You need to fertilize trees and shrubs to insure their good health which prepares them to fight off pests, disease, and environmental stresses. A proper fertilization program can't solve all tree problems and over fertilization can do harm. Still, tree fertilizing at the appropriate time and with the appropriate formulation will help your tree(s).
Ideally, growing trees should be fertilized throughout the year. The greatest amounts should be applied during the early spring and summer months. Right now is an excellent time to fertilize trees.
For young trees, good times to put out fertilizer is late March through early June, and while you are at it, proper mulching will aid in proper nutrient and water uptake. When a tree reaches the desired height you may decrease the fertilizer application to only once a year.
Comments
Hi Steve,
found your leaf identifier page and its great I thought I had a black walnut in my pasture whicjh is bad for horses and it turned out to be a hickory? (prety sure) any way I can’t find the black walnut leave for a more proper identificatrion of that tree, can you help, the other leave of what we thought was also a black walnut does not match with any leaves on the site.
Any hlep would be great,
Thanks, Karen
Your answer is fairly easy to figure out. Walnuts have 9 to 21 leaflets on the pinnate leaf – hickory less than nine.
http://forestry.about.com/od/treeidentification/tp/tree_key_id_hicash.htm
I think your statement that trees and shrubs NEED to be fertilized is misleading. Trees and shrubs obviously need nutrient uptake in order to grow and be healthy but much of this comes from having healthy soil and the right growing conditions. Who fertilizes the millions of acres of forests growing on their own? Nobody does, they fertilize themselves through decomposing leaves, vegetation and through animal litter.
Fertilization would only be required if you’ve created an artificial environment for your plants where this natural cycle is disturbed or you’ve planted something which is not natural to your environment. I leave all of my trees and shrubs alone and they do just fine and I concentrate more on creating diversity through planting to further recreate that natural cycle. I save time and money and don’t need to worry about whether I’ve done it right or not.
In regards to fertilizing trees. I agree with both Steve Nix and Steve R.
Ornamental tree establishment at the time of planting require some fertilization to encourage root development and reduce transplant shock, from container or balled & burlap cage to a free growing tree at the newly planted site. In addition, annual fertilization in spring and early summer will certainly help this tree along for the first 3-5 years of establishment. But that is where I stop the fertilizations. A well established tree on a good site, correctly chosen for the soil type and the zone will never likely require additional fertilizations. A tree does not require any fertilization ever unless as Steve R says “it is in a totally artificial environment”.
Generally, if a tree is lacking a certain nutirent, the tree will show signs of nutrient deficiency through discolouration of the leaves. It is at that point a person should consider enlisting the help of a qualified tree care professional, with experience in diagnosing tree problem. Profolactic fertilizations as well as chemical treatments are long gone from environmentally sound tree care manangement. A tree more likely will require watering in times of drought enabling it to absorb the nutrients in the soil rather than a regiment of unnecessary fertilizations.