We will give answers to the following questions: Do I need top dressing for trees? How and when should you fertilize your garden?

Not every type of soil contains the right level of mineral and organic matter necessary for normal growth and development fruit trees. In this regard, it is very important to properly and timely feed the trees, applying fertilizers to the soil, since the favorable condition of the soil affects not only the growth of the tree itself, but also its fertility. The closer to the fruiting period, the greater the effect of fertilizers on the development of trees.

❧ In the spring itself main task for a tree is growth. Trees grow best and fastest with nitrogen. Therefore, in the spring, fertilizing is most often carried out precisely with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

For fruit and berry crops, chemical elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium and iron are important. All of them are consumed by trees in large quantities, and therefore they are called macronutrients. But there are a number chemical elements, which trees need in relatively small quantities. These substances are called trace elements. These include: boron, manganese, copper, molybdenum, cobalt and some others. Most often, the soil lacks nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Fruit plants get most of their nutrients from the soil, oxygen and carbon from the air, and hydrogen from the water. Fruit trees absorb nutrients only in dissolved form, i.e. in water. Water is very important for the nutrition of trees and berry bushes.

The rate of absorption of nutrients by trees and shrubs depends on air temperature and soil moisture. Active plant growth occurs in spring and early summer. Just during this period, nutrients are especially needed by plants.

However, you should not apply excessive amounts of fertilizer - this can harm the plants. For example, an excess of nitrogen in the second half of the growing season leads to the non-maturing of wood, which can cause trees to freeze in winter. And in young trees, excess nitrogen can lead to too active shoot growth and late entry into the fruiting phase.

It is known that fertilizers used in horticulture can be organic and mineral.

Organic fertilizers are manure, compost, slurry and green manure crops.

Mineral fertilizers are nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, calcium and microfertilizers.

Using manure for fertilizer, you should know how to properly store it. Manure is stored in a shady place of the site, away from residential buildings. Then the manure is laid out in thin layers of 15-20 cm, sprinkling each layer with superphosphate at the rate of 2% superphosphate of the total weight of the manure. Too dry manure can be moistened and then compacted. A pile in height should reach about 1 m. From above, you can sprinkle a pile of peat, instead of peat, you can use ordinary earth. Put sod on top of the ground and on the sides of the pile. If the weather is dry in summer, then the pile should be watered from time to time.

When applying mineral fertilizers, you need to know what will be the effect of their use on various types soils. For example, nitrogen fertilizers will be most effective on sandy soils, since they contain the least amount of nitrogen, and black earth soils contain the most nitrogen, so they need nitrogen fertilizers the least.

In order for plants to better absorb fertilizers from the soil, it is necessary to constantly maintain soil moisture and keep it clean, i.e. free from weeds. And when organic fertilizers are added to the soil, the content of soluble nitrogen increases.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil in the same way, regardless of the season. Fertilizers (scattered by hand on the ground, after which cultivation is carried out. Before applying nitrogen fertilizers, the soil must be moistened.

Nitrogen fertilizers must be applied no later than the second half of June. They should not be applied, especially in young gardens, in the second half of the growing season. This will lengthen the period of plant growth and reduce their frost resistance.

Potash fertilizers are fertilizers whose main nutrient is potassium. Potassium plays an important role in the development of fruit plants. With its help, trees and shrubs synthesize sugar, and potassium also increases drought resistance, winter hardiness and resistance to fungal diseases.

Potash fertilizers dissolve in water. As a rule, they remain in the soil in the place where they were introduced. The degree of their mobility depends on the type of soil - on sandy soils they are more mobile, on clay soils - less. Potash fertilizers are applied in the fall along with manure and phosphate fertilizers. The least potassium is found in sandy and peaty soils.

A large amount of potassium is found in wood ash. In addition to potassium, it also contains many other nutrients: for example, boron, manganese, lime and others. As a rule, ash is used to fertilize the soil before planting trees and shrubs. And as a top dressing, it can be applied to the soil throughout the season. The most favorable feeding with wood ash affects crops such as raspberries, black currants and strawberries.

Phosphate fertilizers are fertilizers based on phosphorus. Such fertilizers include superphosphate, phosphorite and bone meal, double superphosphate. The difference lies in the phosphorus content and in the degree of solubility in water. Phosphorus fertilizers are used on acidic and alkaline soils.

Phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the soil when it is supposed to be deeply cultivated. As a rule, phosphorus is applied to the soil in autumn. First, fertilizers are scattered over the surface of the soil, then they are dug up to a depth of about 20 cm. Near trees, digging should be carried out parallel to the roots. In summer, fruit trees and shrubs are not fed with phosphate fertilizers.

Mineral fertilizers based on magnesium are called magnesium. In such fertilizers, magnesium is in the form of magnesium sulfate. Magnesium is added to the soil at the rate of 25-30 g of fertilizer per 1 m 2 . Magnesium fertilizers can be applied throughout the year as magnesium does not leach out of the soil. But still the best option is the application of such fertilizers in the fall, when deep tillage is expected on the site.

The application of magnesium fertilizers is effective on sandy soils, especially with increased level acidity.

The root system of a fruit-bearing fruit tree occupies the entire space under the tree and extends beyond the crown projection by about 0.5 m. In this regard, any fertilizer must be applied to this entire area.

Peat benefits not only garden plot. It is also used as an absorbent material in the liquidation of various environmental accidents. A mixture of peat with activated carbon is used as an air purifier.

How to determine how much feeding a tree needs?

It is not difficult to determine how much fertilizer is needed per fruit tree. To do this, you need to know the area on which fertilizer will be applied. The area is calculated as follows: a unit is added to the crown diameter and multiplied by 3.14. Further, the resulting area in square meters is multiplied by the dose of fertilizer required per 1 m 2.

If you decide to lay new garden, then before planting fruit trees and berry bushes, it is necessary to properly fertilize the soil. After planting, young trees can not be fed for two years.

The amount of fertilizer depends largely on the watering regime of the garden. If fruit trees and shrubs regularly receive a sufficient amount of moisture, then fertilizers are applied in large (emphasis on “o”) doses. As a result, with sufficient irrigation of the garden and the right amount of fertilizer, the harvest will be rich.

If the trees in your garden are fairly mature and you decide to rejuvenate pruning, then more fertilizer should be applied, as this is necessary to obtain tree growth.

It is very useful to apply liquid top dressing as a fertilizer. It is prepared as follows: the barrel is half filled with mullein, horse dung or bird droppings. The remaining half is added with water, after which it is thoroughly mixed. The solution must be left in the barrel for a month. Before applying fertilizer to the soil, it must be diluted with water at the rate of 5-8 liters of water 1 liter of solution. The drier the soil before fertilizing, the thinner the solution should be. In moist soil, you can make a thicker solution. Such top dressing is applied to the soil under trees and shrubs, going beyond the crown projection by about 0.5 m.

Fertilizing the soil in your garden every year or two with wood ash, there is no need to apply microfertilizers, since the ash contains almost all the necessary substances. And manure is rich in almost all trace elements.

Soil acidity affects the growth and development of fruit trees and berry bushes. The soil reaction is considered neutral at a pH of 7. If the pH is greater than 7, then the soil reaction is alkaline, and if less, then the reaction is acidic. If the pH is 4, then this means that the soil is very acidic. Optimal conditions For good development and the growth of fruit plants is the acidity of the soil between 5.5 and 6.5.

A high level of soil acidity inhibits the development of plants and interferes with their normal growth. On such soils, nutrients are in hard-to-reach forms and are poorly absorbed by plants. Lime is added to reduce soil acidity. Lime can be applied to the soil at any time of the year, but the optimal time is autumn - just before the main tillage.

For liming the soil, slaked lime is usually used in the form of a powder, since the powder is easily mixed with the soil. In addition to powdered lime, lime plaster can also be applied to the soil.

The amount of lime or plaster depends on the degree of acidity of the soil, as well as on its mechanical composition. With a high degree of soil acidity (pH below 4), clay soil is applied at the rate of 5-6 t/ha. In sandy soil - 3-4 t / ha. If the degree of acidity is medium (pH = 4.6-5.0), then lime is required on clay soils 3-4 t/ha, and on sandy soils - 2-2.5 t/ha. On soils with a weak (acidity level (pH = 5.0–5.5), 1.5–2 t / ha (for clay soil) is needed, and on sandy soils, lime is not required. Lime must be applied to the soil for at least 20 cm deep.

