
Organic matter
When it comes to organic matter, preference should be given to wood ash. This is the most useful fertilizer for feeding plum trees in the fall. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, it contains large amounts of calcium and many other microelements that are involved in plant metabolism.
Wood ash is added during planting, I spray the leaves with the solution against pests, and add it to the soil under mature trees. For fruit-bearing four or five-year-old plums, you need to dig up a bucket of ash with soil and then water it abundantly with water.
Bone meal is a substance of animal origin that can be used to feed plums in August-September. This is a long-lasting fertilizer and is applied once every 3 to 4 years. Contains calcium and phosphorus. Serves as food for beneficial soil bacteria involved in the formation of humus. Reduces acidity due to the calcium contained in the bones, which is extremely useful for plums on heavy clay soils.
Plum feeding summer and autumn can be carried out with compost - a substance based on cow dung.
This is a complex organic fertilizer. But for greater efficiency, phosphates are added to it - organic or mineral.
You can periodically feed the plum tree in the fall with fertilizers in liquid form. Suitable humus solution: 2 – 3 shovels per bucket of water.
Fresh manure is not used in the autumn due to the large amount of nitrogen. This can provoke shoot growth and the plant will not overwinter well.
Mineral fertilizers for plums
How to prepare plums for winter using minerals: you need to create a “winter” mixture consisting of phosphates and potassium.
How to fertilize a plum tree in the fall if there is no organic matter:
- superphosphate - double or simple, one adult tree will require about 200 g of the substance dissolved in water;
- potassium sulfate, potassium salt or potassium chloride– 40 g per square meter;
- phosphate rock– 200 g per square meter, but it’s okay if it’s more;
- dolomite flour, the main components of which are calcium and magnesium - for slightly acidic soil you will need 40 kg per hundred square meters.
For each fertilizer, there are application rates per square meter or per hundred square meters, so you need to read the instructions before use. Too much of a nutrient is just as harmful as too little.
Reasons why plum trees do not bear fruit
And now about the main thing: how to properly care for a plum tree in the fall (pruning, fertilizing), if 4–5 years have passed and the plum tree still does not bear fruit.
Video: Fertilize plum trees correctly
When planting, you need to ensure that the root collar is not buried in the ground. This can have a bad effect on the bark: it resists, and microbes multiply in the damaged area. The tree may die or begin to bear fruit late.
Preparing fruit trees for wintering
Feeding plums in August and September is carried out in parallel with other activities that are aimed at protecting the tree from rodents: mice, hares. If the site is located close to the forest, then you need to take care of purchasing a metal mesh that is wrapped around the trunk.
While the tree is growing, its crown needs to be shaped so that there are no problems with harvesting.
Every gardener knows that growing fruit plants requires proper care. In particular, this applies to plum seedlings. Proper feeding of plums will allow you to get a good harvest of delicious fruits, regardless of the variety.
If you add the required nutrients to the seedling hole after planting, fertilizing will not be required for three years. You can supply the tree with urea at the rate of 20 g per square meter. m of tree trunk circle. If the plant was planted in the spring, it needs to be fed in the fall after the third season so that the plant develops normally and survives frosts without damage.
What is missing from a tree?
These fruit plants grow well on loamy and clayey soil, which is enriched with mineral organic substances. For full development and good fruiting, the plant must subsequently be fed. It will be necessary to add nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and mixtures with magnesium in a timely manner.
Potassium magnesia is considered the best option in the first stages of cultivation. It is this drug that is missing if the soil is not sufficiently enriched with useful substances. It is based on magnesium, which is necessary for the normal growth and development of plant crops.
Before planting the seedling, be sure to place eggshells, peat, humus and mineral components in the prepared hole. For the latter, use superphosphate and sodium sulfate.
After planting the seedling, apply organic mixtures in a 5 cm layer.
Rules for applying fertilizers
The first time this should be done is before flowering. Use a low concentration urea solution for these purposes. For 5 liters of water, use approximately 20 g of the substance. In the summer, at the beginning of June, the second feeding of the plum after flowering is carried out. You need to dilute 30 g of fertilizer in one bucket of water. It is best to do this procedure with nitrophoska.
Minerals should be added in August. Use sulfate and superphosphate for this - 15 g of each per 25 liters of water.
