All landscape plants need a steady supply of nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Many Read this article of our urban soils are lacking in minerals or nutrients (learn more about why and how to create healthy soils), leading to nutrient deficiencies in trees, shrubs, and other plants. Fertilization can help to improve the plant’s growing conditions and provide the ingredients needed for continued growth. But what’s the best way to fertilize trees and shrubs in Northeast Ohio? Keep reading to find out!
What is fertilizer?
A fertilizer is any material (of natural or synthetic origin) that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients.
Fertilizers come in many different forms, including pellets, granules, powders, liquids (and liquid concentrates), and more.
How is fertilizer applied to landscape plants?
Depending on the form of fertilizer, it can be:
sprinkled or scattered on the soil surface (this is the typical DIY method and is often used to fertilize lawns)
mixed into the soil
sprayed onto the soil
placed in holes or trenches around landscape plants
injected into the ground
sprayed on the leaves, branches, or trunk
The key is to get the nutrients to plants’ roots where they can be absorbed (along with water) and spread throughout the plant.
What is deep root fertilization?
plant nutrient deficiencies chartWhen it comes to fertilizing trees and shrubs, arborists often recommend deep root fertilization.
Deep root fertilization is a specialized type of fertilizer application method used to help restore trees that are struggling or showing signs of decline.
This treatment uses high-pressure professional equipment to inject a blend of nutrients and organic matter into the soil around your trees’ roots.
The liquid fertilizer is injected to a depth of roughly 5 inches (this is where most of a tree’s feeder roots are found). To ensure that all parts of the root zone receive enough nutrients, we usually inject in a grid pattern throughout the entire area under the tree canopy (out to the dripline, or canopy edge) and sometimes even beyond that depending on the tree species, health, and surrounding landscape.
Is deep root fertilization better than a DIY approach?
You may believe that you can fertilize your own trees, and we know many homeowners and landscapers do this. However, a basic granular fertilizer that you spread around the base of your tree simply will not have the long-lasting effects of a deep root fertilization treatment that is applied by a certified tree care expert.
Basic fertilizers are usually applied to the soil surface and then “watered in” using irrigation (or waiting for rainfall). Depending on what is growing around your trees, these surface-applied fertilizers may not penetrate the soil down to the tree’s root system. For example, lawn grasses often absorb most of the nutrients before the fertilizer-rich water percolates down to the tree’s root zone.
Plus, granular fertilizers can be easily washed away by rain or wind, rendering them ineffective and causing run-off problems in streams, rivers, lakes, and even wells.
In contrast, deep root fertilization puts the nutrients right where the tree needs them (in the root zone) and in a format that’s much more easily absorbed by the tree. As a result, you’ll see faster and more noticeable results.
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