Is there anything better than picking a fresh, juicy apple, peach, or pear right off a tree in your yard? Adding fruit trees to your landscape is a great way to enjoy fresh produce that’s far superior to anything you’ll find in the grocery store. Adding some shade and beauty to your yard only sweetens the deal.
Still, healthy fruit tree growth heavily depends on nutrient-rich care. This guide from the best tree service in Oak Ridge, TN, has you covered. Let’s look at when to fertilize fruit trees for optimal health and fruit production and how that works.
How To Time Fruit Tree Feeding Like a Pro
The best time to fertilize fruit trees depends on a variety of factors, but primarily, you’ll look at the tree’s age.
Mature
Do you have well-established trees? If they are a few years old and already producing fruit, fertilizing should be a part of your late winter or early spring fruit tree care plan. Giving the trees vital nutrients just as they are coming out of dormancy provides the nutrient boost they need to support new growth and ensure optimal health throughout the season.
For mature fruit trees, you’ll fertilize in the period between the first buds appearing and full flowering. Usually, that takes about six weeks.
Young
The tree fertilization schedule for newly planted fruit trees may be slightly different. It’s a good idea to feed trees that are under three years old in the spring.
However, be cautious about using a potting mix with fertilizer or other soil additives when planting. Excess fertilizer can actually harm the young tree. Don’t worry about seasonal tree fertilizing until Year Two or Three.
Always Avoid Fertilizing in Late Summer and Fall
Knowing when to fertilize fruit trees also means knowing when not to feed them. Mostly, this means avoiding adding nutrients to the soil in the late summer or fall.
Fertilizing fruit trees later in the year can cause several problems that affect their well-being and fruit production. For starters, the extra nutrients help the tree produce new shoots and leaves, but those tender young shoots might not reach maturity before the tree slips into its dormancy. New growth leaves the tree vulnerable to damage from cold weather and frost.
Feeding the trees in the summer can also divert fruit tree nutrients away from strong production. Instead of devoting all of its energy to producing fruit, the tree will be expending energy on the new growth itself, leading to a smaller fruit harvest.
Trees also don’t absorb as many nutrients after their main growing season ends; they rest. Adding fertilizer in the fall and then again in the spring might oversaturate the soil. That doesn’t help your tree at all.
Get Expert Advice for Healthy Trees
Preventing a nutrient deficiency in your orchard requires knowing just when to fertilize fruit trees for your location and climate. Why not call Pro Tree of Knoxville at (865) 294-0062 for some expert insights? Our professional tree care experts identify what your trees need so that you can enjoy a bumper crop from your own backyard.