Why does an apple tree need boric acid?
Boric acid has a wide range of uses in gardens, vegetable plots, and even at home. Providing ideal conditions for growing vegetable and garden crops in a plot can be quite challenging.
Many gardeners love to grow apples; they're one of the most popular fruits in the world. But few realize that to maintain freshness and health, apples require a special substance: boric acid.
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What is boric acid?
Boron is one of the most important micronutrients necessary for plant development. It regulates nitrogen synthesis and improves the overall health of fruits.
Boric acid (H₃BO₃) is a boron compound, a naturally occurring weak acid. It contains boron, hydrogen, and oxygen. It is characterized as a colorless or white crystalline powder, readily soluble in water. Boric acid, used in moderation, ensures good yields and improved fruit characteristics.
What are the benefits of boric acid for plants?
Experienced gardeners and vegetable growers know the benefits of boric acid. Its use helps:
- strengthening the overall sustainability of fruit and vegetable crops;
- abundant formation of ovaries;
- ensuring a good harvest even during dry seasons;
- improving the taste of berries and vegetables.
Boric acid is considered a reliable protector for plants against all pests that seek to destroy the root system.
Boric acid for apple trees
When fertilizing, it's important to consider the specific micronutrient requirements of each species: apple trees require a high concentration of boric acid. Therefore, it's sometimes necessary to fertilize with boron, as the use of this compound in gardening increases not only the quantity but also the quality of fruit. However, it's important to know when to stop; overdoing it with fertilizer can cause lower leaves to burn and dry out.
If an apple tree is deficient in boron, its leaves begin to thicken and even fall off; small leaves form a rosette at the ends of shoots. The apples become irregularly shaped and deformed. Other signs of deficiency include dead apical buds. Brown areas resembling cork may also appear inside the apples' flesh.
On the other hand, excess boron can hinder plant growth, fruit development, and leaf development, typically resulting in yellowing of the leaves. There are many warning signs that let gardeners know when there's too much boron in the garden. Leaf edges curl inward, while the center protrudes upward, and leaves at the base of the plant dry out and fall off.
Fertilizing and feeding apples
Gardeners are well aware of how to dilute boric acid powder, as it is an effective liquid fertilizer. Boron is especially needed during fruit development.
To eliminate the deficiency, two types of tree fertilization are carried out:
- at the beginning of flowering;
- 10 days after the first spraying.
Foliar feeding by spraying is most commonly used. The dosage is 1 g of acid per liter of water. Spray evenly over the entire accessible crown, only in the morning or evening, when there is no direct sunlight. Foliar feeding is the most effective method of applying boron fertilizers.
Using boric acid helps strengthen the vigor of crops and fruit trees and increase their yield. Apple growers use scientific approaches to achieve the correct boron balance in fruit trees, as adequate boron levels result in large, flawless fruits on apple trees and other trees.
