The Importance of Tree Fertilization
Good tree care includes understanding the importance of regular tree fertilization during a healthy tree’s life. Fertilizer not only gives trees the right nutrients for reaching maturity, but also helps keep it well-fed and healthy in order to fight off disease and wounds. Tree fertilization is one of the best regular tree care maintenance activities you can do to keep your trees healthy and growing.
Fertilizers increase the density of nutrients in the soil, which then enables the trees to absorb more for healthy growth. How much a particular tree requires depends on the level of nutrients already in the soil. Have your soil tested by an expert to find out which nutrients are already there and which ones need to be supplemented.
When to fertilize in tree care depends very much on the age of the tree. Young trees only need small amounts of quick release fertilizer, while developing trees can take regular fertilizer and it only needs to be applied twice a year during the growing season. A mature tree has a complex root system that can absorb nutrients from a wider area. They only need to be fertilized once a year.
Why should you fertilize? Urban trees do not get the same benefits of constantly decaying vegetation at the forest floor. Actively fertilizing helps keep the tree’s immune system strong.