Fertilisation of orchards and plantations

The fertilisation strategy for horticultural plants is based on knowledge of the nutritional requirements of the individual plant species, a visual assessment of the plants, and the results of soil and plant tests. According to the above diagnostic criteria, a rational (controlled) fertiliser application effectively increases plant productivity and does not pose a significant threat to the environment. For fertilisation to meet production expectations while not excessively burdening the environment, fertilisers (both mineral and organic/natural) must be applied following specific rules.

Fertilisation with phosphorus, potassium and magnesium according to soil analysis

Fertilisation with the abovementioned nutrients is based on comparing soil analysis results with the P, K, and Mg limit values (table 1). The decision on fertilisation accuracy and application rate is based on the classification of a soil nutrient content into a low, medium, or high fertility class.

Nitrogen fertilisation by soil analysis

The orchards/plantations nitrogen (N) fertilisation needs can be estimated from the soil organic matter content (Table 2). The N rates given should be regarded as indicative, verifying them with the strength of plant growth and/or the N content of the leaves.

Liming by soil analysis

The assessment of the lime requirements and the lime rate depend on the pH and soil agronomic category, as well as on the duration of the lime application (Table 3)

Note: Detailed rules for fertilisation of orchards and plantations are given in the following study.

References: – “Zrównoważone nawożenie roślin ogrodniczych ” – A collective study edited by Dr. Paweł Wójcik – link to the publication – pdf