Autumn is the time of the traditional Dutch apple and pear season. Especially apples, which are on the shelves all year, regularly benefit from mineral calcium supplementation.
Calcium is essential for plants and trees, just like it is essential to human beings. Calcium has an important role in cell division. Nevertheless, a shortage may arise. This can happen as the availability of elements in the soil changes or due to changes in weather conditions, such as drought.
A calcium deficiency is clearly visible in apples. The apples then show brown spots (dots) because cells are dying, eventually the apple becomes soft. To restore the deficiency, calcium is added in solution form. Apples can be immersed in a calcium chloride bath immediately after the harvest. Some apple varieties even benefit structurally from a calcium supplement via foliar feeding during growth.
In addition to apples, many other fruits are treated with calcium chloride. In this way, a calcium deficiency can be prevented or restored.