In addition to feeding fruit trees by applying fertilizers directly to the soil, there is also a method of foliar feeding. This method allows you to fertilize trees and shrubs with a nutrient solution through the leaves. Foliar top dressing means spraying the crowns of trees and shrubs with nutritious aqueous solutions. It should be remembered that spraying should be carried out either early in the morning or in the evening after sunset. If you still decide to spray during the day, then cloudy weather should be chosen for this. This is due to the fact that the solution is absorbed by the leaves of plants for a long time, and under sunlight, the solution quickly evaporates from the surface of the leaves.

You should not prepare too concentrated solutions for feeding trees and shrubs, since an excessive concentration of fertilizers in the solution can burn the leaves. This is especially dangerous for young trees. Also, at the beginning of the growing season, it is worth using less concentrated solutions.

For the growth and nutrition of our garden wards after wintering, the element nitrogen is needed, which, if it was in the soil, was washed out of it by rains into deeper layers during the fall and winter, carried away with melting snow. Therefore, in the spring there is a need to feed the trees in the garden, and with what and how - let's break the process down.

Fertilization methods

Nitrogen supplements can be delivered to their destination in a variety of ways.

• Spraying - foliar spring top dressing
• root feeding; it is carried out by introducing fertilizer elements into the soil in a liquid or solid state.

Regarding the age of the tree, we must know how and where to properly bring food so that it reaches its goal. If the seedling is small. then you need to fertilize the entire near-trunk circle.

In an adult tree, the suction roots are located approximately in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe projection of the crown onto the ground and beyond this border, and top dressing must be applied there.

The liquid form of application is more preferable. as to a greater extent ensures that the food is quickly digested. it is poured over previously watered soil. to avoid being burned by the fertilizer solution.

Dry minerals are loosened into the soil. then watering is done. Just
it makes no sense to scatter the granules over the surface - the nitrogen will evaporate from them, not
having reached the goal.

An overdose of nitrogen is no longer desirable. than its disadvantage. Because of it, fruit trees can grow to the detriment of fruiting, and they will not be well prepared for winter.

Feeding trees is not carried out every spring, it depends on the nature of the soil (they feed less often on clay), autumn fertilization, how the tree felt in the previous season, on the amount of last year's crop, how much it lost nutrition during this time.

When, how and what to feed

The first feeding of fruit is carried out in early to mid-April, when the buds are only
begin to swell, and the snow has melted. There is no point in throwing pellets on the snow,
roots will not receive nitrogen. However, when using this method, there is a risk that nitrogen-fed plants will tolerate them worse during return frosts.

Many gardeners advise to carry out such an operation during the period of leaf blooming or the beginning of flowering.

What fertilizer is best to use? It can be organic - compost,
manure. humus or mineral additives: urea, ammonium nitrate, sulfate
ammonium.

Along the perimeter of the crown, a furrow is made with a depth of half the bayonet of a shovel, the above compositions are introduced there. For mineral additives, the norms are indicated on the packages.

At the present time, the ground under fruit trees is often not dug up. A
planted lawn grasses or just mow. How to fertilize in such
case?

On my site, along the edge of the trunk circle, trimmings of old
water pipes about 25 cm long (the more, the better). They rise slightly above ground level. This is where nutrient solutions are poured.

The trunk circle of the old Antonovka was mulched with black spunbond, pipes were dug under it along the line of projection of the ends of the branches. Shade-loving hosts also feel great there.

If you make a solution, then 10 liters will require 1 tablespoon of urea, or 3 tbsp.
complex fertilizer. or azofoski, nitrofoski. To be present more potassium, it’s good to add half a glass of ash, and if we take urea, then a whole glass.

The presence of potassium will make the fruit more sugary. Instead of ashes, you can put a spoon
potassium sulfate.

Organic matter is placed at the rate of 20-30 kg of humus per adult tree.
By the way, if you add compost along the perimeter of the crown every 2-3 years, other "treats"
not required.

It is very useful to treat with slurry: dilute and insist last year's cow or horse dung two weeks in a barrel with a closed lid (ratio 1:5), stirring occasionally. Dilute 1:2 before use. The norm for an adult tree is 5 buckets.

feed well liquid fertilizers, for example, manure "compote".
To prepare it, I take a bucket of rotted manure, two buckets of weeded grass,
half-liter jar of old jam, a glass wood ash. I put everything in a 100-liter barrel, fill it with water, close the lid. The composition ferments for about two weeks, so you need to take care of its preparation in advance. Then I take a liter of compote, plant it in a bucket of water and fertilize. An adult tree needs 5 to 10 buckets. In addition to nitrogen, this composition will provide potassium and trace elements.

