The Final Cut Pro certification exams are now available and allow users of varying skill levels to prove their knowledge and earn an industry recognized credential. Currently, there are three exams available to students: FCP Certified SocialPro, FCP Certified VideoPro, and FCP Certified Post-ProductionPro.

NEW YORK, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- FMC is pleased to announce that new Apple authorized Final Cut Pro certification exams are now available.

The Final Cut Pro certification exams allow users of varying skill levels to prove their knowledge and earn an industry recognized credential. Currently, there are three exams available to students:

• FCP Certified SocialPro
• FCP Certified VideoPro
• FCP Certified Post-ProductionPro

Created by certified Apple instructors and reviewed and approved by Apple, the three levels of certification exams cover everything from video editing basics to advanced color correction – and up to important post-production concepts.

The FCP Certified SocialPro exam certifies users wishing to focus on online content and social media. It is ideal for students and professionals looking to get their feet wet in the Final Cut Pro ecosystem.

FCP Certified VideoPro covers all areas of Final Cut Pro at an intermediate to advanced level and is designed for users wishing to showcase their efficiency and expertise in producing professional content for film, television, movies, advertising, and business.

Lastly, the FCP Certified Post-ProductionPro exam truly tests students' knowledge. It covers all areas of Final Cut Pro at the expert level and is meant for users wishing to gain a wide breadth of knowledge across the Pro Apps ecosystem.

Each of the exams are priced at $149.

"We are extremely excited to deliver Final Cut Pro users the opportunity to showcase their skills with these exams" Ben Kozuch, of Future Media Concepts, states. "These exams will give, not only established industry professionals, but the next generation of Final Cut Pro users the opportunity to jumpstart their careers with a competitive edge."

There are no prerequisites to taking the certification exams. However, if users would like additional resources in preparing for the certification exams, self-paced preparation courses, as well as multiple live, technical training courses will be offered later this summer. The preparation courses will cover many of the Topics students should focus on for each exam and deliver them some helpful strategies to assist in passing.

Live, online training courses for Final Cut Pro, Logic, Motion, and more will also be available later this Summer. Taught by certified Apple instructors, these courses will dive into even more details and provide students with a further advantage on the certification exams.

The certification exams are currently available in English, with plans to expand to five additional languages in Q3, including:

• Chinese
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Japanese

Foreign language users will have the opportunity to take the live, online courses and the exam preparation courses in these languages. Later this year, international students will be able to take courses convenient for them as well, with instructors accommodating their specific time zones.

For more details on the Final Cut Pro certification exams please visit https://fcpcertification.com/

If you have additional questions you can reach out to Jordan Belmont, Senior Project Manager at jordanb@fmctraining.com

About Future Media Concepts, Inc (est 1994)
FMC has been a leading provider of training for content creators around the world for over 25 years. Through live courses and conferences, FMC enables creatives to maximize the power of technology to help tell their stories. FMC is the Authorized training provider for Adobe Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Blackmagic Design, Maxon, and BorisFX. For more details about available training at FMC, please visit: https://www.fmctraining.com/

Media Contact

Alexander Dieguez, Future Media Concepts, 1 212-233-3500, alexd@fmctraining.com

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SOURCE Future Media Concepts

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Most apple varieties mature in autumn when the temperatures start to moderate, and the bright greens of spring and summer deliver way to softer shades of tan and gold. Few things are more rewarding than picking a homegrown apple off the tree and savoring its sweet tang. To get to that point, however, a few steps are necessary along the way: The grower must control unwanted pests by spraying the trees, provide water if it doesn’t rain, and—for the largest, tastiest apples—apply a fertilizer earlier in the season.

Hundreds of fruit-fertilizer products are on the market, but not all are suitable for growing apples. Ahead, learn what to look for when shopping for fertilizer and find out why the following products earned a spot on this lineup of the best fertilizers for apple trees.

