Fertilizer Timing

[Runner]

Hello, everyone. Thank you for welcoming me to this site, as this is my first post. Though I don't do much tree work, I always have questions to ask, and points to ponder. My question here is, when is the best time to fertilize trees, both evergreen AND deciduous? I would guess it would be in the fall, as it would be utilized then in the spring. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thank you for your help.

 

[Darin]

Yes, some are best for late summer and early fall. This fertilizer company actually has stuff for year around. http://www.doggett.net/dog_fert.htm So its more open ended than specifically saying a certain date.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It realy depends on what you want to acheive. Regular fetting has been shown to reduce a plants defences to pests.

If you want to stimulate root growth, fall is best. If you want to stimulate top growth, then do it in spring just beffore the first flush.

If you have a stressed plant, then several low N doses though the year will help. (seaweedorfishguts C HOKINS CaFe.....I gota remember the cases for all that.)

Mature plants realy dont need fert, and it can hurt. But IMHO broad spectrum organics will replace the missing duff that the tree evived with and we as city dwellers have gome to not like.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

organic matter is really what trees need . try to simulate the conditions that trees naturally grow in , which is the forest . all the leaf matter and such. mycorhizae (sp) which is a naturally occuring fungus which is beneficial to the tree roots occurs naturally in the soil, where there is alot of organic matter.