Trees, shrubs, and other plant life grow perfectly in nature without special treatment, so do trees need fertilizer when you plant them in your yard? The answer is more complex than you might think, so here, we’ll examine why it might be time to fertilize your trees and when you can skip this tree care step.
If poor fertilization has destroyed your trees, you can trust Bumblebee Tree Service LLC, Cherry Hills’ top-rated tree service company, to clear the limbs and remove the tree and stump from your property.
Do Trees Need Fertilizer? The Basics
There are three common instances when you should consider fertilizing your trees. If your plants don’t fall into the following categories, you should consult a tree care expert, follow the guide we illustrate later, or trust the tree’s natural growth.
- Newly-Planted Trees: Young trees grow quickly and often need fertilizer to give them nutrients that promote rapid development. Fertilizing your young trees also gives them more energy for the harsh winter.
- Diseased and Damaged Trees: Plants have robust self-healing properties and can recover after suffering disease or damage from snow, pests, or heavy wind. However, they will need extra nutrients to recover from that unexpected harm.
- Flowering and Fruiting Trees: Trees producing new life, like flowers or fruit, need extra nutrients since their fresh growths consume most of them. Fertilizer is the best way to inject those nutrients into your plants and replenish their strength.
When to Avoid Fertilizing Your Trees
Fertilizing your trees makes them grow faster and resist stress better than non-fertilized trees, but do trees need fertilizer if they’re already thriving?
Nitrogen is one of the most prominent compounds in fertilizer and helps plants grow. However, when trees are already thriving, that nitrogen will emphasize leaf and twig development rather than developing a robust root system. That combination makes trees unable to hold water for long periods, decreasing their pruning cycle and lifespan.
If you want to promote rapid tree growth but are afraid of harming your tree, you can plant slow-release fertilizer instead of the standard. Slow-release fertilizer sends nitrogen and other nutrients in gradually, minimizing the risk of over-fertilization.
How to Tell When Your Tree Needs Fertilizer
Do trees need fertilizer even if they’re old, not producing flowers, and have no apparent signs of damage? Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell, but you can gain a better idea with the following guide:
- Look for Nutrient Deficiencies: Plant disease and nutrient deficiency often appear in trees through discolored leaves, misshapen twigs and branches, and smaller-than-usual growths. However, these issues can also be a symptom of poor irrigation or improperly balanced soil pH levels, which fertilizer cannot fix.
- Monitor Their Growth: If your trees aren’t growing as tall or rapidly as you expected, it might be because they are malnourished. However, like nutrient deficiencies, poor growth isn’t always caused by issues that fertilizer can fix.
- Perform a Soil Test: The only definitive way to tell whether your trees are getting proper nutrients is to perform a professional soil test. These tests reveal the compounds and nutrients in your soil so you can tell if your plants have what they need to grow.
Professional Tree Care and Removal From Bumblebee Tree Service LLC
So, in conclusion, do trees need fertilizer?
While some plants benefit from fertilization, healthy, well-established ones can suffer more harm than good from those excess nutrients. Over-fertilization can stunt your trees’ growth and damage their appearance and health, but if you need to remove your withering plants, Bumblebee Tree Service LLC is here for you.
Call Bumblee Tree Service LLC at (609) 352-0499 for a free estimate or to learn the signs that a tree needs to be cut down.
