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Understand your soil before investing in fruit farming in Kenya

Plants such as macadamia, hass avocado, tree tomato, and apples flourish in deep and well-drained soils. Adequate drainage helps prevent the development of fungal diseases and root rot.

Before planting, it is important to perform a soil test to understand the soil fertility, drainage, texture, and other soil properties. The drainage should be moulded before planting.

A pH range of between 5.5 to 7.5

Fruit trees are easily affected by the alkalinity, acidity, and salinity of the soil. Plants perform best at a pH range of between 5.5 to 7.5. After the soil is tested, a professional will determine whether the soil is suitable for the crop you want to grow or not.

 After assessing soil health and pH, professionals and agronomists will help you devise the best technique to adjust the soil pH and to maintain ideal soil conditions in the orchard. Some soil-improvement techniques that can be used include:

• Increasing the organic matter with manure, crop rotation, cover crops, and adding compost manure.

• Applying nitrogen-based fertilisers, especially during the early and vegetative stages.

• Adding lime to the soil to neutralise the soil pH.

Get your soil tested

When the soil has attained the optimum conditions for fruit and vegetable production, achieving a healthier fruit season becomes easier. It is not possible to fully understand the soil conditions by just looking, smelling, or feeling it.

Commercial fruit farmers, especially those that practice large-scale production, invest in regular soil testing to ensure that they achieve optimum performance and production.

Integrating regular soil testing with regenerative and sustainable soil practices will minimise the costs of amending the soil and the need for fertilisers.

It is important to understand your soil throughout the plant’s growing season. Before planting, soil testing will help you understand the nutrients which are present and absent in the soil.

This will help both smallholder and large-scale growers to devise effective manuring and fertiliser application programmes.

Besides, it will help farmers determine whether the pH is suitable for fruit production or it needs to be adjusted. Also, soil testing will help the growers to understand the soil’s ability to resist diseases and any soil-borne diseases that are likely to occur.

Organic- friendly soil fumigation

Soil fumigation is an important practice to prevent soil-borne and bacterial diseases in plants such as apples, citrus, macadamia, grapes, and avocado.

After testing and treating your soil, the next step is to select the most suitable variety.

Varieties

The growing conditions of different varieties vary. Apart from the climatic conditions and geographical location, the choice of the varieties selected is also influenced by the geographical location and soil properties. It’s recommended to understand the soil requirements before planting fruit seedlings.

FARMERS TREND FRUIT SEEDLINGS SERVICES

We provide technical support on fruit farming in Kenya. Our Sales Team with technically qualified staff provide after sales service and farmers' advisory services to our customers to get better plant establishment and faster growth of fruit orchard and plantations.

We have a large network of employees who arrange delivery of seedlings to customers at their various destinations from Nairobi. Free technical services to customers on planting method, management practices and plant protection measures. Our team of Agricultural Experts periodically visits and supervise plantations and suggest necessary guidelines to get better growth and higher returns.

The income & expenditure projections indicated by Farmers Trend is normally an approximate figure, as it also depends on the nature and hard work of the farmer.

FRUIT FARMING PACKAGE
1. This includes soil testing, seedlings purchase guidance, consultancy, farm preparation guidance and transportation.
2. First production on most fruit trees start after 2nd year and production remains for next several years.

WHAT THE PACKAGE CONSISTS
1. We offer special tailored packages per acre on Hass Avocado, Macadamia, Oranges, Mangoes and Apples
2. This packages consist of a well drafted win win situation between the farmer and Farmers Trend
3. Where a farmer provides a) Land b) Preparation of land, c) Soil Analysis d) Manure and any other recommendation as per soil analysis e) Irrigation
4. And, Farmers Trend provide a) Hole digging using recommended spacing b) Soil and manure mixing plus refilling c) Seedlings enough for an acre as recommended d) 3 months monitoring 
5) Each fruit package has its own cost depending on site survey

GIVE US A CALL TO ENJOY THIS BENNEFITS VIA 0724-559286 OR 0754-452939

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