Put 20 lbs of 13-13-13 on my 30 year old McIntosh, and also a cup of borax. Freaking crazy. Thought the apples were just meant to be egg sized...nope they are the size of softballs this year. I also opened up the middle (at blossom time) Against advice not to but im sure that helped too. Also of note is it's the first year this tree didn't grow a bunch of suckers.
I’d like to see Calcium adjusted to be a macro nutrient. Calcium is so important for apples and other crops. Essential for apples and bitter pit, Powderly mildew,… I use about 15 lbs of gypsum per cubic yard of potting media. Need to keep Boron up to match my high Ca. Gypsum’s low solubility keeps Ca from getting too high is solution regardless of how much sits in the soil. According to Kempf, Ca gives vegetative growth while mainting reproductive dominance keeping node and bud spacing tighter. -Love the show. Borax is about 10% Boron (Sodium Borate). Solubor is 20% B. Borax is about $1 per lb at dollar general. 1 tsp of Borax per cubic yard of potting media for a soil amendment
I just added a mulch ring to my fruit trees. Since they are young I added one cup of fert per inch of tree trunk. I added one cup of 5-10-10 plus 1/2 Cupof Epson salts evenly distributed under the mulch ring. The mulch ring extends to the drip line of the tree. I later added about a cup of pelletized lime over the mulch ring. I will add about the same amount of Milo to them during the winter. I have two pole trees with a peach between them. My peach tree had a bumper crop of peaches this year. The apples are to young to set fruit, yet. The oldest should set one fruit, next year. I spray my fruit tree once a week with an orchard spray. I will add some Borax to my trees this fall over the mulch ring. They are planted in a sand and clay soil ,well drained with full sun. I will prune them in late winter. Did I miss anything?
Sounds like you are on the right track! I'd say test your soil to make sure that you are adding what your trees need that's lacking in the soil. Check out my podcast and video on soil testing for more info!
Borax in my area (Boston) needs to be ordered and picked up at Target or similar stores. The Chemical cleaning industry doesn’t want us to buy borax as a rule because it is a simple, unadulterated product which is not only effective but also cheap. It’s that cheap to buy aspect that industry sellers hate! They want to give you the marketing rope-a-dope to sell you up in price!!! 😂
Great question! A few possibilities: does the tree have a pollination partner tree nearby? Are you pruning annually to encourage fruit set and direct energy into the fruiting buds? Have their been late spring frosts or has the weather been too cold around blossom time for pollinators to be active? Those are a few possibilities to explore!
Thank you. Yes i have pollination partners, yes I prune properly. I don't believe frosts r an issue because folks nearby report record apple production. I don't spray at all. And i dont fertilize at all. What r your thoughts regarding spraying and fert? Thx
@@davidsoloninka7742 Ok at this point it's going to be general tree health. You might want to check out my book Grow Fruit Trees Fast available on Amazon. It'll explain everything about fertilizing (different for every location depending on your soil, location, your tree's age and general health etc...no one size fits all solution) and it also explains about sprays and holistic sprays. It will help you sort out your tree's health and ability to produce a harvest.
Sorry to disappoint you! Everyone’s soil is different so there is no single correct answer. You need to get a soil test snd the lab results will show you what your soil needs. This can cost anywhere from $15 to $35. Reach out to your local lab or extension service for prices.
@@papaandnanahomestead1467 The Dr. does a very poor job of providing basic information. The moderator is asking the questions I want to know the answers to-but the answers never come. I don't give a damn what the large commercial producers do. What do my apple, peach, pear, cherry, apricot and plum trees need-and how much and when?????????????
