One pound of actual nitrogen is the maximum for fruit trees 10 years of age and older. If the lawn in the vicinity of the fruit trees is fertilized on a regular basis, there should be no need to fertilize the trees. The fruit tree roots will absorb nutrients from the lawn fertilizer. Additional fertilizer may be excessive. When fertilizing fruit trees, the timing of the application and amounts are crucial.
Early spring is the best time to fertilize fruit trees.
Avoid fertilizing in summer as this may stimulate late summer or fall growth that is more susceptible to winter injury. Too much fertilizer produces excessive vegetative growth and inhibits fruiting. Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa. This information subject to a usage policy .