You can feed the plum during fruiting by adding the following solution to the soil: approximately 40 g of nitroammophosphate should be mixed with 30 g of urea and diluted in one bucket of water. About 30 liters of such liquid will be required for one tree. Due to this, the plant will bear fruit even better in subsequent years.
After harvesting, it is necessary to carry out the last fertilizing. Fertilize at this time with a mixture of potassium sulfate with the same amount of superphosphate. For one bucket of water you will need to spend approximately 30-40 g of the mixture.
When the tree reaches three years of age, feeding the plum in the spring should consist of the following stages:
- digging up soil near a tree;
- preparing the solution (after 3 years the plant can also be fertilized with manure);
- A mixture of urea and peat must also be added to the root system.
Chemical fertilizers
How to feed a plum tree in the spring, you ask? The most suitable agents are superphosphate, potassium sulfate and nitrophoska. Use no more than two buckets of solution for each tree.
Natural fertilizers
When the first stage of seedling growth is complete (usually this period lasts 3 years), add a small amount of organic matter in the fall. It is important that nutrients are applied at a short distance from the trunk. Compost is considered the optimal organic fertilizer. But you can also use regular manure. If you use compost, proceed at the rate of 10 kg per square meter. m. You can add urea (approximately 25 g per 1 sq. m).
6-8 years after planting, more organic fertilizers can be applied in the autumn. It is recommended to apply up to 20 kg of compost per square meter. m. It is not recommended to fertilize a six-year-old tree with manure, as this can burn the root system. The best option is to feed with a mixture of compost and urea. These are the most suitable fertilizers for fruit-bearing crops.
Regardless of the time of application of fertilizers and their composition, do not forget about the need to first dig up the soil.
Now you know what to feed the plum and when you need to add the right mixture of nutrients.
Video “Spring feeding of plums”
From this video you will learn how to properly fertilize a plum tree in spring.
In order to harvest a good plum harvest every year, not occasionally, it is necessary to properly care for this tree. One of the most important points is the application of fertilizers. We will tell you in this article how and what to feed a plum tree so that it bears fruit well and the fruits do not fall off.
What fertilizers does plum need?
It is impossible to specifically name the best fertilizer for stone fruits (apple trees, plums, cherries) so that they bear fruit well. This is due to the fact that they need both organic and mineral supplements. Preparations containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium are especially important for plums. These include: ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium sulfate, potassium salt, as well as ash (wood and grain crops). The main thing is to apply them at the time when the tree needs them.
How and when to fertilize plum trees?
At the very beginning of spring (especially for young trees), it is necessary to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers (saltpeter or urea 20-25 g per 1 m2, and ammonium sulfate - 60 g per 1 m2) and rotted manure. Depending on the quality of the soil, additional fertilizer may be required. For example: lime, wood ash should be added to acidic soils, or lime ammonium nitrate should be used immediately.
Also in the spring, in order to increase productivity, it is recommended to spray the tree crown with a 0.5% urea solution. This feeding is carried out several times with an interval of 7-10 days.
For already formed trees (over 3 years old), in the fall, when digging up the ground, it is necessary to apply potassium (30-45 g per 1 m2) and phosphorus (70-80 g per 1 m2) fertilizers. This is due to the fact that these minerals are difficult to dissolve, so it takes more time for the plant to absorb them.
Organic fertilizers should not be applied every year, but once every 2-3 years at the rate of 40 tons per 1 hectare.
Not only vegetables and flowers, but also fruit trees require careful care, spraying, fertilizing, pruning, loosening, and watering. The abundance and quality of the donated harvest will depend on the gardener’s care for them.
The plum tree is one of the most demanding trees in the garden, requiring special, careful care, timely application of fertilizing and spraying. In order for the cellar to please you in the fall with jars of compotes and jam made from fruits grown on your summer cottage, you need to make an effort and take care of the tree.
You can find out what fertilizers can be used for plums, how to use them correctly and in what quantities by reading this article to the end.
Features of growing plums and caring for them
In order to determine what kind of fertilizer is suitable for a plum tree, you need to understand what this tree is and what care conditions it requires.
Plum is a fairly common tree throughout the continent, with more than two hundred varieties. Each of them has its own characteristics and requires certain rules of care.
