Even in northern climates, homeowners can grow some of the most popular fruit trees in their own backyards, including pear, peach, plum, cherry, and apple trees. But for success in growing fruit trees, you will need to plan carefully and maintain them properly.

Good planning will take into consideration the mature height of the tree so that it does not interfere with buildings, power lines, etc.

Ensuring full sun and good drainage are two other aspects of sound site election. Once you have planted your fruit tree, supplying it with sufficient irrigation and fertilizer are two of the more important maintenance tasks.

In this article, you will learn why, when, and how to fertilize fruit trees.

Why Fertilize Fruit Trees?

There are three reasons to fertilize fruit trees:

• For superior quantity in fruit production
• For superior quality in fruit production
• For the overall growth and health of the tree

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When to Fertilize Your Fruit Tree

Getting the timing right is very important when fertilizing fruit trees:

• The best time to fertilize fruit trees is in spring. Wait until about a week before the last frost date for your region. Fertilizing before that may result in a spurt of growth that will only be damaged by the frost.
• If you forget to fertilize in spring, the second best time to fertilize is in early summer.
• The worst time that you can fertilize fruit trees is in late summer or early fall. Fertilizing at this time would only promote new growth that will be killed when cold temperatures return.
• Do not fertilize a fruit tree at the same time as you are planting it. Wait till 3 weeks after planting , then you can lightly fertilize it with a chemical fertilizer. If you want to be ultra-careful, fertilize it with compost, instead.
• If your apple tree or pear tree is mature enough that it is bearing fruit, apply boron to it every three years.

How to Fertilize Your Fruit Tree

Don’t think that effectively fertilizing a fruit tree is as easy as opening up a bag of fertilizer and pouring some out. Set aside a bit of time so that you can do the job right:

1. Remove grass and weeds from around the tree: If you have any weeds (or grass) growing around your fruit tree, remove them. They will steal some of the fertilizer you will be putting down from your fruit tree.
2. Clear away mulch: If you currently have any mulch around your tree, rake it away to expose the soil surface.
3. For your safety: Wear gloves and goggles. Some fertilizers can irritate the skin or eyes.
4. Obtain the fertilizer: Fertilizers with an NPK of 10-10-10 are widely used for fertilizing fruit trees. Granulated types are easier to work with than others. You don’t need to use chemical fertilizers: Organic fertilizers are perfectly acceptable, as long as you are having your soil tested regularly to ensure that it has the nutrients your fruit trees need.
5. Determine how much to apply: Measure the diameter of the fruit tree’s trunk. This figure will be used to calculate how much fertilizer to use. Apply 1 pound of fertilizer for every inch of diameter. Common sense comes into play, too: The tree’s performance will let you know if you are not using enough. Err on the side of too little. Using too much fertilizer may result in excessive vegetation, which causes the center of the tree to be shaded. The result can be disease (from too little air circulation) and reduced fruit production.
6. Apply the fertilizer: One reason granulated fertilizers are easier to work with is you do not have to mix them with water to apply them. Broadcast the granulated 10-10-10 fertilizer evenly, starting 1 to 2 feet away from the trunk and ending where the tips of the branches extend to (the “drip line”).
7. Rake the fertilizer: Gently rake the fertilizer into the soil.
8. Mulch your fruit tree: Put back the mulch (if any) that you had raked away from the tree. Add new garden mulch to this. Aim to create a 3-inch layer of mulch in all. Keep the mulch 6 inches to a foot away from the base of the tree, depending on the size of the tree. Mulch will not only suppress weeds but also conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature.
9. Water: Water the area so that the fertilizer will sink into the ground.