Soil Fertility and Management

Healthy soil is the foundation of any profitable and environmentally sound fruit production system. Penn State Extension provides information and practical advice on soil fertility and management of fruit crops. Topics covered include recognizing orchard nutrition needs and determining soil quality and health. A calcium rate calculator is available, as well.

Soil Health and Fertility for Fruit Plants

Soil is a complex ecosystem of minerals and organic matter bound together by living microorganisms and plant roots. Healthy soils support plant growth by providing fruit crops with water, air, and various nutrients.

The way in which soil is managed can highly affect tree fruit production and fruit crop quality. A proper healthy soil management plan should be focused on soil fertility functions such as nutrient cycling, biological control of pests, and regulation of water and air supply.

Penn State Extension offers a Soil Health workshop, covering in-depth information on management practices and common misconceptions. Growers can access additional resources in Spanish and English, covering topics such as using compost in agriculture and utilizing farming practices to manage fertile soil in the field.

Orchard Nutrition

Fruit trees need good nutrition to grow and produce high-quality products. There are five essential minerals in orchards that must be monitored on an ongoing basis – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and boron.

Fruit producers can utilize several different sampling methods to assess the nutrient status of an orchard. The most prominent methods are soil analysis and foliar analysis.

A soil test should be taken before an orchard is planted. This allows growers to easily adjust nutrient levels if needed. In already established orchards, this type of analysis is primarily used to monitor soil pH.

During foliar analysis, the leaves from fruit trees are analyzed for their nutrient content. Unlike soil tests, a leaf analysis shows what the trees actually absorbed.

Fruit Tree Fertilizers

Fertilizing fruit trees is the addition of nutrients to the soil and plant. It is also the main method of adjusting the available nutrients in home fruit plantings and orchards. While the total amount of nutrients is important, the balance among them is crucial to the final yield.

Choosing the right fruit tree fertilizer is important. A nutritional analysis can help select an appropriate fertilizer for your orchard. This in turn can reduce production costs and improve produce quality.

Note that to get accurate results, it’s important to consider certain factors such as the growing conditions. Dry seasons, weeds, rainfall, and crop load can all affect nutrient levels.

On this page, find further information on fruit soil fertility management. Learn how to make individual comparisons of calcium products with Penn State Extension’s free Calcium Rate Calculator for Orchards.