FERTILIZING AND 

 WATERING TREES 



Dan Neely • E. B. Himelick 



TREES ARE AN INDISPENSABLE PART of a pleasing 

 landscape. Their establishment and maintenance concern 

 homeowners, arborists, municipal foresters, and those responsible 

 for the care of grounds in parks and around public and private 

 institutions and commercial buildings. The proper care of trees 

 involves the knowledge and use of many cultural practices, includ- 

 ing fertilization, about which this circular gives basic informa- 

 tion. A section on watering trees is included because of its im- 

 portance and close relationship to fertilizing. 



WHY FERTILIZE? 



Proper and timely application of fertilizer will produce bene- 

 ficial results on most trees. Newly established trees will grow 

 more rapidly following fertilization with a nutrient or a com- 

 bination of nutrients that occur in limited amounts in the soil. 

 This is shown by increased leaf size, length of current-season 

 twig growth, and more rapid increase in height. Slow-growing 

 tree species, many of which have desirable characteristics, may 

 be stimulated to grow faster by fertilization. This should encour- 

 age their use in situations where slow growth has been consid- 

 ered undesirable. 



Leaf color and leaf size often indicate nutrient deficiencies 

 in the soil. Various colors or patterns of color indicate deficien- 

 cies of specific essential nutrients. Symptoms include one or more 

 of the following : pale green or yellow color, leaves with mottled 

 patterns between the veins or with dead spots, stunted leaves, 

 and early loss of leaves. The leaves of many trees become darker 

 green following fertilization and this makes them more conspicu- 

 ous and attractive. 



Fertilizing can help maintain mature trees in a vigorous 

 growing condition. A vigorously growing tree is less susceptible 

 to certain diseases and insect pests than is a less vigorous tree. 

 Canker-causing fungi occur more commonly on weakened trees. 

 Also, many of the noninfectious tree diseases develop when soil 

 nutrient and moisture conditions are unfavorable. Healthy, vig- 



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