Content
- 1 Is it possible to fertilize an apple tree with urea?
- 2 Why do you need to spray apple trees with urea?
- 3 Pros and cons of treating apple trees with urea
- 4 When to spray apple trees with urea
- 5 How much urea is needed for an apple tree in spring?
- 6 How to treat apple trees with urea
- 7 Precautionary measures
- 8 Conclusion
Apple trees, like all fruit trees, need proper feeding. After all, the yield and quality of the fruit directly depend on this. One of the most popular fertilizers among gardeners is urea or carbamide. It is characterized by an affordable price and ease of use. In order for feeding apple trees with urea to give the desired result, you need to follow the rules for its implementation.
Urea is easily soluble in water
Is it possible to fertilize an apple tree with urea?
This mineral fertilizer is valued for its high nitrogen content. Its mass fraction in the product is 42-46%. But it is precisely this component that determines the growth rate of the apple tree and the development of the crown.
In addition, nitrogen is one of the main components that ensures the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, this fertilizer can be used to feed apple trees in spring and early summer.
Why do you need to spray apple trees with urea?
This fertilizer helps strengthen the tree's immunity and helps protect it from pests.Treating apple trees with urea in the spring significantly reduces the number of weevils, aphids, apple flower beetles, and copperheads throughout the season.
According to experienced gardeners, treating apple trees with urea in the spring also helps against scab, purple spot and burns. And it allows you to increase the tree’s resistance to adverse external factors. But this can only be achieved by using urea within a clearly defined time frame. Otherwise, the procedure may cause a decrease in crop productivity.
Pros and cons of treating apple trees with urea
Urea treatment has certain pros and cons. Before carrying out it, you need to study them in advance.
Urea increases the protein content, which is necessary for the full growth of the tree.
The main advantages of spring treatment of apple trees with urea:
- gives quick, long-lasting results;
- accelerates tree recovery after winter;
- replenishes nitrogen deficiency;
- increases the number of ovaries;
- improves fruit quality;
- increases immunity;
- protects against pests and diseases.
Flaws:
- requires compliance with increased security measures;
- the protective layer is easily washed off by rain after spraying;
- fertilizer quickly disintegrates when exposed to sunlight;
- reduces soil acidity.
When to spray apple trees with urea
The timing of using urea in the spring directly depends on the purpose of using the fertilizer. To destroy pathogens and wintering pest larvae, apple trees should be sprayed in early spring at the green cone stage.This means that the buds have already swelled, but have not begun to bloom, which usually happens in March-April. At the same time, it is important that the air temperature remains confidently at +5 °C for several days in a row, since in case of frost the procedure will be useless.
You can fertilize apple trees with urea in the spring for the first time at the beginning of the growing season. In this case, root feeding is recommended, which should be carried out in early May. But the timing may vary, depending on the climatic conditions of each region.
In the future, you can spray apple trees with urea in the spring for feeding. This should be done a week after flowering ends. The optimal period is considered to be the end of spring, the beginning of summer.
How much urea is needed for an apple tree in spring?
When using urea in dry form for fertilizing, it is necessary to sprinkle urea not only under the apple tree, but also evenly distribute the product along the entire perimeter of the crown. In this case, it is important to embed the fertilizer into the soil, since when it interacts with air, the ammonium included in its composition is converted into gaseous form. And this leads to the loss of most of the nitrogen.
For root feeding with dry urea, it is necessary to apply 500-600 g of the product for each adult tree. And for young seedlings you will need 100-200 g, depending on their age. When planting an apple tree, it is not recommended to apply urea, since nitrogen interferes with rooting and can lead to the death of the tree.
How to treat apple trees with urea
You can water or spray apple trees with urea. But the content of the fertilizer may differ, depending on whether it is used for feeding or protection against pests and diseases.
Watering
Before watering the apple tree with a nutrient solution, it is necessary to remove plant debris at the base of the tree and loosen the soil shallowly for better absorption. For root feeding, 30 g of urea should be dissolved in 2 liters of warm water, and then the volume of liquid should be increased to 10 liters.
If there is not enough moisture in the soil, it is recommended to water the tree first, and then pour the solution evenly into the circle around the trunk.
Urea cannot be used together with superphosphates, chalk and lime
Spraying
Foliar feeding of apple trees with urea in the spring is recommended when signs of nitrogen starvation appear. In this case, the color of the leaves becomes less intense, the growth of young pagons slows down, and the size of the plates decreases.
Foliar feeding is not able to replace root feeding, but it allows you to quickly fill the gap of the missing component. Experts recommend it be carried out after flowering during the formation of the ovary. To feed, you need to prepare a solution at the rate of 50-70 g per bucket of water.
Foliar feeding should be done on a cloudy day or in the evening. This will allow the leaves of the tree to absorb the beneficial components as much as possible. The solution consumption rate when spraying is 3 liters per tree.
Pest treatment
When using urea in the spring to protect apple trees from diseases and pests, treatment should be carried out with a more concentrated solution than for feeding.In case of infection prevention, it is recommended to use a solution at a concentration of 30 g of urea per 1 liter of warm water. And in case of increased pest activity in the previous season, 700 g of urea should be dissolved in a bucket of water. The average solution consumption rate is 2.5-5 liters per apple tree.
Before you start spraying apple trees with urea in the spring, the tree must first be prepared.
Necessary:
- cut off all broken and dry branches;
- remove all peeling sections of bark;
- cover wounds, cracks, frost holes with garden varnish;
- whiten the trunk and skeletal branches.
When processing, spray the solution evenly onto the branches and trunk of the tree. It is also recommended to spray the top layer of soil in the root circle. To increase the effectiveness of the procedure, you can additionally add 50-75 g of copper or iron sulfate per 10 liters of water to the solution.
Urea should be sprayed at a wind speed of no more than 4 m/s
Precautionary measures
When using urea, precautions must be taken. Before you begin preparing the solution or processing, you should put on gloves, goggles and a protective mask. During the procedure it is forbidden to drink, smoke or eat. If the drug enters the digestive tract, it can cause poisoning. In this case, the person feels nausea, general weakness, and suffocation. When these signs appear, it is necessary to rinse your mouth and provide access to fresh air. If your health worsens further, you should consult a doctor.
If, when working with urea, the solution gets on the skin or mucous membranes, it is necessary to immediately rinse with a stream of water. At the end of feeding, you need to take a shower with soap and wash your clothes.
Conclusion
Feeding apple trees with urea in the spring and early summer provides the trees with the necessary component for full development at the initial stage of the growing season, and also protects them from fungal diseases and pests. For it to be useful, you must strictly adhere to the dosage of the product and the timing of the treatment. Otherwise, the fertilizer can harm the trees, which will lead to a decrease in their immunity.
