Young trees should get an npk mix, like 10-10-10 if last years growth was less than 12" on the central leader. I like to see 36" on the central leader for the first 3-5 years, depending rootsock and varietal growth habits (spur, tip bearing etc) Asians will often have several upright, vigorous leaders. Normal growth is about 18" on each. On mature trees, leaf analysis is about the only dependable way to asess fertilizer needs.

Ben

[quote="John S":2r9u8byt]I use compost. Works very well for me. Not technically a fertilizer, but creates conditions that result in truly balanced nutrition for the tree, while avoiding the rapid growth that sometimes results in weak or disease prone trees.

Just my opinion/way of doing things.
John S
PDX OR[/quote:2r9u8byt]

Compost, in all aspects, is a superior fertilizer than chemical or organic pellet fertilizer. Bois rameal compost is the best stuff I've used. It's made from chipped hardwood brush that has been rotted down. Ideally, the brush is chipped when leafy and green, and will cook off very quickly in a large pile (several tons). Another great material, if you can get your hands on it is algaefiber, made from seaweed. I plowed 500 tons of it in my last orchard I built (not a typo, yes 500 tons) in an 1100 tree orchard.

Compost is very insoluble, which is antagonistic with topsoil, so just topdressing it only is wastefull imo. You need to mix it with the soil around the tree. In singo pear orchards I've visited in south Korea, the farmers till everything in, lightly around the tree, to prevent root damage. I've brough back apple trees in clay soils by using a post hole digger and boring a 18" deep hole (s), 2' from an apple tree and filling it full of compost. Maybe a more practical way in a home orchard. Pic attached, not light tilling around base of Asian pears.

Hope this helps...

Ben[attachment=0:2r9u8byt]DSC00373.JPG[/attachment:2r9u8byt]