1. BEST OVERALL: Miracle-Gro Fruit & Citrus Plant Food Spikes
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Jobe’s Organics Fruit & Nut Granular Fertilizer
3. BEST FOR HEALTH: Humboldts Secret Golden Tree Additive
4. BEST BALANCED PICK: Southern Ag All Purpose Fertilizer
5. BEST WITH MICROBES: Dr. Earth Natural Wonder Fruit Tree Fertilizer
6. ALSO CONSIDER: Espoma Organic Tree-tone Fruit & Shade Tree Food

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Fertilizer for Apple Trees

Selecting the best fertilizer for fruit trees depends to an extent on what the grower wants to accomplish. Some fertilizers provide essential nutrients for overall tree health, while others are designed to encourage blossom production or boost root development. Still others may be formulated to correct deficiencies in the soil.

Soil and pH Level

Apple trees aren’t too picky about the type of soil that they grow in—they can survive and produce fruit in moderate clay-type soils or even rocky and gravelly soils. They typically do best in soils that are full of nutrients, slightly sandy, or contain ample amounts of loam.

More important than the soil type is its acid/alkaline balance, or pH level. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 considered neutral. Numbers higher than 7 are progressively more alkaline, while numbers lower than 7 are progressively more acidic. Apple trees do best in slightly acidic soil, ranging from 5.8 to 7.0 on the pH scale.

Many soil types fall within that pH range, but if yours doesn’t, it could result in poor tree health, slow growth, or failure to produce fruit. Fertilizers are typically not suitable for correcting (amending) pH-level issues. For the best results (and advice), contact your local extension agency and bring in a soil sample for testing. Based on the test results, they can recommend a product, such as lime or compost, that will bring the soil into a more appropriate pH balance.

NPK Ratio

When shopping for the best fertilizer for apple trees, most growers notice a three-number ratio that often appears on the front of the package. It’s usually accompanied by the letters “NPK,” which represent the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Sometimes, the “K” stands for potash, which is a type of potassium, and the “P” stands for phosphate, a kind of phosphorus.

The NPK ratio of a fertilizer denotes the percentage of each of the nutrients by weight. For example, a 10-pound bag of fertilizer with a 10-10-10 NPK ratio will contain 1 pound each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Each of the nutrients performs a different function when feeding an apple tree.

• Nitrogen: The first nutrient in the NPK ratio, nitrogen, boosts green leaf and branch growth. A small apple sapling might benefit more from nitrogen than a mature tree because the sapling is still growing.
• Phosphorus: This nutrient promotes the growth of strong, healthy roots, which can help anchor an apple tree in areas with high winds. It also helps boost blossom production, so it can be beneficial for helping produce a bountiful harvest.
• Potassium: In addition to boosting the overall health of the apple tree, making it more likely to withstand extreme temperatures or slight droughts, potassium helps the tree maximize the amount of nutrients it absorbs.

Inorganic vs. Organic

The nutrients in a fertilizer product may be either inorganic (synthetic) or organic (natural), but an apple tree uses both types of fertilizers the same way. Growers, however, may prefer one or the other.

• Inorganic: Synthetic fertilizers are created in the lab to produce the same nutrients as organic fertilizers but often at a reduced cost. They will be just as beneficial to the tree as natural fertilizers are. A potential downside is that some inorganic fertilizers can be high in salt content, which may leach into the soil or waterways and destroy natural microorganisms that are important to ecological health.
• Organic: Natural and derived from sources such as chicken manure or blood meal, organic fertilizers don’t contain chemical or synthetic ingredients. Some growers prefer these natural nutrient boosters, both for protecting the environment and because they want the apples to be as natural as possible. The downside is that commercial organic fertilizers can be pricey. On the other hand, coffee grounds are a popular homemade fertilizer for apple trees because they’re free and offer a range of mild nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen. Feel free to sprinkle spent coffee grounds around the base of apple trees any time of year.

Application Method

Fertilizer for apple trees comes in three main types: spikes, liquid, and granular. Each type is applied differently.

