The importance of post-harvest fertilization: preparing the fruit tree for its next cycle

After the harvest, it is common to think that the fruit tree goes dormant until the next season. But nothing could be further from the truth. Once freed from its fruit load, the tree remains active, devoting its energy to a less visible but fundamental task: recovering and preparing for the next productive cycle.

During this stage, known as post-harvest, replenishment fertilization plays a crucial role. This phase precedes winter dormancy and is key to helping the tree replenish lost nutrients, recover from harvest stress and prepare for flowering, sprouting and fruiting next year.

Deciduous and evergreen fruit trees: two different strategies

In order to fully understand post-harvest fertilization (also called reserve or replenishment fertilization), it is important to distinguish between evergreen and deciduous fruit trees.

• By keeping their leaves year-round, evergreen trees retain their photosynthetic capacity and keep on absorbing nutrients, although at a slower rate.
• On the other hand, deciduous trees begin their leaf senescence process after harvest, eventually losing their leaves completely. During this time, they depend almost entirely on the reserves accumulated in autumn.

Therefore, proper fertilization before defoliation allows for increased nutrient and carbohydrate reserves, improves cold resistance and ensures more vigorous flowering and sprouting in spring. In short, well-planned post-harvest fertilization translates into higher quality, and more consistent and profitable harvests.

Essential nutrients in the post-harvest phase

During this phase, several macronutrients play a fundamental role:

• Potassium (K): Promotes the mobilization of sugars and reserve compounds to the roots, trunk and buds, where they are stored for the new cycle. It also helps regulate water balance and improves cold tolerance.
• Phosphorus (P): Involved in the formation and transfer of energy within the plant. It stimulates root growth and differentiation of flower buds, which directly impacts better flowering and fruiting.
• Sulfur (S): Although often overlooked, it is essential for the synthesis of amino acids and antioxidant compounds, strengthening resistance to heat and metabolic stress, especially when it acts synergistically with potassium.

Micronutrients: small but crucial

Micronutrients also play a key role at this stage, as they are essential for the development of future reproductive structures. Boron (B), zinc (Zn) and molybdenum (Mo) are particularly important.

These elements are stored in the roots, branches and buds. They are gradually released at the start of the new cycle, supporting floral differentiation and metabolic reactivation. Their combined action is key:

• Boron improves sugar mobility and the formation of reproductive tissues.
• Zinc stimulates auxin synthesis and bud activation.
• Molybdenum is involved in the synthesis of essential amino acids and proteins.

The result: more uniform, vigorous and fertile flowering, with improved fruit setting.

Natural reinforcement with seaweed extracts

In addition to mineral nutrition, it is recommended to support the crop resistance and osmotic balance with natural solutions such as Ascophyllum nodosum extracts. This seaweed, rich in natural phytohormones and bioactive polysaccharides, improves nutrient translocation and hormonal activation, promoting optimal physiological preparation before spring flowering.

Recommendations from Herogra Especiales

At Herogra Especiales, we recommend the following products to ensure a successful post-harvest, allowing the crop to replenish its reserves and maintain the necessary vigor for the next season:

• Herofol Denso Rojo: an NPK fertilizer with a high concentration of potassium and phosphorus, enriched with micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B) and the exclusive photosynthetic XR47 activator.
• Hero K-40 Denso Neutro and Hero K-50 Denso ECO: high-potassium solutions, with added sulfur in the ECO version. Both include the photosynthetic XR47 activator.
• Ecotop: formulated with pure Ascophyllum nodosum extract, three key micronutrients (B, Zn, Mo) and bioactive compounds that strengthen cold resistance and the crop hormonal activity.

In short

Post-harvest fertilization is much more than the final step in the cycle: it is the foundation for the next successful harvest. With balanced nutrition and a proper replenishment plan, the farmer ensures stronger trees, more vigorous blooms and more profitable harvests.