Orchard Applications
Orchards and tree crops have been heavy users of artificial fertilizers
and pesticides. This has been due to a market demand for blemish
free fruit and the difficulty in maintaining soil fertility, supporting
natural predators and suppressing fungal diseases with a mono
culture system.
A reduction in
the dependence on artificial fertilizers can be approached on
three fronts.
1. Integrated Pest Management
Acquire skills to recognize pest and understand their
life cycles. Treat threatening outbreaks selectively and carefully.
This will allow natural predators to survive and provide a large
degree of pest control.
2. Fungal Disease
Again, understand the life cycles of fungal diseases
and treat in a controlled fashion. Use management practices that
interrupt the life cycle prior to fruit set. The use of natural
fish and seaweed products has often been reported to give disease
resistance when applied as a foliar spray.
3. Soil Health and Fertility
Encourage the retention or increase in soil organic matter by
minimum tillage and by careful weed control rather than aiming
for weed eradication. Weeds can act as host plants for natural
predators and may have the beneficial action of accessing trace
elements from deep in the soil profile and transferring them to
the soil surface.
Mulch prunings back onto the soil surface to encourage an active
organic cycle in the soil. This has the benefit of recycling nutrients
from mowings, prunings etc; releasing locked up nutrients and
increasing the effectiveness of any applied nutrients. An active
organic cycle requires billions of bacteria and millions of worms
per acre.
An organically healthy soil will result in pathogens being attached
and broken down by helpful microbes.
The Use of Organic Fish Fertilizer on Orchards
1. Apply Organic FISH FERTILIZER to the soil in early spring
at 5 to 7 gallons per acre to initiate the soil organic cycle
by providing a total nutrient for soil microbes. Dilution is not
critical, typically 10:1
2. At petal fall, apply 4 to 6 quarts per acre of FISH FERTILIZER
as a foliar spray at dilutions of at least 100:1.
Note: Although our fertilizers have been widely used on many
fruit crops and no adverse effect has been reported, prudent management
and trailing should be undertaken with crops where other sprayed
products are believed to have caused problems such as Russeting
with Golden Delicious Apples.
As with any foliar application, spray early morning and avoid
hot clear days. Alternatively, spray late afternoon or evening.
3. Apply two further foliar sprays, 4 to 6 quarts per acre, at
3 week intervals to provide a full range of trace elements and
to provide a measure of natural resistance to pests and diseases.
A healthy plant is more naturally disease and pest resistant.
Also, harmless bacteria can displace fungi on leaf and fruit surfaces.
During this time leaves should be collected and analyses to determine
nutrient levels in the plant.
Note: Corrections measures can be put in place by Foliar sprays
and application of an appropriate mineral fertilizer that will
not suppress soil organic activity.
4. In autumn, apply 5 to 7 gallons per acre to the soil to boost
soil activity and to ensure full development and nutrition of
next years buds and wood. Dilution can be 10:1 or less.
Benefits of Organic Fish Fertilizer
• More worms
• Healthier soils
• Increased pest and disease resistance
• Even color and better tasting fruit
• Better, more robust, storage
• Better bud set
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