You appreciate the trees on your property for many reasons whether it’s the shade they provide, the aesthetic appeal they add to your property, or even the emotional attachment you have when watching them grow. Your trees are valuable to you and you want to keep them in good shape.
While a lot of people assume that the trees on their property are self-sustaining, the truth is that suburban trees aren’t getting the same nutrients that they would have readily available if they were growing in a forest. That depletion of resources can lead to lack of vigor and a decline in the overall health of your tree.
In order to truly thrive, trees often need a little bit of extra help in the form of tree fertilizer. Understanding that your trees require fertilizer to perform their best, you might be considering doing the service yourself. While a lot of homeowners try to tackle DIY fertilization, the truth is that it’s not the same as what a pro will do. We’ll explore that fact as well as other important facts you should know so that you can make the best decision for your landscape.
1. DIY Tree Fertilizer is Not as Effective as Hiring a Professional
Some of our clients tell us that they purchase tree fertilizer spikes at their local big box retailer. It’s an effort to do what they can to help improve their tree’s health. But the truth is that those spikes provide such a minimal amount of fertilizer to the tree that’s it’s probably not making much (if any) difference. It’s also not getting deep into the soil, down to the root system—which is where the tree really needs the nutrients.
When a tree fertilizing company treats your tree, they are not only using a professional-grade product that is a lot more effective than what you can buy at the store, but they’re also injecting that liquid fertilizer deep into the soil. This allows the product to be absorbed by the roots and disperses throughout the tree in a process called translocation.
2. Tree Fertilizer Is Not a Cure-All Solution
While we find that a lot of homeowners understand the value of fertilizing their trees, another common myth is assuming that most symptoms relate back to a nutrient need. A homeowner sees that their tree is losing its color and they assume that fertilizer will fix it. But sometimes there are other issues at hand and it’s important to understand what tree fertilizer cannot do so that you don’t have unrealistic expectations.
While it will improve the health of your trees, tree fertilizer is not going to be a cure-all for existing problems. It’s important to recognize what tree fertilizer won’t do. It’s not going to repair dead tissue, fix bad soil, or eradicate an insect or disease problem. You should also know that some problems do not have an easy fix and serious issues, such as internal decay or certain diseases, may not have any solution except safe tree removal.
3. Fertilizing Your Trees Can Make a Problem Worse
This is a fact that surprises a lot of people. If you have some specific insect population or disease brewing, and you don’t know it, fertilizing your tree can actually increase the activity. In other words, you’ll be doing more harm than good. This is another reason why it’s valuable to have a professional perform your tree fertilization service. A professional would be able to spot an insect or disease problem and would know if those concerns need to be addressed first.
4. Tree Fertilizer will Improve Your Tree’s Health
So, now you understand what tree fertilization cannot do in terms of repairing existing problems. But what fertilizing your trees will do is improve their overall health. Tree fertilizer gives your trees what they need to perform their best. Trees in suburban environments are under a lot of stress and they need nutrients to thrive. By making those nutrients readily available, you are improving their health and making them more resistant to insects, disease, or other environmental stressors. While fertilizer won’t fix an existing problem, it can help lessen the impacts of future problems.
Hiring a Tree Fertilizing Company
As discussed, there are a lot of benefits to working with a professional tree fertilization service as opposed to trying to do it on your own. When you make the decision to work with a professional, you are giving your trees the best chance of thriving. Joshua Tree is here to assist you with that service.
You love your trees and you want them to be around for the long-haul. By investing in them now, they’ll continue to grow and thrive, remaining a flourishing piece of your property that you’ll be able to enjoy for years to come.
If you’d like to find out more about tree fertilization at your Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, PA home, contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at 610-365-2200 so that we can answer any of your questions.
