Selling: 0-3-16 Rare Fruit Council's "Fruitilizer Special"--- Delivered

[Guanabanus]

Har Mahdeem, "Guanabanus" on this forum, of Har's Services, will deliver 5 bags (50-lb. bags) or more, of  Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council's "Fruitilizer Special" 0-3-16, which Har formulated, anywhere in eastern or central Palm Beach County, or northern or central Broward County.   Smaller numbers of bags will only be delivered in conjunction with services, or neighborhood co-ordering.

Note that this is a "zero Nitrogen" / "NO Nitrogen" fertilizer, for use any time of year, including in winter, on any fruit tree that is not showing a need for Nitrogen:  especially MANGOS, Lychees, and Longans, that have been planted in the ground for at least 1 1/2 years and look adequately green.   This is to slow vegetative growth and increase flowering and fruiting, and also to improve fruit quality and sweetness--- Nitrogen applied to fruiting mangos makes the fruits watery and can cause internal breakdown.

Many other kinds of fruit trees, including Carambola and Canistel, especially after growing in the ground for several years, will require less constant pruning if they are switched from full-mix fertilizer to zero-Nitrogen fertilizer.

Large herbs, such as Bananas and Papayas, benefit from heavy amounts of a full mix fertilizer AND 0-3-16.

1-9 bags:  $40 per bag of 0-3-16 (50-lb. bags)

10-15 bags:  $38 per bag of 0-3-16 ---(load limit on small pickup)

If you have sandy soil, apply 1/4 bag of Calcium Sulfate along with each bag of 0-3-16 applied, to maintain balance of Potassium and Calcium.   Calcium is extremely important for plant health, fruiting, and fruit quality.   Internal breakdown and blossom-end rot are symptoms of inadequate amounts of Calcium (often made worse by too much Nitrogen or not-enough Boron).

per bag of Calcium Sulfate / mini-prill gypsum:  $20 (50-lb. bags)

For trees that show a need for Nitrogen, be sure to obtain another fertilizer, such as a full-mix fertilizer, showing a first number (NPK sequence) higher than 0 (usually 6 or higher).

cell phone:  561 523-6599

e-mail:        mahdeem@bellsouth.net

[johnb51]

Do we use this only on mature trees?  If a mango tree is still growing and hasn't reached the height and size we're aiming for, should we keep feeding nitrogen?

[bsbullie]

Do we use this only on mature trees?  If a mango tree is still growing and hasn't reached the height and size we're aiming for, should we keep feeding nitrogen?

If tree is young, and still focusing on growing and not fruiting, keep using 8-3•9.

[Cookie Monster]

Gypsum is awesome. I applied 1,000 pounds of it over the last few months, and it seems to have sweetened up the tail end of my keitt harvest.

Unlike lime (or calcium carbonate), gypsum will not raise pH. There is actually some evidence that gypsum may very slightly lower the pH.

[Cookie Monster]

Yah, I guess if you're aiming for fast growth and no fruit, a N-fert would probably be the ticket. But, my personal recommendation would be no nitrogen after the tree is 7gal sized.

My experience -- I planted out about a dozen mango trees 2 years ago (on the south lot) and gave them zero nitrogen. The soil is completely void of nitrogen, but the mango trees have been exceptionally happy. Growth has been slow, normally 1 to 2 flushes per year. They have been extremely easy to manage, precocious, and relatively productive.

Most of the other species of trees on that lot, however, were deeply averse to the zero nitrogen treatment. I have to give them nitrogen containing fertilizer.

Do we use this only on mature trees?  If a mango tree is still growing and hasn't reached the height and size we're aiming for, should we keep feeding nitrogen?

[bsbullie]

Yah, I guess if you're aiming for fast growth and no fruit, a N-fert would probably be the ticket. But, my personal recommendation would be no nitrogen after the tree is 7gal sized.

My experience -- I planted out about a dozen mango trees 2 years ago (on the south lot) and gave them zero nitrogen. The soil is completely void of nitrogen, but the mango trees have been exceptionally happy. Growth has been slow, normally 1 to 2 flushes per year. They have been extremely easy to manage, precocious, and relatively productive.

Most of the other species of trees on that lot, however, were deeply averse to the zero nitrogen treatment. I have to give them nitrogen containing fertilizer.

Do we use this only on mature trees?  If a mango tree is still growing and hasn't reached the height and size we're aiming for, should we keep feeding nitrogen?

If going through a tip pruning regimen, you will want a full NPK.  Also, some trees will still require some N at times for health reasons.

In my opinion, for the lay persom, the tree should continue to get a full NPK till its 5+ plus years, depending on the care given in those 5 years and the size of the tree.

[Cookie Monster]

Probably. Depends on circumstances, such as cultivar and soil type. If you're on the broward thin soil over limestone builder's fill, then N + P can be really helpful in getting the tree established. And some cultivars can have a tendency to stall out, such as the NDM #4.

If you have deep sand, you can get mango trees rolling quickly by planting out in Sept and giving some triple super phosphate. I know the traditional advice is to plant in summer, but Sept to Nov is when mangos naturally undergo significant root growth, so they establish really quickly... in my experience at least.

In my opinion, for the lay persom, the tree should continue to get a full NPK till its 5+ plus years, depending on the care given in those 5 years and the size of the tree.