Fertilize your Evergreens
Fertilize your Evergreens
Like all landscape plants, Evergreens require nutrients to grow well. While Evergreens generally require less fertility than deciduous trees and get some nutrients from soil, at some point you might need to fertilize your Evergreens.
A soil test will provide a base of information about your soil and the fertilizer analysis you will need for your plants.
There are several key signs you should watch for. These include:
- New growth is sparse or slow.
- Needles are not a healthy green color, or are shorter than normal.
- You are trying to grow evergreens in a less than ideal site, such as very sandy or heavy clay soil.
- The plant has suffered significant damage from insects or disease.
- You wish to encourage more rapid growth in relatively young evergreens.
Fertilizers come in many shapes and forms, so you need to find the right one for your evergreen trees. Usually, the percentages of various nutrients and minerals included in the bag will be printed clearly. A few keep tips to keep in mind include:
- You should use a complete fertilizer that has all the necessary macronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Usually, this will be printed as “NPK,” respectively.
- You should pick a fertilizer that is NPK 10 – 8 – 15. This means it has 10 percent nitrogen, 8 percent phosphorus, and 15 percent potassium.
- If the pH of the soil is off, you may need to change the percentages of the nutrients in the soil.
In general, evergreen trees do well in soil that is slightly acidic, which means the pH is just under 7.0. If you are trying to plant evergreen trees and soil that is too basic (having a pH over 7.0), then you may want to reach out to a professional who can help you.
When Should you Use Fertilizer?
Evergreens should be fertilized in late fall or early spring and usually need less fertilizer than deciduous plants. Broadcast commercial fertilizers, such as those for deciduous trees
Remember that if you have recently relocated an evergreen tree, it may take some time to get used to the new soil conditions before it begins to grow. Therefore, before you use fertilizer on a tree that you have recently planted, give it a little while to get acclimated. Once it gets comfortable, its growth rate should improve. Then, you may not need to use fertilizer again.
If you are interested in our Plant Health Care service (PHC) Contact us at Johnson Ops Tree Care at 608 526-6297 for help with any of your landscape needs
