We all want our trees to be strong, healthy and look their best. To achieve this, you need to care for, and maintain your trees throughout the year in accordance with the seasons and its needs.
This can mean ensuring it has plenty of water when it’s a particularly dry time of year, spreading some mulch around your trees in the spring to insulate the soil and prevent weeds, or if it’s not looking its best, you may need to fertilise your trees on occasion.
Trees in your backyard can be under a great deal of stress compared to the same species growing in native bushland, which is why they sometimes need some extra TLC.
When you fertilise your trees, you are providing them with essential nutrients and minerals that may be lacking in the soil.
A tree will normally show visible signs it’s not getting enough nutrients from the soil. These can include:
- Dead branches
- Yellowing, or generally discoloured leaves
- Leaf vein colour darker than the leaf edge colour
- Less leaf growth or smaller than normal leaves
It is important to note, however, that not all fertilisers are created equal, and not all trees should be given the same types of fertilisers.
A new, growing tree will potentially need more fertiliser, more often, until it is established. As the tree gets more mature, it should need less and less fertiliser.
You should ideally know the species of the tree to know what type of fertiliser to use, as some native trees do not react well to certain types of fertilisers that contain phosphates.
In extreme cases, fertilisers containing phosphates have been found actually to kill gum trees. It is also not recommended that “weed and feed” lawn fertilisers be used on lawns that are adjacent to native trees.
When fertilising native trees, it is best to stick to the natural organic products such as Seasol and aged forest mulch that will fertilise your trees as it slowly breaks down.
For exotic trees, you can buy slow-release fertilisers that will slowly release nutrients over time to reduce the risk of ‘fertiliser burn’ which occurs when a tree gets a too high dose of nutrients all at once and has an adverse reaction.
Always read the label and make sure you’re getting the right type for your tree, and don’t over fertilise, as this can make your tree sick. Lawn fertilisers and weed killers should never be used on trees or above their root systems as they can seriously harm and even kill a tree.
If you are at all unsure about whether or not to fertilise, the best time to fertilise or what type of fertiliser to use for your trees, it’s a great idea to have a qualified Arborist inspect your tree.
An Arborist can identify the nutrients that are deficient, so that you can use the right type and amount of fertiliser and ensure your tree’s health and longevity well into the future.
If you have concerns about your trees, don’t hesitate to call Aussie Tree Solutions today.