Tree and Shrub Fertilizer Tips

In the wild, trees and shrubs need little additional fertilization. The undisturbed soil contains year after year of decomposition from leaves and other organic material. Most housing developers will disturb the soil in the construction process and what’s put back is often a shadow of its former nutrient-rich self. Further, our practice of raking leaves and bagging lawn clippings means that organic material isn’t available to add nutrients back into the soil.

In the wild, trees and shrubs grow where they have the best advantage. They don’t grow where the conditions don’t favour them. In the urban jungle, we like to plant trees and shrubs where they’ll have the best aesthetic appeal and not always the species or variety best suited for that space. Often tree roots are covered in grass adding a potential layer of competition for moisture and vital nutrients.

Trees and shrubs require a mixture of 13 different nutrients for proper growth and development. Some of those nutrients, like water and oxygen, are plentiful. The best time to fertilize trees and shrubs is spring and fall. It’s okay to fertilize trees through to November or December, depending on your weather, after the leaves have fallen. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, the tree continues to take in nutrients at soil level.

Trees and shrubs can represent a significant investment in your landscaping, and the experts at Nutri-Lawn Vancouver want to help you protect that investment with tree and shrub care including deep-root feeding. Our DeepFeed service nourishes and feeds the soil, thereby creating a robust and healthy rooting environment which will minimize both man-made and natural stress on your plants.

Does Your Tree Need Fertilizer?

Here are some signs to watch for that might indicate your trees or shrubs need a little extra help to thrive next season:

• Does your established tree or shrub put out very little growth for its species? (Dwarf varieties for instance aren’t supposed to grow quickly.)
• Are older leaves turning purplish or yellow?
• Are the edges of the leaves turning brown and crispy?
• Are the leaves smaller than they should be or lighter in colour?
• Reduced twig and branch growth and retention
• Premature fall colours and dropping leaves

Some of these symptoms may be the result of disease, drought or infestations, so be sure to rule other possibilities out. But lack of nutrients and fertilizer is often the cause.

DeepFeed is a 2 visit program that includes a spring and fall Deep Root Injection of slow release liquid fertilizer that is a specialty blend of essential ornamental nutrients and beneficial organisms engineered for tree and shrub applications.

Slow release fertilizers make nutrients available to plants over a longer period of time. This means the fertilizer needs to be applied less often and there is less potential for damaging the soil or ground water.

A liquid soil injection method uses a high pressure injection of slow release liquid fertilizer 8-12inches deep right to where the roots can make the best use of the nutrients and grow to their maximum potential each year.

Nutri-Lawn Vancouver are proud to offer tree and shrub care including deep-root feeding. We know you’ve made an investment in your property and we want to help you protect that investment. Our Deep Feed deep root feeding service nourishes and feeds the soil to create an optimal growing environment.

Contact the lawn care and landscaping experts at Nutri-Lawn Vancouver to learn more about this valuable service.