Apple and pear nutrition

Summary

Most pome fruit orchards need some fertiliser, lime, or a trace element to achieve and maintain optimum tree growth and fruit production.

Even very fertile soil which may need little extra nutrient for years, eventually develop nutrient problems.

Modern pome fruit production calls for greater attention to plant nutrition because of:

• higher density plantings,
• the need for higher fruit production
  from young plantings,
• replanting of old orchards due to a shortage of good new land,
• increased demand for better quality
  fruit and ever-longer storage times.