How much fertilizer to apply to a cherry tree (when and how much fertilizer to apply to a cherry tree)

The area of ​​cherry cultivation here is quite large. Some villages have become rich by cherry. Almost all the cultivated land in the village is planted with cherry, some are cultivated in the open field and some are cultivated in greenhouses. Now it is autumn, and the basal fertilizer for cherry is about to start.

The amount, method, type and time of fertilizer application for big cherries vary greatly depending on the tree vigor, age, soil, cultivation mode and people involved. There is no fixed rule.

I will also talk about the fertilization of cherries in my village based on the example of my village. There are open-field cherries and greenhouse cherries in my village, and their fertilization is also different.

First, fertilization of open-air cherries

Big cherries generally enter the first fruiting period after 3 years. Before that, in order to grow the trees, we basically use nitrogen fertilizer as the main fertilizer, adding an appropriate amount of phosphorus fertilizer to promote the formation of the crown.

The initial fruiting period of big cherries is basically between 3 and 6 years. During this period, attention should be paid to controlling nitrogen and increasing phosphorus and potassium when applying fertilizer.

After 7 years of age, cherries enter the peak fruit-bearing period, and the number of flowers and fruits on the trees gradually increases. At this time, we should increase the amount of fertilizer and add potassium fertilizer during the fruit growth stage to increase the yield and quality of the fruit.

1. Base fertilizer

It is best to apply base fertilizer in the autumn from September to October, and the earlier the better.

The base fertilizer varies depending on the source of fertilizer. It can be various farm manures, pig, horse, cattle, sheep manure, etc. An appropriate amount of compound fertilizer can be added. If nutrient deficiency is found during the growth period, the lacking elements can also be added.

Here, we usually apply 3-4 shovels of fully decomposed pig manure to each young tree, weighing about 80-100 kilograms, and 8-10 shovels of manure to mature fruit trees, weighing about 150-200 kilograms .

If it is pure chicken manure, the amount used will be greatly reduced. Generally, 1-1.5 shovels are used for young trees, which is about 20 kilograms, and 2-3 shovels are used for fruit trees, which is about 50-60 kilograms.

If you want to apply bean cake, cotton cake and other cake fertilizers, depending on the amount of fertilizer source, some apply 200 catties per mu, some 300 catties, etc. Cake fertilizer is a bit expensive, and generally few people use it in the open field, but it is more used in greenhouses.

2. Topdressing before and during flowering

During this period, the main application is compound fertilizer or special fertilizer for fruit trees.

I don't know how much you use, but here I usually use 3-15 compound fertilizer, 1-2 pounds per tree for young trees, and more than 3 pounds for fruit-bearing trees.

During the flowering period of big cherries, it is also necessary to combine foliar fertilizer spraying, such as 0.3% urea + 0.2% borax + 500-600 times potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

3. Post-harvest fertilizer

The flower bud differentiation period of big cherry is relatively early, and generally starts about 10 days after picking. At this time, you can apply some compound fertilizer or other quick-acting fertilizers, and the amount of topdressing is similar to (2).

Before the leaves of big cherries fall, you can add some trace element fertilizer in combination with spraying to increase the nutrient accumulation of the tree.

After talking about the open-field fertilization of cherries, let’s talk about the fertilization of cherries in greenhouse cultivation.

2. Fertilization of greenhouse cherries

The growth of greenhouse cherries is different from that of open-field cherries. Due to early germination, low temperature, poor light, and root growth later than branch sprouting, the tree produces less nutrients in the early stage of the year. In addition, the planting density is high and more nutrients are needed. Therefore, the fertilization is different from that of open-field cherries.

The fertilizer requirements of greenhouse cherries mainly include high requirements for stored nutrient levels, poor root absorption capacity, easy soil salinization and nutrient deficiency, so fertilization must be reasonable.

The fertilization of greenhouse cherries is divided into several periods: early autumn, early budding, flowering period, after flowering and after fruit picking. The amount of fertilizer should be considered based on whether the soil nutrients are sufficient, the age of the tree, the amount of fruit, etc.

1. Base fertilizer

The best time to apply fertilizer is early autumn. The climate varies from place to place, and 50-60 days before frost is appropriate.

If we use fermented organic fertilizers such as cattle and sheep here, the amount is generally 5-10 shovels for young trees, and 10-15 shovels for the peak fruit-bearing period.

If it is pure chicken manure, 2-3 shovels for young trees, 3-5 shovels for peak fruiting period. If it is cake fertilizer, soak it in water and ferment it. 10-15 kilograms for young trees, about 30 kilograms for peak fruiting period, depending on your own quantity.

2. Germination fertilizer

During this period, the main application is triple compound fertilizer, special fertilizer for fruit trees, etc., 1-2 kilograms per tree for young trees and 2-3 kilograms per tree for mature fruit trees.

3. Fertilizer during flowering period

During the flowering period, the main application is foliar fertilizer, such as boron fertilizer, amino acid foliar fertilizer, etc.

4. Fertilize after flowering

Mainly apply some organic fertilizers, amino acid fertilizers, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and large-element water-soluble fertilizers, etc. Spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves to promote flower bud differentiation.

5. Post-harvest fertilizer

Some people apply fertilizer after harvesting the fruit, while others do not. If you apply fertilizer, you can apply compound fertilizer, 1-2 catties for young trees and 2-3 catties for mature fruit trees.

The greenhouse cherries here are mainly grown with base fertilizer, and topdressing is mostly water-soluble fertilizer, biological fertilizer, biological organic fertilizer, etc.

Because of the separation of the film, there is less rainwater erosion, and excessive application of chemical fertilizers will cause soil salinization. Therefore, applying more organic fertilizers, bacterial fertilizers, etc. can activate the soil and at the same time supplement trace elements to reduce the occurrence of nutrient deficiencies.

The amount, type, and method of fertilizer application for cherry trees will vary depending on the tree, person, location, climate, and cultivation method.

No matter what crops you plant, there is no exactly the same amount and method of fertilizer application. Other people's experiences can only be used as a reference but cannot be copied. You must adapt to local conditions, vary from person to person, and from tree to tree, and cannot be fixed.