Foliar processing has two goals:

• Feed as fast as possible
• Protect from pests and diseases (details in the next article).

Through the leaves, nutrition is absorbed much faster, so we feed the fruit, especially when the root system cannot provide nutrition for the buds and leaves in early spring, and when flowering occurs, the formation of ovaries.

These can be fertilizer special mixtures with trace elements in their composition,
complex, for example, "Kemira-Lux", boric acid, potassium permanganate. Very fit
preparations "Uniflor-growth" and "Uniflor-buton", where microelements are contained in
easily digestible form.

It must be remembered that for such processing it is necessary to take lower concentrations of solutions (5-10 times) than for root treatment. All work should be carried out in dry weather after sunset.

Spraying is not an alternative to root nutrition, but can greatly help fruit in hard time to support their immunity.

Spring top dressing for shrubs, it is carried out similarly to the methods described above for fruit trees, only the dosage changes.

Please watch a very useful video on fertilizing in the spring:

Spring feeding of fruit trees and berry bushes

To get a high yield of fruits and berries, plants need to be properly fed and watered. There is nothing complicated in watering, but the issue of introducing nutrients needs to be properly understood.

Fertilizing fruit trees in spring

The need for spring top dressing is determined by the condition of the tree and the growth rate of the shoots. It becomes especially relevant after severe winter frosts, when the trees are weakened.

In early spring, with melted snow, a large amount of nutrients, especially nitrogen, leave the soil. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizers under the plants.

Spring top dressing is carried out 2-3 weeks before the flowering of fruit trees or immediately after the petals fall. In this case, urea, ammonium nitrate or bird droppings are used, diluted with water 15-20 times. Consumption rate - 150-200 g per 1 sq.m of the trunk circle. Instead of this fertilizer, you can use slurry diluted with water 3-4 times - 500-600 g per sq.m.

In addition to root top dressing for fruit trees, fast-acting foliar top dressing (spraying) can be carried out. For this, urea is used: for an apple tree - a 0.3% solution, for a pear - 0.1-0.2%, for stone fruits (cherries, plums, sweet cherries, apricots) - 0.5-0.6% -ny.

Feeding bushes in spring

Berry bushes (currants, gooseberries, raspberries, etc.) are fed early in spring with nitrogen fertilizers if organic matter was not introduced into the soil in autumn. Feeding will require 25-30 g ammonium nitrate or 40-50 g of ammonium sulfate per 1 sq.m. Fertilizers are best applied and sealed during the spring loosening of the soil.

If in the first year of planting the leaves of gooseberries and currants turn yellow, the bushes are fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate, which is prepared at the rate of 12-15 g per bucket (10 l) of water. The consumption rate is 0.5 buckets for each bush.

In late spring - early summer, foliar top dressing is very useful for gooseberries with 1-2% solutions of potassium sulfate and superphosphate, as well as trace elements: manganese sulfate (0.1-0.5% solution) and boric acid (0.01 -0.05% solution).

In May-June, foliar top dressing with microelements is useful for currants. In 10 liters of water dissolve 5-10 g of potassium permanganate, 2-3 g boric acid, 30-40 g blue vitriol and spray the bushes.

On a note
Each drug is diluted separately in a small amount of water, and then the solutions are mixed, water is added to 10 liters and the bushes are sprayed.

Fruit and berry trees and shrubs in the first year after planting do not need to be fed if fertilizers were laid in planting pits. In the second year of life, they already need to be fed with both organic and mineral fertilizers. Manure, peat, compost, a solution of bird droppings, slurry and mineral salts are introduced into the soil under the crown. The older the tree, the more it needs to be fed, and the effect of them is more noticeable.

There are certain rules for applying fertilizers. If the soil on which the garden is laid out is fertile, then it is enough to apply organic fertilizers once every 2-3 years. With soils that are not fertile, fertilizing the garden is carried out every year.

Phosphates and potassium salts, as well as manure, are necessary for the garden in autumn. Nitrogenous mineral fertilizers are required in the spring. Two-thirds of the annual amount of nitrogen is applied to the soil under the crowns by digging at this time of the year.

In the first half of summer, some trees (stunted, with signs of a deficiency of chemical elements) are additionally fed 2 more times. During the period of intensive shoot growth, all trees are fed a second time with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. If the shoots give a small increase, then after 30–40 days they are fed with complete mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Mineral and organic fertilizers are embedded in the soil to a depth of 30–40 cm.

