When, with what and how often does it make sense?

Overview of the principles of tree fertilization

For quick readers, we have prepared a summary of the article at this point, which summarizes the most important principles of the Fertilizing of trees.

• A soil sample provides solid evidence of a lack of nutrients and optimal fertilization.
• Provide trees with organic fertilizers if possible.
• These are applied at the beginning of the growing season.
• A second fertilization is carried out by the end of June at the latest.
• In principle, mineral fertilizers are only necessary if there are deficiency symptoms.
• Even Potted trees benefit from mineral fertilizers.
• When it comes to fertilizing, less is often more - there is overfertilization sick trees result.

When fertilization is necessary

First of all: Tree fertilization from blue haze is often a bad idea, because most garden soils these days are more likely to be oversupplied than undersupplied. Therefore, a previous soil sample, which is sent to a state or private soil investigation agency and evaluated there, makes sense. With the result of the laboratory test, you will also receive a fertilizer recommendation, with which you can ultimately no longer go wrong. The fact that fertilization may be necessary on a tree and that there may even be a deficiency can be recognized by the characteristic features:

• The otherwise vigorous tree suddenly slows down considerably in growth.
• Shoots and leaves wither.
• The flowering also subsides. B. with fruit trees) too.
• The foliage turns pale, sometimes the leaf veins are darker in color.
• The tree sheds foliage during the growing season.

But before you resort to fertilizer when these signs appear, take a closer look at the causes of such changes. In many cases it is instead caused by diseases or pests.

When it comes to fertilization, less is more

In principle, trees that have been planted should be fertilized no more than every two years, which is usually completely sufficient. Since over-fertilization can have just as serious consequences as a severe undersupply, you should also use organic fertilizers prefer - these are only added after about three to four weeks and then only gradually, so that over-fertilization is unlikely. As organic fertilizers are suitable

• ripe compost
• Manure (cattle, horses, sheep - no poultry, especially no pigeon manure!)
• Horn shavings,(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) Horn meal
• Lawn clippings, Wood chippings,(€ 22.00 at Amazon *) leaves
• Wood ash
• Rock flour
• Algae lime

Most fruit trees are adequately supplied according to this scheme:

• compost ripens every 3 - 5 years Tree grate distribute and incorporate
• Rock flour(€ 12.33 at Amazon *) and Algae lime Add
• Fertilization with mulch material, e.g. B. Cuttings, cover
• rinse thoroughly

Lime-sensitive trees such as the magnolia it is better to fertilize with manure instead of compost.

Mineral fertilization in case of deficiency symptoms

Mineral fertilization is only recommended in the case of pronounced deficiency symptoms, such as iron or potassium deficiency. Otherwise, garden trees are quickly oversupplied with special tree fertilizers.