Fertilization of Nordmann and Noble fir

Austria, CTRE 2011

Chal Landgren, Oregon State University

Foliar and Soil Applied Fertilization

Field Greenhouse

Fertilization-Greenhouse trial

Treatments- yr.1•No Fert.

•Controlled Release (CRF)-13 month (18-5-9)

•Foliar only – Helena & Wilbur-Ellis product- 2 applic.

•Foliar with exclusion- 2 applic

• CRF + Foliar (2 applic)

Fertilization Greenhouse Trail

Treatments- yr. 2•No Fert.

•Urea-Sul-3 split applications

•Foliar only – Helena & Wilbur-Ellis products- 2 applic.

•Urea-Sul +OrCal (Ca product)

•Urea-Sul applied in September- 3 tmts

•Urea-Sul + foliar-yr. 1.

Fertilization- Materials

Helena-Kayphol (0-5-32); CoBo (12-0-0; 5% B) &

PhosCalZn (4-15-0) each at 1.8 l/ha.

Wilbur-EllisPerfection Berry Mix- (13-8-8 + minors) at

19 l/ha.Osmocote- CRF (18-5-9) 13 mo. 182 gm./potUrea-Sul- (33-0-0-12) 112 kg/ha. split-3 applic.OrCal (Surround)- 1.8 l/ha.

Fertilization Greenhouse

Measurements •Initial- Caliper, height, leader, weight, foliar levels•During- pour through water•Later- foliar, weight, height, leader, caliper, foliage color

Fertilization yr. 1-Nordmann fir

Foliar levels-Nordmann- yr.1

      N P K Ca Mg S B

Species Tmts Location % % % % % % ppm

Nordmann 1.FH NWREC 1.19 0.181 0.77 0.23 0.127 0.093 17

Nordmann 2.FW NWREC 1.14 0.159 0.64 0.16 0.11 0.074 10

Nordmann 3.U+H NWREC 1.09 0.168 0.75 0.15 0.104 0.078 20

Nordmann 4. C NWREC 0.98 0.162 0.69 0.15 0.101 0.075 9

Nordmann 5.U NWREC 1.71 0.168 0.84 0.21 0.133 0.108 7

Nordmann6.U+O

C NWREC 1.91 0.18 0.98 0.25 0.141 0.139 25

Foliar N%-Nordmann (year 2)

Tree Response- Results after 2 years

Fertilization- Color Response Nordmann

Summary-Greenhouse

•Soil applied materials alone is sufficient.

•Exclusion of foliar material made little difference

•Late season soil applications- modest foliar N increase; not visible

•Now, out planted

Christmas Tree Field FertilizationTreatments

No fert.Soil applied onlySoil + foliar Foliar only

Nordmann- 1 site no prior fertilization- 6 Treatments- 2 foliar, foliar + Urea-Sul, Urea-Sul, Control

Fertilization-Nordmann-1 yr. later

Stone Mountain Site- 2 yrs. of Foliar +Soil Applied

Stevenson Site- 2 Years of Foliar- No soil applic.

Summary Field Trials

•The “SHOW ME” test results would be- “All the trees look just fine, thanks”•No apparent benefit for P and K from foliar applic.•Soil complicates things-variation in foliar N levels not consistent.

Management Implications

•Bulked foliar samples are adequate for most decisions•Improvement in growth/color is slow- best not to get to that point•Foliar fertilization not needed•Growers continue to apply foliar products, unless trials were on their farms