Fertilize Trees?

[TreesuitSC]

Question? I have some trees that I have in tree tubes and have been mulched. What is the best way to fertilize? I may be overthinking it but will the fertilizer make it into the soil / roots if applied on top of the mulch?

Can the fertilizer be put down into the tree tube?

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[trampledbyturtles]

I vote no to app inside the tube.

N & S will leach through your mulch
P & K will take considerably longer, unless in liquid form.

Over time your mulch will break down providing better nutrients than your syntethic will.

Just my 2 worthless cents.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Dont put it in to the tree tubes, it can burn the tree. put it around the top of the mulch, it will work its way to the roots.

 

[bigbendmarine]

Fertilizer tree spikes around the outer drip line of the trees are an option I used last year and likely will again this year. Can't swear how great they worked, but didn't appear to hurt any of the trees at all.

 

[cavey]

I have sprinkled miracle grow lightly around the drip line when I thought the tree really needed it (like if the soil was pure garbage and I had some visual indication of a problem); how young are the trees is a key question... what is the foliage spread on the trees, how wide is your mulch, what was last years growth like - the year before's growth - that too?

Absolutely do not drop it down the tube! 4th vote on that...

....and if you have relatively good soil and they are newly planted they probably do not need to be fertilized until more established. First year trees are stressed, 2 nd year they are just getting into their own as far as growth Its kind of hard to tell if they need it other then how the leaves appear for indicators of deficiencies. I would think water would be more of a priority while they are tubed up and you already did them a huge favor by mulching.


https://extension2.missouri.edu/g6865

 

[TreesuitSC]

Thank you all!

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[Rubee]

I'm not sure but I think too much new growth due to over fertilizing leaves apple trees more susceptible to fireblight.

 

[PoorSand]

What I'm planning to do with a few like that is visualize how wide their crowns would be naturally if they had been growing outside of a tube and then applying 60-70 day release polymer-coated urea within a circle having a diameter of 1.5 times their natural crown diameter as soon as the ground thaws.