Is fertilizing a tree really useful? I have an oak which was struck by lightning sometime ago, but is healing fine. Two tree experts (certified arborists) have suggested fertilizer in the process of providing estimates for trimming my other trees.
Originally posted by Mike Maas
High rates of N will force fast succulent growth, that lacks the compounds that inhibit pest propbelms. Not a good thing.
Yet nurseries do this exact thing.
In some cases it is perfered to to force fast growth and just deal with the side effects. Could increasing growth rates to add wood to an injured tree be one of those cases?
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Originally posted by Dan F
Nurseries are concerned with production, plain and simple. The faster they can grow a tree, dig it, and then sell it, the more money they can make. If they can plant a whip and turn around and sell it as a 3 inch tree in 5 years instead of 6 years, they have saved themselves a fair amount of money. I can't blame them for wanting to turn over their stock quickly, it's understandable.
Dan
Originally posted by Treeman14
Yoohawn, rather than listen to us squabble about this and that, perhaps you would care to peruse some credible data compiled by the University of Florida. I know several of the people who contributed to this research and have the highest respect for them. Here is the link: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP114
Originally posted by SilverBlue
You are all wrong!
Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
Mike throughs in another red herring; I say mature trees, he brings up nursey stock .
Originally posted by Bob Wulkowicz
Division is not an instantaneous process. Cells will divide; grow and mature; and, at the point <u>they</u> are readt; they divide again. What essentially gives a tree its girth is the continued accumulation of the number of xylem cells in the diameter.
If a cambial cell divides, say every 3 days, in its process of growing up as xylem, are we saying that nitrogen somehow speeds up that physiological maturition? There are many states and conditions to get lined up inside a cell in anticipation of dividing anew. Is nitrogen the magic bullet that fluffs that preparation away as unnecessary?
PS: Oops, I've said it again that trees run on tree time. I'm sorry, I justy can'y get that simple rule out of my noggin...
Originally posted by underwor
I am sure that most trees that I have seen could have been souped up with a little N, but was it needed.
Bob Underwood
And by the way… trees manufacture their own food –thanks anyways. Minerals, oxygen, carbon, and more are utilized to build and maintain structure, day-to-day functions, disease control etc etc.Not to mention the most important role of soil life.Originally posted by TREETX
What wit, how can I argue with that??
Hint, break the pills in half
Actually “feeding” a tree or any plant for that matter is a totally backwards approach
Haven't got a solid grasp on photosynthesis, so we are throwing the nitrogen cycle into the mixThunderstorms are an important source of nitrogen
Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
......
Seriously, though, my beleifs are based on nascent science and imperical data, as well as my anectodal observations.
Originally posted by Mike Maas
Not once did you mention Mature trees, and I only mentioned nursury trees to show that there could be times when high nitrogen is a good thing.
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