Failure to comply with them will, at best, lead to a lack of harvest, and at worst, to the death of the tree.
Plum varieties are divided into several types:
- early ripening;
- mid-season;
- late ripening.
The most common type suitable for our climate is the mid-season variety. It is these varieties that have a pronounced taste and aroma, and relative resistance to phytodiseases. The harvest of such varieties can be harvested in early to mid-July.
In addition to mid-season plum varieties, Russia also practices the cultivation of early and late varieties.
Starting from the third year after planting, the plum requires special care and close attention.
Plum care measures
Carrying out measures to care for a plum tree is based on several important stages:
- Fertilizer application.
- Carrying out watering.
- Crown formation.
- Protection from sun and frost.
- Spraying.
- Reproduction.
- Pest and disease control.
- Harvesting.
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The set of measures and their sequence directly depends on what type and variety of plum the gardener is dealing with, the time of year and the age of the tree.
Three years after planting, when the tree has gained strength, strengthened and is ready for the first flowering, a set of measures must begin in the fall.
Important! Until three years, the tree is only watered, protected from frost, rodents, scorching sun, and sprayed. All other actions (crown formation, fertilization) are not performed to avoid injury.
Fertilizing plum trees
The most important measure to ensure the longevity and fruiting of a tree is the application of fertilizers.
Feeding depends on the variety and time of year; it is needed not only to ensure that the harvest is large and the fruits are large. Another goal of feeding is to protect the tree from the invasion of rodents, insects and pests, and increase resistance to disease.
Thanks to proper feeding, the tree quickly gets used to the type of soil in which it has to live.
Fertilizing the young tree is not required. All that it needs during this period of growth and development is properly selected soil and planting site, moderate watering and protection from external factors that adversely affect growth.
Experienced gardeners recommend relying on the following tips when choosing a place to plant plums:
- The ideal landing site is a well-lit hill.
- Light loamy soil is the most favorable soil for the normal functioning of a plum tree.
- Groundwater should be located no closer than one and a half meters from the roots.
- In warm regions, seedlings are planted in the ground in the fall, in cold regions - in early spring after frosts have passed.
- If several trees are planted or other seedlings are located nearby, then the distance between them should be at least one and a half to two meters.
- The width of the planting hole is 80x40 cm, the depth is at least half a meter.
- When planting, the roots in the planting hole are carefully straightened, after sprinkling with earth, a stake is driven in a little distance to secure the seedling.
- The soil to be sprinkled should be loose, moist and mixed with compost, tree resin, bone meal, superphosphates, and potassium chloride.
Rules for using fertilizers for plums
Important! Plum loves alkaline soil, so this is what you should consider when choosing fertilizer for it.
When preparing the fertilizer composition yourself, you need to understand that with the slightest mistake and an overdose of nitrogen, you can lose the fruit for a long time, or even completely damage the root system. To properly prepare fertilizer, you need to rely on the advice of gardeners:
- The basis of fertilizing should be compost, it helps nitrogen penetrate the soil faster, break down into substances necessary for the plant and be quickly absorbed.
- At the bottom of the hole, before putting compost there, you need to add organic waste: peelings, husks, grass, hay. Very useful, it promotes normal air circulation to the roots.
- Pig or cow manure is ideal for compost.
Fertilizer application stages
Fertilizer for plums can be used in two types:
- organic: sawdust, manure, grass, foliage, peat;
- inorganic: phosphates, superphosphates, potassium chloride.
Applying fertilizers to the root system of a tree after three years of life consists of the following stages:
- Digging the earth around the trunk to a depth of 20-30 cm.
- Preparation of fertilizer. It could be an infusion of manure. Or spreading rotted manure in combination with peat, urea, superphosphate, and wood ash. One square meter of soil will require about 10-15 kilograms of organic fertilizer. This composition is suitable for fertilizing in spring.
- In the summer, during active fruiting, it is worth paying attention to nitrogen and limestone; they will help normalize the acidity of the soil.
- In the fall, when the tree is dormant, it is important to fertilize it with wood ash and sand added to the soil previously dug up around the trunk.
Thus, regular tree care, prevention of plant diseases and damage by rodents and insects will ensure a large harvest of large plum fruits, pleasing not only the eye, but also the stomach.
Planting and fertilizing plums
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