The importance of feeding pears
The pear differs from the mass of fruit trees in its strong immunity to diseases. Especially if planting is carried out according to the instructions and recommendations of experienced gardeners. And also make a choice according to the variety and climatic conditions.
But pear care does not end there. Like humans, plants need to regularly receive nutrients and elements. With their help, not only strengthens the immune system, but also restores strength.
Fertilizing occurs according to a certain pattern. Each gardener creates a care calendar, where care procedures are clearly visible. The first feeding of pears occurs in early spring.
It is difficult to indicate specific dates due to different climatic conditions, current weather and seasonal temperatures. Further, the number of applications depends on the condition of the tree, the presence of signs of deficiency or excess of microelements, and the age of the pear.
Spring feeding is extremely important. A tree spends energy not only on waking up after winter, but also on:
- restoration of branches and buds damaged by frost;
- formation, growth of buds, foliage;
- the appearance of pagons and inflorescences.
Also in the spring, the gardener is obliged to provide the pear with a charge of energy for fruiting. As you know, it is in the spring that you can set the desired force coefficient for the growth and development of a tree.
The importance of fertilizing lies in the fact that with the help of applications the tree receives the required amount of elements for:
- lack of barren flowers;
- active flowering;
- quick awakening and strengthening of protective functions for several seasons;
- stabilization of fruiting;
- preserving the taste and external qualities of the fruit.
You can create your own feeding scheme for pears. Applications must be alternated, since organic matter is a long-lasting fertilizer, and mineral complexes work immediately.
Before drawing up a fertilizing calendar, you should carefully study the condition of the tree, check previous work on applying fertilizers in order to prevent an overabundance of elements.
Tips for beginner gardeners
Beginning gardeners should remember the basic rules for fertilizing pears:
- it is impossible to grow a good harvest without fertilizing;
- under-fertilization is just as dangerous as over-fertilization;
- It is important for the plant to receive the full complex: mineral fertilizers and organic matter;
- micro- and macroelements should not be neglected;
- To obtain stable yields, it is important to give the tree foliar feeding;
- the amount of fertilizer depends on the age of the pear.
If you follow the rules of fertilizing, the gardener will always receive a stable harvest of tasty fruits.
Feeding scheme by season
Having studied the types of fertilizers suitable for pears, you should not immediately purchase all the popular ones. Initially, an application scheme is created that helps the pear receive adequate nutrition throughout the growing season.
Nitrogen is applied to a greater extent in the spring, and phosphorus in the fall. Complexes are selected taking into account the requirements and condition of the tree.
Spring
Before flowering, the pear tree should be fed. But first: conduct a thorough inspection of the crop, pruning (sanitary or formative). Additionally, the soil is checked. If necessary, normalize the pH.
Organic compounds will help with this and act as fertilizing. The work takes place on moist soil so that the nutrition reaches far to the roots and does not lie on top.
For a good harvest, it is recommended to use a complex preparation with a high nitrogen content. Or use your own prepared mixture:
- ammonium nitrate – 30 g;
- urea – 20 g;
- nitroammophoska – 50 g.
Substances for mixing are taken in powder form. The indicated dosage is per square meter. The composition is scattered over the surface of the soil in the root zone or introduced into the ditch for irrigation.
Since fruits are set during the same period, the mixture will help go through the formation stage quickly and without losing the tree’s strength.
You can also fertilize pears with organic matter in the spring. Depending on the material chosen, it is mulched, poured in or sprayed onto the sheet.
It is recommended to pollinate the tree with ash - feeding and protection from pests. It is better to take manure and droppings in the form of an emulsion (dilute the infusion in water) in a ratio of 1 to 10 or 1 to 15 liters.
In May, the pear needs to receive a certain dose of potassium and phosphorus. Application is carried out before flowering, but with well-formed buds. Choose from:
| Potassium | Phosphorus |
| Potassium salt | Ammophos |
| Potassium sulfate | Superphosphate |
| Kalimag | Potassium monophosphate |
During the flowering period, it is permissible to feed the plant;
- AgroMaster;
- Fusco or Hero;
- Gumi-Omi or Fertikoy;
- Plantafol or Aquarin.
Summer
When the fruiting stage begins, the pear no longer needs a large amount of nitrogen, but it is extremely important to receive dosed potassium, magnesium and other elements for development, fruit filling, and improvement of taste and appearance.
It is advisable to use not organic products, but complex ones labeled nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus. But the presence of the first element is much less than the other two.
They plan to carry out the procedure once - in June.
Autumn
The third stage of feeding pears takes place in the fall, after harvesting the fruits. The pear has lost a lot of strength and energy, so it is important to replenish its reserves for a safe winter. The following composition is recommended:
- Superphosphate – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Urea, potassium sulfate 1 tbsp. l.;
- Ammofoska – 3 tbsp. l.;
- wood ash - half a kilo.
Application takes place in a dry form after thoroughly mixing the ingredients. Principle: sprinkle on moistened soil or pour into holes made in the root zone. Then dig up onto the bayonet of a shovel.
Upon landing
A pear seedling should receive a dose of beneficial microelements during planting. It is recommended to make a nutritious soil mixture that will be enough to feed the tree for 3 years.
To do this, separate 1/3 of the dug soil and mix it with:
- humus - 1 part;
- superphosphate – 200 g;
- potassium salt – 1 tbsp. l.
Spring work in the garden
Fruit trees can be fed with both purchased chemical complexes and organic matter.
For established and fruit-bearing adult pear trees, fertilizing begins in the spring, after the snow melts. What to fertilize in the spring depends on the stage of tree development.
