1 year old trees in tubes

diamond hunter

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Sep 16, 2012
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Goodlettsville Tennessee USA
I have sveral hundred 1 year old tres in tubes that last year saw minimal growth.Maybe because of the drought,maybe the soil,maybe competition.Do I need to fertilize them this year,when to do so and how much and what..Thanks in advance.
 

TS_13

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Jul 19, 2007
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Hendersonville TN
I fertilized mine this year. My ground is poor so I used a higher nitrogen, but tripple ten or thirteen will work. Slow release is better.
 

Hunter 257W

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Oct 4, 2012
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Franklin County
I just put slow release fertilize (1/2 cup per tree) around each of my 2 yr old trees a couple weeks ago. These are oaks as well as fruit trees(apple, crab apple and pears).

In contrast, I have another batch of 4 year old trees(Oaks and Birch) that I planted in a pasture full of fescue and basically walked away from them doing no maintenance at all the 1st couple of years. They are way behind the 2 year old trees. The trees in the pasture have never been fertilized and I let grass grow right up to them. I didn't even have tubes on them the 1st two years. I have to wonder if you have let grass and weeds grow out of control around your trees? Yeah, the drought sure didn't help either but at least killing competing grass/weeds will give your trees whatever little rain that does fall.

I know this won't help trees that are already planted but I give a significant credit to Moisture Mizer granules for the fast growth of my latest bunch of trees. You have to stir it in the dirt around the roots when you plant though. My trees treated with that stuff grew so much faster than the untreated trees that you have to see it to believe it. I wouldn't ever plant a tree out in the field without that stuff again.

Anyhow, I bet you will see a big improvement a year from now if you get some fertilize on them in the next week or so and RoundUp the grass around the trunk.
 

Jarred525

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Oct 16, 2007
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Giles Tennessee
diamond hunter said:
Whenyou say put the fer you mean you just poured it? Where dget this slow release?
I am curious as well as to what type of slow release you use?

I had saw something on moisture mizer the other day. Wish I knew about it sooner! I am probably still going to get some of it this year and work around the topsoil around my trees I planted this year and sprinkle some around my established trees.
 

Jarred525

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Giles Tennessee
Diamond Hunter, sorry to hijack :)

I have a drill auger for my cordless drill that I can drill 2inch wide and about a foot deep holes with. I was thinking about doing one of these per tree about a 6 inches away from the root ball and then filling the hole with a 50/50 mix of lime and the slow release fertilizer. Do you all like this approach or suggest something different?
 

Hunter 257W

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Oct 4, 2012
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Franklin County
Jarred525 said:
diamond hunter said:
Whenyou say put the fer you mean you just poured it? Where dget this slow release?
I am curious as well as to what type of slow release you use?

I had saw something on moisture mizer the other day. Wish I knew about it sooner! I am probably still going to get some of it this year and work around the topsoil around my trees I planted this year and sprinkle some around my established trees.

Here is where I got my time release fertilize. http://www.wildlifegroup.com/growsupplies
You can probably get it cheaper locally because of the cost of shipping something as heavy as fertilize. I bought from these guys becuase this is where I got my last two batches of trees and I was familiar with their quality. The website doesn't show it but they sell two different analysis fertilizers. Fruit tree and Oak tree.

Yes, I just poured the fertilize out on top of the ground around the tree in a circle about the size of the total foliage.

Yeah, I sure wish I had known about Moiture Mizer when I bought the 400 pines and then later about 135 Birch and Oaks. I lost almost all the pines from drought.
 
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