Fertilizing Fruit Trees

Many of us are growing fruit trees in our landscapes, but we're often unsure of how to care for them.

Most fruiting plants should be fertilized in early spring. For success, you should know a little about your crop, choose the right product to do the job, and apply it with the right frequency.

Young citrus trees are fertilized with light, but frequent, doses of a citrus-specific fertilizer. After they have been in the ground for three years, they should be fertilized three to five times throughout the year.

Choose quality products that contain micronutrients and apply them at the recommended rate by broadcasting them under the canopy.

Check with your local Extension office for help fertilizing your peaches, pears, and other fruit trees. A little knowledge and care will ensure your fruit trees will provide a bountiful harvest.

UF/IFAS Publications

• Deciduous Fruit for the Home Garden in Central Florida
• FruitScapes: Growing Fruit in the Home Landscape
• Growing Fruit Crops in Containers
• Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops for the Home Landscape: Alternatives to Citrus

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Deciduous Fruit Trees
• Dwarf Fruit Trees
• Fertilizing Your Citrus Tree
• Fruit Trees for North Florida
• Peach and Nectarine Trees

Other Sites

• Fertilizing Fruit Trees--Mississippi State University Extension Service
• Fruit Culture: Fertilization and Weed Control--Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
• Home Garden Peach and Nectarine Trees--University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• Home Garden Pears--University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
• Plums for Georgia Home Gardens--University of Georgia Cooperative Extension