Fertilization of Fruit Trees & Other Perennials

Most of know that fertilizing plants is important for plant health and optimum yields, but beyond that, it gets confusing fast with so many options out there! You may be left wondering which type of fertilizer is actually the best for your plants.

And then, advise varies on how to use fertilizer and when to apply it. Let’s simplify the fertilization of fruit trees and other perennials!

In this blog post and video, I am sharing how to fertilize perennials, what kind of fertilizer I recommend, what time of year to apply fertilizers, and the most common mistakes to avoid. Let’s go!

A Season For Everything

There’s a season for everything! As soon as the garden is covered in frost, garden planning and shopping for heirloom seeds for next year begin.

Fall and winter bring lots of chores in an orchard, too. Besides fertilizing our perennials, we’re planting fruit trees with proper fruit tree spacing, protecting trees with tree guards, spraying with dormant oil, and pruning fruit trees.

Choosing the Best Fertilizer for Perennials

During the main growing season, fruit trees and other perennials mainly need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (with a primary focus on nitrogen for growth). They also need trace minerals, beneficial bacteria, and beneficial fungi. 

In the fall, the bulk of their need is for phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus aids in root development, while potassium promotes winter hardiness and vigor.

I recommend using a balanced, all-purpose, broad-spectrum fertilizer for fruit trees and perennials whenever you fertilize. I love to use Trifecta+ because it provides trees with not just nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but everything else they need to thrive.

Trees require a lot of nutrients throughout the year for root growth, plant health, and to produce larger, healthier, more nutrient-rich fruits. Trifecta fertilizer contains both fast-acting and slow-release nutrients to provide an immediate boost and continues to feed plants throughout the season.

How Much Fertilizer Is Needed

This chart covers many of the plants that need fertilization. If your perennial plant is not listed, simply look for plants of similar association. 

When to Fertilize

Most people already know that fertilizing fruit trees and other perennials in the spring is important because it helps the plant emerge from dormancy and get growing. But, fertilizing in the fall is equally, if not more, important! 

To fertilize in the fall, wait until 45 to 50 days before your first frost. Trees should still have foliage on them when you fertilize in the fall. 

Fertilization of Fruit Trees & Perennials

Fertilization of fruit trees and perennials doesn’t have to be a big, complex production. Follow these simple steps for success:

1. Measure - Use a measuring cup to portion out the correct amount for the plant you are fertilizing. (Refer to the chart earlier in this blog post)

2. Apply - Apply a top dressing of fertilizer, focusing the fertilizer where the roots are located. When trees/plants are young, that means you sprinkle fertilizer close to the base. As trees/plants grow and expand, don’t concentrate the fertilizer at the base, but spread it over the area where the roots should be.

If you are growing organically and have a good mulch layer, it will work its way through the mulch very easily. The rain will slowly dissolve and naturally break down the fertilizer, carrying the nutrients. 

Common Fertilization Mistakes

Every gardener makes mistakes. I know I’ve made a ton of mistakes before and learned from them!

But I also want to help you avoid common mistakes, so you can have success from the start. Here are the biggest mistakes that I see a lot of gardeners making when fertilizing trees and perennials:

• Fertilizing at Planting - The first major mistake I often see gardeners make is fertilizing immediately after planting. Doing this actually discourages the roots from growing out through the surrounding soil. Don’t fertilize trees for at least three months after planting!

• Not Fertilizing in the Fall - When it comes to growing fruit trees and other perennials, don’t forget to fertilize in the fall! This will help to expand the root system and improve overall vigor and winter hardiness of the plant so that it goes into winter strong. 

• Fertilizing With a High Nitrogen Fertilizer - Don’t fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer in the fall. If you do, you are encouraging growth at a time when the plant doesn’t want to grow; it needs to be preparing for dormancy. Springtime is the time for high-nitrogen fertilization. 

• Fertilizing Too Late - Don’t wait until leaf drop to fertilize! Fertilize in the fall, 45 to 50 days before your first frost. 

• Overcomplicating It - Sometimes people overcomplicate the process and worry about it to the point that it leads to inactivity, and they don’t fertilize at all. Keep it super simple: focus on fertilizing at the right times and use a well-balanced fertilizer like Trifecta+. 

I really do hope that you get out and fertilize your perennials so you can Grow Bigger!