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midlin

Phosphorus for Fruit Trees

13 years ago

Hello,

I am planting a dozen fruit trees (apple pear peach) in a couple months. Soil tests indicated great levels of pH, trace minerals and everything...

EXCEPT phosphorus was very low (7ppm).

Any suggestions on the best way to enrich the soil organically? Is this common?

The soil test recommended synthetic fertilizer is not astronomical (150 pounds of 11-22-10). But if I buy rock phosphate it calculates to about 1000 pounds at 0-3-0 for a dozen trees!

Not convinced bonemeal is worth the money (soluble like synthetic fertilizer anyway and will run off). Due to slow release seems rock phosphate is best, but the cost is high if you only count on 0-3-0. Since it is total 24% phosphate seems like the 0-3-0 (readily available) is not fair since the total phosphorus is 8 times as much! The lab recommended 12-12-12 for fruit at 25 pounds/1000 sq ft or a 11-22-10 for vegetables 36 pounds/1000 sq ft.

With organic practices do I need to dump all the P in immediately like the soil tests call for? If not, what is the best amounts/sources of phosphorus?

Since all else is great except P, I wonder if it's worth it to apply any N/K at all? Any advice appreciated.


Organic Matter 6.3% (good) Phosphorus 7ppm (VERY LOW!!!) Potassium 102 ppm (good) Mg 560 ppm (very high) Ca 1600 ppm (Med) Sodium 16 ppm (low which is good) Cation Exchange Capacity 14.2 meq/100g (great for loam)

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