Why bury apples in the ground?

In gardens and farmlands where apple trees are grown, large quantities of fruit often fall to the ground. These can be successfully used as fertilizer, following the advice on how to bury fallen fruit in the soil or use it to make compost.

What are the benefits of apples?

Apple fruits serve as an organic fertilizer that can be used for a variety of fruit and berry crops.

Apples are beneficial due to their rich vitamin and mineral content. When applied to cultivated plants, they improve soil structure and increase fruit production.

When fertilizing apples, inspect the trees beforehand. Avoid using any fruit that shows signs of disease.

Burying in tree trunk circles

Apples used as fertilizer should first be chopped, using a shovel or hoe, for example. To neutralize any potential increase in acidity, the stored material is sprinkled with dolomite flour or crushed chalk. The recommended application rate for the powdered substance is 200 g/m.²You can use slaked lime and ash.

There are several ways to bury organic fertilizer:

• Under fruit trees. Step back 15 cm from the trunk, then remove the surface layer of soil around the trunk. Place chopped apples. After pollinating with chalk, cover the organic matter with soil.
• Raspberry patch. Dig trenches around the perimeter of the raspberry patch. Water them generously. Spread the crushed apples in an even layer. Sprinkle with sifted ash. Then cover the trenches with loose soil.
• Under blackberries. To increase fruiting and improve the taste of blackberries, apples are crushed. The soil under the bushes is loosened and the fruit pieces are scattered. They are covered with loose, fertile soil. To prevent the risk of pathogenic microflora, granulated urea is scattered over the surface—1 teaspoon per bush. The area around the trunk is watered.
• For gooseberries. Similar to raspberries, dig a trench around the bush and place chopped raw material in it. It's recommended to cover it with rotted manure mixed with dry leaves in equal parts. Sprinkle a little urea on top.

Burying in beds

Fallen apples help increase soil fertility and improve its structure in garden beds.

To do this, make shallow trenches between the rows. Crushed apples are mixed with dry leaves and rotted compost. The mixture is placed in the prepared trenches. A small amount of soil removed during the trenches should be added on top.

Apple fertilizer can be used in the fall. After the harvest is complete, dig a shallow, wide trench in the cleared bed. Fill it with small apple pieces. Sprinkle them evenly with ash. Then, lay down a layer of manure about 5 cm thick. Cover the entire layer with soil. The organic matter will rot over the winter, providing the necessary nutrients for the next season's crops.

Benefits of apple fertilizer for strawberries

Fragrant strawberries grow larger and juicier if you use liquid fertilizer made from apples.

You'll need a container with an airtight lid. Fill it halfway with finely chopped apples. Then add water, leaving a 20 cm gap above the top. Close the lid and leave it on a warm veranda or in the sun for two weeks. Stir the prepared fertilizer before use.

Dig trenches along the strawberry rows. Dilute the infused apple fertilizer with water 1:10 and pour it into the trenches.

How to feed currants

Gardeners effectively use fallen and processed apples to increase currant yields. Compost is recommended.

To prepare it, place mown grass at the bottom of the compost pit. Then add the apples. Larger apples should be cut into several pieces. Sprinkle them with ash. Then add a layer of garden soil.

When fertilizing, dig several holes around the currant bush. Fill them with well-rotted compost and dust it lightly with ash.

Fallen or rotten apples, as well as their remains after making jam, can be successfully used to feed various fruit and berry crops.