The Stillwater Farm is doing many innovative things including a unique nutrition program and the growing of designer trees for a specific orchard system. But at the same time he wants enough nitrogen and other nutrients available to get good size and yields. At Stillwater four applications of fertilizer are made, plus foliar applications during every cover spray. The goal is to apply 30 to 60 pounds of nitrogen an acre per year. For the past three years leaf analysis have been made monthly starting in June.
Farrow now has a data base to show just how the trees are reacting.
But most people put nitrogen on one time each year. We are trying to avoid putting nitrogen on during the growth cycle to keep the leaves coming out in a nice orderly fashion. This nutrition program has greatly increased nitrogen levels in leaves without the trees growing too fast or making them susceptible to winter damage, Farrow said. Most recommendations say that leaf nitrogen levels should be from 1.8 to 2.3, but under Farrow's plan he's seeing levels of 2.2 to 2.6. These applications seem to be much more efficient in getting nutrients into the tree.