Postharvest Foliar Fertilization Gets Next Year’s Crop Off to a Good Start
At season’s end fruit trees, like apples, often have nutrient deficiencies. Macro, secondary, and micronutrients applied during the season have gone into plant development and fruit production. Yet, this is the time in the crop cycle when next year’s developing leaf and flower buds are preparing for winter and early spring. Providing essential nutrients in the fall, post-harvest, can improve bud development and bud winter hardiness, setting the stage for a successful crop next season.
Foliar nutrient applications post-harvest can bolster bud winter hardiness while placing the right nutrients in the right places to support next year’s fruit set, size, and quality. Early in the growing season, when soils are still cold and wet, fruit trees rely heavily on stored nutrients from the previous fall to support tree and crop development. Post-harvest there is only a sliver of time to apply nutrients, while leaves are still viable and nutrient absorption can still happen.
The Right Form, Right Nutrient, Right Time, Right Mix, Right Place; Fundamental Principles to Crop Nutrition
Using the Right formulation for foliar applications is important for nutrient uptake. Applying products designed for foliar applications ensures the nutrients being applied post-harvest are getting into the tree promptly before leaf senescence takes place.
Agro-K has several products tailored to meet fall phosphorus and potassium demands, including Agrobest® 0-20-20, Agrobest® 3-18-18 and Agrobest® 9-24-3. These ortho phosphate based products are specifically designed for season long foliar applications but are particularly effective post-harvest while the leaves are still viable.
Both Agro-K’s Vigor LeafMax and TopSet DL take advantage of Agro-K’s Dextro-Lac simple sugar complex technology that ensures leaf penetration of nutrients is quick and efficient. Once in the tree nutrients are utilized to support winter hardiness and next season’s early spring growth. Vigor LeafMax has also been treated with Agro-K’s proprietary biological finishing technique that enhances product performance, delivering additional value.
Your orchard’s maximum yield potential for next year is set before winter. If these future crop yields are to be realized key fertility must be present before winter. The postharvest application is the first nutritional application for next year’s crop! Don’t miss this critical opportunity.