Most people would agree that it is important to have a balanced diet. The same applies to your trees.
The ‘meat and potatoes’ for humans could be compared with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for trees. These are the primary nutrients and are required in large quantities relative to everything else.
Secondary nutrients (sulphur, magnesium, calcium) and micronutrients are also critical for healthy crop growth, but required in smaller quantities. Some elements such as cobalt and molybdenum are only required in very small amounts (like vitamins).
There is a concept for fertilising called ‘free choice feeding’ where if a sufficient quantity of nutrients is placed in the root zone and/or on the leaves, the tree can regulate uptake of all requirements through the season (nitrogen is the exception as sometimes a plant can over-consume N).
In general, this self regulating concept works but it is also important to remember that some nutrients interfere with each other, and that placement and timing need to be considered.
Regulation requires a good plant hormone balance and this in turn requires a strong actively growing root system. Stoller refers to roots as the ‘brains of the plant’.
Once you have determined what ‘food’ your plant needs and the mixture and timing of application, then the type of food can be considered. When the plant is rapidly growing, speed of delivery and minimising losses should be considered.
Stoller products
This is where Stoller products come in. The foundation of Stoller programs is a solid diet of a full nutrient mix using chelated and specialty nutrient mixtures sometimes incorporating plant balancing co-factors.
Once limiting nutritional factors are removed, Stoller specialty treatments can do their job with things like: root enhancement, fruit development, fruit retention, stress management, limiting biennial bearing and, maintaining fruit quality.
For more information, see the November 2011 issue of Tree Fruit
