Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

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mitten
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Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by mitten » November 10th, 2021, 2:31 pm

I recently received this advertisement for Deep Root Fertilizing this November. Some of my newer trees in the past few years could use a boost, specifically my Weeping Norway Spruce that is looking quite frail/sparse... my older arborvitaes (20 years old) are starting to thin out... so this service is tempting. But is this really what I need?

Here is the ad:
In general, the soil in our landscaping lacks the nutrients that trees and shrubs require. These nutrients are available in their native environment, but not in the soil we use for landscape beds. The best way to feed your trees and shrubs is with a Deep Root Fertilizing. We inject liquid fertilizer with micronutrients directly into the root feeder zone. This targeted approach also feeds the ground cover.

In the fall, a plant’s energy shifts to feeding its root system and preparing for the winter months. Now is the best time of the year to feed your landscape since plants are storing up carbohydrates for the winter and will take in the fertilizer for long term benefits.

Benefits of Deep Root Fertilizing include:
· Increased resistance to diseases
· Helps ward off insect attacks
· Improves flowering
· Increases hardiness for the winter
· Helps build up nutrients that are not naturally found in a landscape
· Is cheap preventative maintenance that may save an expensive bush or tree

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turf_toes
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by turf_toes » November 10th, 2021, 6:18 pm

No. No it’s not

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MorpheusPA
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by MorpheusPA » November 10th, 2021, 6:57 pm

I have a headache. Seconding TT. No, it's not and no, it doesn't. DIY and you can do it for about $0.25 per tree.

Toss a good balanced fertilizer on your trees at the same rate you would on the lawn. Problem solved. Most of the feeder roots for any tree (including spruces and any Thuja or Cypress spp., commonly called arborvitae) are in the top four to six inches of soil. They'll feed just fine.

The correct feeding time is usually a bit earlier than this point in November, but you can still do it as long as the ground's not frozen and not going to freeze for several weeks yet.

If trees really look manky, feed when the deciduous trees are fully leafed back in (probably around May 1st), again on June 1st, September 1st, and October 1st--at about the same rate as you would feed a lawn, or somewhat less for slower-growing or older trees, which won't feed very much.

For normal trees, once or twice a year (October 1, and if you really want to, May 1) is more than sufficient.

Mine are embedded in the lawn and get fed about six times a year. They do fine--so while some folks will tell you not to overfeed a tree, and there are certainly reasons not to do so and amounts not to exceed, reasonable feeding even quite often is just fine. By which I mean up to about seven pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet per year, which is actually quite a bit...

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mitten
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by mitten » November 11th, 2021, 10:07 am

Haha, sorry to give you a headache.... I use 13-13-13 on my yard and sporadically give it to my trees as well. Is the best way to apply it in mulched area (under arborvitae for example) just to use a broadcast spreader at the same setting as I do my lawn?

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MorpheusPA
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by MorpheusPA » November 11th, 2021, 2:40 pm

Pretty much. Just run your spreader right under the trees. You can cut the spread back a little if you want, or leave it the same as for the lawn.

If you have Miracle Gro or the like, feeding them once or twice a season with that won't do any harm and adds some of the micro-elements that might be missing or short. Dealer's choice on that one, a soil test of your lawn (if you haven't had one) might be better. The requirements will be extremely similar. If 13-13-13 was recommended, then that's perfect for the shrubs as well, which will need the K, but aren't going to be so demanding on the P (but won't mind it).


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mitten
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by mitten » November 11th, 2021, 3:46 pm

Cool, that's what I've done randomly in the past with my broadcast spreader when I've had fertilizer left over. Speaking of soil tests...Here are my soil test results viewtopic.php?f=11&t=24870&hilit=mitten

Another question, I have some 13-13-13 now, but should I just wait until Spring to use it on the trees at this point in the season? First real snow in the forecast this weekend. OR, I'm planning to do a Urea winter treatment when top growth stops.... Should I hit the trees with Urea while I'm at it?

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MorpheusPA
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by MorpheusPA » November 11th, 2021, 5:44 pm

If topgrowth hasn't yet stopped and that first snowfall is random (we're expecting our first flurries Monday, but it's not of any significance and won't stick, with highs going back to 55 afterward), then go ahead and feed the trees with the lawn.

If you're getting really close to ground freeze, I might even skip the feeding on the grass, honestly.

As far as the soil test goes, there's nothing there that would impact a tree significantly. Do the same things as you would for the grass--the trees will enjoy that.

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mitten
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Re: Deep Root Injection Fertilizing

Post by mitten » November 12th, 2021, 3:00 pm

Thanks Morpheus! Will do.

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