During the period of awakening and sap flow, the pear should receive the required amount of nitrogen. If the soil is waterlogged, spring fertilizing is applied in granular form to a depth of about 10 cm. If the soil is dry, use one of the proposed solutions (in terms of a bucket of water):
- 2 tablespoons of saltpeter;
- 500 g of chicken manure (the solution is infused for about a day);
- 50 g urea.
The next stage of feeding is the application of fertilizers before flowering to quickly set a large number of fruits. It is advisable to feed the pear in the spring before flowering (and it blooms in May) with a complex fertilizer - nitroammophos, containing potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen salts in a balanced form. One medium-sized tree should be fed with 30 liters of water, which contains 100 g of the mixture.
Once the fruit has set, it is important to preserve and obtain a good harvest. It is recommended to fertilize pear trees in the spring after flowering has ended in the area around the tree trunks with a solution of nitroammophoska at the rate of 50 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water
Immediately after the snow melts, the first work in the garden begins. Plants require a lot of nutrients to recover from winter and gain green mass. At this time, the pear tree awakens from the winter cold, active metabolic processes begin, and preparations for the formation of flower stalks occur.
Mature trees need to be cleared of bark, which may contain pests. Old bark has cracks in which various pests can live. For cleaning, metal scrapers and brushes are used to clean the bark until smooth. Damaged areas and depressions in the bark are disinfected with copper sulfate (100 g per bucket of water).
Spring feeding scheme:
- during swelling of the kidneys;
- before the appearance of flower stalks;
- after flowering.
Kidney swelling
During the swelling of the buds, the pear requires a lot of nitrogenous substances, since it is nitrogen that helps the growth of green mass. Gardeners can use saltpeter or urea to help the tree thrive. Fertilizers are applied to the soil in the projection of the crown, that is, within a radius of 50-60 cm from the trunk. Ammonium nitrogen fertilizers are very effective, since they are poorly washed out of the soil.
The consumption of nitrate is calculated taking into account 30 g of the substance per 1 m2. Urea is diluted in a bucket of water - 10:1. Instead of agrochemicals, you can use bird droppings: it also contains a lot of nitrogen compounds. To prepare a solution of litter, you need to stir half a kilogram of dry substrate in a bucket of water.
Instead of root feeding, spraying of branches is used. You just need to make a solution of lower concentration so as not to burn the twigs. To protect against pest attacks, use a urea solution (1:50), that is, 50 g of granules are dissolved in a liter of water. An ash solution is also good for this purpose.
For spraying, you can use a solution of mullein, which the pear will really like. To do this, cow dung is simply diluted in water after mixing well. Only water should be taken from settled or rain water.
Bloom
After flowering, the crown is treated twice - a week after the petals fall and another three weeks later. At this time, pears require phosphorus and potassium, which contribute to the proper development of the fruit. If this is not done, the fruits will not ripen as expected - they will fall off and be crushed.
Remember that in cold weather the tree cannot absorb microelements from the soil, so it is necessary to spray the crown. There is no other way out.
Signs of a lack of nutrients
The pear develops and grows quickly. Therefore, the added substances are not always enough. If there is a lack of elements, the tree signals by changing the color of the foliage, reducing the number of fruits, and the presence of barren flowers.
To timely replenish the supply of nutrients, it is worth studying the signs of deficiency.
Nitrogen
The foliage becomes small. The color changes from dark green to light, almost light green. The formation of shoots deteriorates, the ovaries fall, and there are many barren flowers.
Phosphorus
Shredded leaves may indicate a phosphorus deficiency. At the same time, the color of the leaf plates remains intensely green. After a while they turn black and dry out.
A nuance will help determine that the problems relate to a lack of phosphorus: the symptoms develop from the lower branches, and not from the crown.
Potassium
The first signal: the foliage takes on a bronze tint, remaining dark green. If the element is not added, a manifestation of potassium deficiency:
- the appearance of spots;
- yellowing of leaf blades;
- tissue death at the edges;
- the appearance of wrinkles between the veins, loss of turgor.
Fruiting continues, but the fruits are small, the taste deteriorates, and ripening is long.
How to apply fertilizers correctly
Fertilizers are applied along the perimeter of the crown, because This is where the young suction roots are located. Most gardeners prefer not to philosophize, evenly scattering fertilizers and incorporating them into the soil. But there are other methods of application to achieve the maximum effect of fertilizing. For example, some gardeners recommend digging 8-12 holes 15-20 cm deep around the perimeter of the trunk (at a distance of 1.5-2 m from the trunk), where fertilizers should be placed and covered with soil.
In addition to feeding, in the fall your green pets need proper pruning, whitewashing of trunks and moisture-replenishing watering, which significantly increase the frost resistance of trees.
Planting seedlings
If you have purchased seedlings, you must immediately take care of applying fertilizers. To do this, pour compost, peat or mullein mixed with soil into the hole. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are placed at the very bottom. This is necessary to ensure that young roots do not come into direct contact with agrochemicals.
Instead of compost, you can use well-rotted manure. Fresh manure will simply burn the tender roots of a young tree.
Six months after planting, the tree trunk circle is dug up and manure or peat mixture is added to the soil. This must be done to help the tree survive the winter comfortably. In spring, melt water will dilute microelements, and they will be absorbed into the soil.
In the second year of life, the young tree is fed with fertilizers, which are taken in half as much as for an adult pear. The tree trunk circle is watered with fertilizers and the branches and leaves are sprayed.
A young pear needs to be watered regularly and the soil around the trunk must be loosened so that the root system does not need moisture and oxygen.
