03 MAY 2019

Best Way to Fertilize Your Trees

Your tree is a living organism just like us, meaning they need water and nutrients to survive and grow. If you have put in time to plant a tree, then surely you want it to grow healthy, large, and for long. To achieve this goal, you will obviously have to water it, prune it, and feed it. In the wild, trees get their nutrients from its surrounding. In our yards, however, leaves and other sources of nutrients for the soil are often raked away before the tree can indulge in their nutrients. Thus, we need to fertilize our trees.

Sesmas Tree Service offers fertilization services, but we have also put together this article so that you can take care of fertilization on your own. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment with an ISA-certified arborist, then call Sesmas Tree Service to get started.

Does My Tree Need Fertilizer?

Trees in the wild are surrounded by nutrients; fallen leaves, twigs, and bark as well as dead critters and animals decay and turn into nutrients in the soil. In our yards, however, these sources of nutrients are raked away, and trees compete with grass and other plants for the limited supply of nutrients in the soil. You can notice that a tree needs fertilizer if you see these signs:

• Undersized leaves, few in number
• Dead branches and tips
• Dark leaf veins
• Discolored leaves such as yellow and purple
• Shorter than normal twig growth

If you notice these signs, then it is important that you act quick and get to the root of the issue before it becomes a serious problem.

Get A Soil Test

The best way to figure out what nutrients your tree is lacking is by running a soil test. A soil test measures the pH level of your soil and identifies the nutrient deficiencies in your soil. Once you have figured out the needs of your soil, investigate what nutrients your tree needs. Finally, go ahead and purchase a fertilizer that fits its needs.

When to Fertilize Your Tree

There are plenty of fertilizer types on the market, including slow-release fertilizers. These slow-release fertilizers do not have a best time to fertilize because they slowly release fertilizers uniformly over time. Still, there are benefits to fertilizing in certain seasons:

• Fertilizing in the Fall helps recover nutrients that were lost during the summertime and promotes root growth before the harsh cold of the winter starts.
• Fertilizing in the Spring gives the growth an extra boost and greens up tree leaves to push it through the heat of the Summer. The nutrients also help fight off pests and infections.

Contact the Tree Professionals

If you would like to have the professionals at Sesmas Tree Service take a look at the situation, then feel free to call and schedule an appointment. Our ISA-certified arborists are trained and equipped to detect tree and soil deficiencies, then remedy the situation. We are always happy to help and look forward to your call.