If top dressing is carried out only with mineral or only organic fertilizers, then their dose on poor soils is increased by 1.5–2 times.

In late summer and early autumn, fruit and berry trees and shrubs experience intensive growth of roots and fruit buds, and accumulate a supply of nutrients.

Fertilizing with phosphates and potassium salts during this period helps the plants prepare for winter and withstand the upcoming frosts. Nitrogen at this time they need in much smaller quantities.

Once every 5–7 years, the soil in the garden is limed by adding dolomite flour- 1 kg per 1 m 2.

With liquid top dressing, slurry is diluted 5-6 times with water, and bird droppings - 10-12 times, 10 liters of solution are consumed per 1 m 2. Mineral fertilizers are applied dry, followed by irrigation or in the form of solutions.

In a lean year, the amount of fertilizer used for the garden is limited, otherwise abundant feeding will lead to the formation of a huge number of buds and intensive growth of shoots, and the next year the tree will be overloaded with a crop. This should not be allowed.

At poor flowering fruit and berry trees during the period of physiological shedding of the ovary carry out additional fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers (3-4 g per 1 m 2). This contributes to the growth of shoots and a set of mass of fruits, as well as the formation of flower buds for fruiting next year.

At big harvest(more than 75 kg of fruits or berries from a tree) carry out 3 top dressings. The latter contributes to the laying of flower buds and ensures the next year's harvest.

To improve the fertilization of flowers and the preservation of young shoots during the flowering period, foliar top dressing is carried out with solutions of trace elements. For spraying trees and shrubs, solutions of borax (1 g of substance per 1 liter of water), zinc sulfate (0.1–0.2 g of dry matter per 1 liter of water), manganese sulfate (0.2 g of dry matter per 1 liter of water) are used. ). Foliar top dressing is also carried out in the second half of the vegetative period of plants to increase resistance to diseases and pests.

Nitrogen deficiency is manifested by the formation of small leaves and a small number of ovaries. In summer, the leaves turn yellow early, especially at the base of the shoots, which become woody early, the bark on them becomes red or brown.

With a lack of phosphorus, the plants wither, the leaves become smaller and become dark green or with a reddish tint, shoots grow from branches at a smaller angle. In the lower part of the trees, the leaves fall early.

If the plants lack potassium, then the ripening of the fruits is delayed, and the leaves become yellowish with brown edges, and frost resistance decreases.

A lack of calcium worsens the quality of fruits that crack and soften. Plants are often affected by fungal diseases.

Advice. To feed adult trees at a distance of 1–2 m from the trunk under the crown, make holes in the soil with a stake 30–50 cm deep. Pour mineral fertilizers into them and fill them with water or use fertilizer solutions. Then fill the holes with soil.

Spring top dressing of the garden

Spring- plant awakening time. And although it seems that the trees are still sleeping, the work invisible to the eye does not stop in them for a minute. The roots continuously pull water from the lower, not frozen layers of the soil into the crown. Of course, not as intense as in summer. In autumn and winter, evaporation occurs through the bark. And if it weren’t for the replenishment of water from the roots, the branches of trees and shrubs would have dried up, as linen dries in the cold.

By March, internal processes in plants are activated. Deep rest is replaced by forced, Plants are waiting for a command from mother nature when the average daily temperature passes through the "biological zero". For most woody middle lane it is 5-7°. And if such a temperature lasts not for one day, but for a certain time (for each breed), the buds will swell, and fresh green leaves will decorate the bare branches.

Usually in March-April, pruning of trees and shrubs is carried out. This important operation allows you to lighten the crown, remove old and dried branches, rejuvenate plants, and improve the quality of the crop. It has long been observed that good fertilizer and watering cuts overgrow faster. Strong, well-fed fruits are less likely to be affected by dangerous fungal diseases, stone fruits are much less or do not suffer from gum disease.

Therefore, in addition to the nitrogen (N) traditional for spring, it is necessary to add a little phosphorus (P), and of course, potassium (K)- guarantee of plant health. The ratio of the main macronutrients (N:P:K) in March-April can fluctuate over a fairly wide range- from 2:0.5:1 to 2:1:2, but more often with a predominance of nitrogen as the main element of growth. Starting from June, the ratio is approximately equalized (although a little less phosphorus is more often recommended, for example, in a ratio of 1.5: 1: 1.5), and from August, nitrogen supplements are stopped, while the proportion of phosphorus and potassium increases (for example, 0: 1: 1, 5) so that the plants are well prepared for winter. Change in the ratio of macronutrients during the season from the predominance of nitrogen to the predominance of potassium- the most important rule of the fertilizer system for fruit, berry and many other crops.