• Spikes: One of the simplest ways of how to fertilize apple trees is with spikes made from nutrients that are driven into the ground around the tree’s trunk with a hammer. The spikes dissolve slowly, gradually releasing vital nutrients that are absorbed by the tree’s roots.
• Liquid: For growers who want to deliver their apple trees a quick boost, liquid fertilizers may be the way to go. They come in ready-to-apply and concentrated liquids and are sprayed on the apple tree’s foliage, where they’re rapidly absorbed and go to work.
• Granules: Granular fertilizers can be applied to the ground beneath an apple tree by sprinkling out of a cup, or with a drop spreader if the grower is fertilizing multiple trees, but the granules may also be water-soluble. Water-soluble granules often come in a hose-end applicator that automatically dilutes and disperses the solution as the grower sprays the tree.

Our Top Picks

The best apple tree fertilizer may not be labeled exclusively for apple trees, but it will contain the nutrients necessary for strong tree growth and fruit production. Most general fruit-tree fertilizers are highly beneficial for feeding apple trees. The following products are all well suited for use on apple trees for overall health and ample fruit production, even though they vary slightly in composition.

Our Verdict

Any of the fertilizer products in this lineup are well suited for improving the health of apple trees, but our best overall pick, Miracle-Gro fertilizer for apple trees, ticks all the boxes. It offers the nutrients apple trees need, and it comes in slow-release spikes that continually feed the trees for months. Our budget pick, Jobe’s fertilizer for apple trees, also provides optimal nutrients and comes at an attractive price point.

How We Chose the Best Fertilizers for Apple Trees

We conducted extensive research into dozens of today’s best-selling brands of fruit-tree fertilizers when considering the top picks for this list. We looked closely at national brands with stellar reputations, such as Jobe’s and Miracle-Gro. Still, we didn’t automatically eliminate smaller or niche brands if their products contained the nutrients known to boost apple tree health.

We looked at both synthetic and natural formulations, and we considered price as well as buyer satisfaction.

To make our final cut, the products also had to be straightforward and relatively easy to apply. We allowed for some measuring and mixing, but we didn’t select products that required calculating complex formulas or those unsuited to both young and mature apple trees.

Tips for When to Fertilize Apple Trees

It’s a rare soil that naturally provides all the nutrients an apple tree needs to produce a bountiful harvest. Knowing when to fertilize fruit trees is key. The following tips can help.

• Fertilize an apple tree right after transplanting it to help it develop a robust root system.
• Fertilize young apple trees that have not yet reached their mature height in the spring and again in the fall after the leaves have dropped.
• Mature apple trees only need one feeding per year, in spring.

FAQs

In most types of soil, growing apple trees isn’t too challenging, and many apple trees will start producing apples after a few years, even without feedings. However, applying fertilizer is a good idea for those who want healthier trees and more apples. Newbie growers may have a few questions.

Q. What do fertilizers provide for apple trees?

Fertilizers offer various amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—minerals absorbed by the tree’s roots and leaves to boost health and increase blossom production.

Q. How do I get my apple tree to produce fruit?

Apple trees may not produce fruit for the first 3 to 5 years, but, after that, they can produce apples annually. Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as one with a 10-10-10 NPK or a 5-5-5 NPK, to deliver the tree ample nutrients for fruit production. Supply water during times of drought as well.

Q. How often should you fertilize apple trees?

There are a few general rules for when to fertilize apple trees, but not all products are the same. Fertilize a new sapling at the time of planting, and then fertilize it every spring and fall until it reaches its mature growth. Mature apple trees only need to be fertilized once a year, in the spring. While those are rules of thumb, some fertilizer products suggest feeding the trees more often, so follow package directions.

Q. How do you increase the size of an apple fruit?

In addition to fertilizing apple trees on the suggested schedule, keep in mind that the apples themselves draw nutrients and energy from the tree. Growers often pinch off more than two or three apples per cluster (as soon as the fruits start to develop), which makes for fewer—but larger—apples.

Q. How much fertilizer does an apple tree need?

That all depends on its size and the fertilizer product. The package instructions should recommend the amount of product to use based on the size of the tree.