Your lawn, shrubs and annuals are fertilized on a regular basis to help them establish strong roots and become more resistant to disease and pests that can cause decline. What about your trees? Do they require routine fertilization?
In forests, trees receive plenty of nutrients, but in urban landscapes and corporate campuses, nutrients can be swept away with leaves, sticks and fallen bark. The grass surrounding your trees can also compete with them for water and nutrients.
Quite simply, trees need fertilizer to grow vibrant and strong. Healthy trees provide your landscape with environmental, lifestyle and economic benefits.
Actively growing trees produce oxygen, help to cool your house and provide shade to protect you from the sun and heat. They also increase property values and provide a great setting to entertain and relax.
A healthy tree generally is better able to withstand attacks from disease, insects and other stresses.
Tree fertilization is a recommended practice to ensure the health and long-term viability of your trees. There are some tell-tale signs that trees are lacking necessary nutrients:
- Leaf discoloration including yellow and purple
- Undersized leaves and fewer in number
- Dead branches and branch tips
- Dark leaf veins that are darker than leaf margins
- Shorter than average twig growth
Rather than guessing if your trees need fertilization, it’s best to work with Ned Patchett Consulting, local tree care specialists, to determine exactly what your trees need.
Trees can be fertilized in spring or fall, but fall fertilization is recommended for trees that appear stressed following the dry, hot summer northern California has endured. Fall fertilization gives trees a boost since their roots remain active and accepting of nutrients throughout the fall and winter months as long as the ground does not freeze.
Nutrients most often needed in urban trees include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium and manganese.
Two common tests are used by arborists to monitor fertilization programs and to diagnose nutrient deficiencies in trees. Soil tests are used to determine the pH of the soil. Alkalinity and acidity in the soil directly affects the availability of nutrients to the trees.
A soil test will also reveal the levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and cation exchange capacity. A foliar analysis is generally more accurate because it shows what mineral elements are in the plant vs. what’s in the soil.
Once the best course of action is determined for your trees and your landscape, one or more applications will be applied and your trees will be a course to improved health.,
Proper tree care is a valuable component of your overall landscape maintenance program and should not be taken lightly. Nor should it be left to anyone but a highly trained professional. The certified arborists at Ned Patchett Consulting are trained to care for trees of all shapes and sizes, and during all stages of life.
Are you looking for an innovative tree service that will uniquely and passionately create and care for your trees, plants and yard like they were their own?
Let the experienced professionals at Ned Patchett Consulting deliver for you. Connect with us at info@nedpatchettconsulting.com or 650-728-8308
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