Key Nutrition Facts for Stone and Pome Fruit

GROWING REQUIREMENTS

For optimal fruit quality and taste at harvest, stone and pome fruits need a balanced intake of key nutrients throughout the growing season. Applied fertilizers can be supplemented with nutrient use efficiency products to help enhance plant uptake and ensure plants are getting the right balance of essential nutrients.

After harvest, stone and pome fruits need to go dormant in order to protect themselves from winter chill and be productive in the following year. All stone and pome fruits have a certain length of “chilling hours” in which they need to be dormant in order to produce an abundant crop.

WATER & SOIL REQUIREMENTS

In general, stone and pome fruits require well-drained, fertile soils, with supplemental irrigation as needed. However, the optimal amount of soil moisture differs from one fruit to another — for instance, stone fruit, especially peaches and nectarines, are extremely sensitive to waterlogging — so to ensure a healthy harvest, be sure to optimize the amount of moisture provided to your specific crop.

Key Nutrients

• Nitrogen — Key for fruit development and ripening; needed in all stages for early growth and continued leaf development.
• Potassium — Key for fruit weight and size; needed in all stages for early growth and continued leaf development.
• Phosphorus — Needed in all stages for root development, fruit set, fruit color and bud development.
• Calcium — Large amounts needed in all stages for fruit quality and firmness.
• Magnesium — Essential for photosynthesis and needed at all stages for optimal plant growth.
• Boron — Essential for plant metabolism, helping with pollen formation, protein synthesis and sugar and nutrient translocation. Needed for fruit development and growth.
• Copper — A key catalyst for metabolic processes like photosynthesis and nitrogen and carbon assimilation.
• Manganese — A key component of plant metabolism, and needed for photosynthesis, stress management and nutrient uptake.
• Zinc — A key component of plant growth regulators; needed for optimal plant height.