Of course, the main fertilization is yet to come, but already in March, the first spring top dressings can be started, distributing them over the melting snow. This is technologically advanced and convenient, since it is easier to walk on snow (up to 10-15 cm layer) than on muddy ground, which opens after it has disappeared on the site. Melting snow, soaking into the soil, will pull fertilizer along with it. And top dressing will reach the roots just in time for the activation of growth processes. When applying in March, easily soluble fertilizers are used. First of all- nitrogenous, such as urea, ammonia or potassium nitrate. The latter is also a potash fertilizer. You can apply complex fertilizers, such as azophoska or nitrophoska, or specialized mineral dressings labeled "spring", containing macro- and microelements. On trunk circles in the snow, you can throw 1-2 handfuls of fertilizer under bushes and young trees, 2-5 handfuls under adult trees with a near-stem circle with a diameter of 1.5 m. A handful of an adult holds about 30-40 g of fertilizer and serves as a convenient " unit of measurement" in the practice of amateur gardening. It is important that the nutrients are not washed away by melt water. Therefore, with a large slope, especially after a harsh winter (when the soil freezes deeply and cannot absorb water), it is better not to feed in the snow. In all other cases, early spring fertilizer- a great opportunity to enhance the initial growth of your wards and lay the foundation for the future harvest. By the way, no excess of nitrates and other nitrogen salts in fruits with such early dates entry does not occur. Plants have time to completely process them into organic matter.

For greater efficiency, evenly distribute top dressing over the entire area of ​​​​small (up to 80 cm in diameter) near-stem circles and along the peripheral part of near-stem circles of adult trees, since this is where the active roots of plants are located. Be sure to write down, at least briefly, what fertilizer, when and in what quantities you applied on the site. This will help adjust further feeding and avoid nutrient imbalances. And the dose of fertilizers applied (1, 2 or 5 handfuls) depends primarily on the fertility of the soil in your area. Relatively speaking, on northern soddy-podzolic soils it is maximum, on gray forest- medium, on black soil- minimum.

Spring top dressing and fertilizers and soil fertility

Here I would like to make a small digression and talk about soil fertility.

When the trees shed their leaves in autumn, and the above-ground part of the herbaceous plants dies off, most of the nutrients obtained with such difficulty, and even carefully collected in the right ratio, remain at the soil surface and, with further decomposition of organic matter, again enters the plants next year. Herbivores, eating green fodder, in return give plants the most valuable nutrient material.- manure, consisting of semi-decomposed organic matter, in which all the nutrients are also collected (by plants) in the right ratio. That is, the nutrients extracted from the lower horizons of the soil accumulate in the upper, emerging humus layer and are used repeatedly, creating a kind of replenished circulation of substances in the biogeocenosis (natural community).

This has been the case for thousands of years, and soil fertility has gradually been formed all over the world in this way. Why, then, are the chernozems of the Voronezh and Tambov regions, and in Karelia only lean podzolic soil? The reason for this diversity is in the climate, vegetation and water regime of soils in different regions. The fact is that in the northern regions, plant litter is usually leafy or coniferous, containing a relatively small amount of nutrients obtained by plants over a short summer, and summer precipitation flushes mobile elements into groundwater, preventing them from accumulating in the soil.

At the same time, in the steppe regions, plant litter is much larger and the so-called root litter (dead roots of herbaceous plants) predominates. A relatively small amount of precipitation cannot wash out the accumulating elements; groundwater is deep. Organic matter accumulates in the soil and nutrients are well retained. For hundreds of years, chernozem is formed.

But then a person comes, from year to year takes away part of the nutrients with the harvest or haymaking, upsetting the balance of nutrition, depleting the soil. That is why it is so necessary to apply manure, compost or other organic or mineral fertilizers, restoring the fertility of the earth. Yes, mineral fertilizers are also able to preserve this most important quality of the soil, but only if they are balanced, competently applied.

Why is it important to keep a record of the top dressings applied to the plot? To prevent excess of some nutrients to the detriment of others.

