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Soils and Nutrition

Soil quality and nutrition is essential for fruit quality and yield. This section discusses nutrition, sampling methods, soil quality, soil biology and their relationship to orchard management.

General Soils 101

This is an introduction to soil biology, the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, soil moisture, and soil sampling.

Tree Fruit Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition in Cropping Orchards in Central Washington

Common nutrient needs, how to take soil, tissue samples, interpret results and use multiple diagnostic tools together.

Soil Health in Orchards

Consider the biological and physical as well as chemical properties of soil to increase root health, moderate nutrient and water stress, and increase the yield potential of our orchards.

Soil Biota in Orchards

The soil is alive. Soil biota suppress pests; mineralize, scavenge and cycle nutrients; and decompose plant and animal material, all ecosystem services which benefit orchard productivity. A basic overview of biota in orchard soils and why they matter to you.

Nutrient Management in Sweet Cherry

Nutrient management recomendations for sweet cherry.

Fall Nutrient Sprays for Tree Fruit 

Recommendations for fall nutrient foliar sprays in tree fruit, when is necesary and when is not needed.

Compost Considerations

Compost like many other organic matter sources can help improve soil quality and the nutrient, water, and pest regulating services it provides. Here are a few considerations for orchardist using compost.

Leaf Tissue Analysis

Analyzing leaf tissue is one of the most valuable and standardized tools to diagnose nutrients and/or monitor the nutritional status of any orchard. To effectively evaluate leaf tissue nutritional analyses, it is important to understand what it can and cannot tell us, and how to interpret results.

Managing Micro Nutrients in Pacific Northwest Orchards

The following page describes individual micronutrients, their function in plants, typical visual symptoms associated with their deficiency or toxicity in deciduous tree fruit crops, and general guidelines for managing microelement nutrition in deciduous tree fruit orchards in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region.

Boron Chemistry

Boron (B) is a microelement that is essential only in vascular plants and diatoms. This page covers the bascs of B chen=mistry in water and soil, B soil availability, Floiar B availability, deficiency symptoms, toxicity symptoms, diagnostics for B status, and guidelines for B application.

Think Zinc

Think Zinc covers the basics of Zinc requirements in tree fruit orchards.

 

 

Washington State University