Let's say you applied only nitrogen fertilizers on melting snow. If you add phosphorus (in the form of superphosphate) and potassium (potassium sulfate or ash) to them in April- Wonderful! And if you instead apply a complex fertilizer labeled "spring", where there is also a lot of nitrogen, you will get a strong excess of nitrogen. The N:P:K ratio can reach 4:0.5:1. This will lead to a loss of plant viability and damage to their fungal diseases. Therefore, there are two main options: either in March, nitrogen, and in April, phosphorus and potassium top dressing, or in March (in the snow), and in April, complex “spring” ones. With the next top dressing, at the end of April- May, usually use complex fertilizers with a slight predominance of nitrogen. Including semi-rotted manure or mature compost. In a year or two, if you stick to the above basic rules for applying fertilizers (about changing the nitrogen-potassium ratio throughout the season), your memory and experience will help you choose the next top dressing better than any records. And the records will come in handy in order, as in an experiment, to establish a connection between the application of fertilizers and the reaction to it of your wards.

A. Petrov , candidate of agricultural sciences

(Private farm No. 3, 2011)

Spring top dressing of the garden

Fertilizing the garden in the spring is a very important element in caring for fruit trees. Even if your garden grows on fertile soils, it needs additional feeding to a greater or lesser extent.

In the spring, near-stem circles of fruit trees are first fertilized with mineral fertilizers, mainly nitrogen fertilizers, provided that organic, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied in the fall. In the event that the garden was not fertilized in autumn, in April it is necessary to use complex mineral fertilizers containing three elements necessary for the good development of plants - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

For young gardens, the following composition of fertilizers is recommended: 20 g of urea, 30 g of granular superphosphate, 15 g of potassium chloride per square meter. m. If the soil is poor, then the doses of phosphorus and potash fertilizers can be doubled. Nitrogen fertilizers stimulate the growth of green mass, phosphorus is responsible for the development and strengthening of the root system, and potassium ensures the formation of flowers and fruits.

Top dressing begins in March - early April: fertilizers, together with melting snow, are absorbed into the soil and easily reach the root system during the awakening of the orchard.

Fertilizers are applied to trunk circles with a diameter of 1.5 m, evenly spreading 1-2 handfuls (30-40 g) of nitroammophoska or other complex fertilizer granules under bushes and young trees, and 3-5 handfuls under adult trees over the entire projection of the crown. Then, with a garden pitchfork or a shovel, they are embedded in the soil to a depth of 10-12 cm over the entire near-trunk area. At the same time, the shovel and pitchfork are placed with an edge towards the stem, along the roots extending from the trunk.

The first five years, fertilizers are applied to the near-trunk circle. Then the application zone is expanded, scattering them around the tree along the projection of the crown. Close up fertilizers in the soil so as not to damage the roots: at the trunk - smaller, on the periphery - deeper.

Both dry and liquid mineral fertilizers, if they are applied not on snow, require well-moistened soil - the root system of plants is able to absorb only nutrients dissolved in water. It is also advisable to spray the plants abundantly to avoid burns. Feeding should be carried out in the evening or in rainy, cloudy weather.

In the spring-summer period, it is necessary to provide plants high level nutrition with all the necessary elements, and especially nitrogen, to increase the activity of flowering, fruit set, rapid growth of shoots, the formation of crops and fruit buds. It must be remembered that the flowering phase and the initial growth of the shoots largely depend on the nutrient reserves available in the plant.

One of the types of top dressing can be called the usual organic mulch (peat, manure, crushed bark, rotted leaves, straw), which, decomposing, increases the fertile soil layer under the plant. The thickness of the mulch should be at least 10-12 cm around the entire perimeter of the crown. Such top dressing will be especially effective if mineral fertilizers are added to it. Mulching will help retain moisture in the soil, keep weeds from growing and maintain the temperature of the soil near the trunk circle.

In addition to fertilizing the soil, foliar top dressing is often used in the garden - spraying fruit crops with a solution of mineral fertilizers and growth regulators. For example, a 0.2% solution of urea (2 g per 1 liter of water) is used to spray trees. During the flowering of fruit trees and berry bushes, you can dissolve a little honey in water and spray the trees to attract bees that pollinate flowers, the same can be done when growing cucumbers in open ground or vegetables in a greenhouse.

Spring top dressing of the garden with nitrogen priority is one of the most important works gardener in April and during flowering trees in May. Then it smoothly turns into summer feeding of fruit trees, where phosphorus and potassium will be the main elements during the formation of the crop.

Oksana Gnatiuk