shrub/tree fertilizing

Does anyone use granular fertilizer to fert shrubs and ornamental trees? How do you price it? Thanks

 

Granular apps work well on small trees and shrubs. I use a complete fert with micro trace etc. 2 times per year. Price is hard to say, don't know your business.

you can never go wrong with material+labor cost??????

 

What if you fertilize a shrub with sap feeding insects and cause a flush of soft succulent growth and then an outbreak of insects occurs and the plant looks worse than beofre due to the grwoth caused by fertilizing without insect control?

Just wondering...*wink*

EG

 

We use fertilizer tablets for ornamental and shrub fertilization. It's quick, simple and base the number of tablets on the size fo the tree or shrub. Basically anyithng above 15' in trees size we only fertilze by customer request or due to a disease or stress situation. Pricing may vary due to the number of T&S, and also the number of tablets required and the price of tablets. Labor time to do is usually minimal but obviously you need to gauge the time for your application methods. I prefer the granular tablets becuase the nitroform release is controlled by soil moisture and temp and feed for a longer period of time.

 

Grass guy,
What is the proper application method for the granuals? I have some Korean Boxwoods that are a litte brown on top and not growing well.Do you apply on top of the mulch bed, or do you pull back a little ring around the shrub and apply directly to the soil and move the mulch back.

 

ipm - how many bags do you think you would use for - 22, 15' ornamentals, 141 medium size burning bushes, and 33 5' white pines. thanks

 

Field General,
The what you are seeing on your boxwoods is a natural thing. In the spring, they will turn green again. If you do any plantings, instead of using Korean, try the Wintergreen Boxwood. It has a lower temp tolerance and it stays green..... dark green. There is a post from 1-3 weeks ago that mention this. use the search, cause i think someone has a concoction to reverse this browning. Like i was saying above, the browning is nothing serious, just unsightly. Hope this helps.

 

Field General what we do is go around what would be the dripline to the shrub and press the soil probe into the ground until the hole is approx 8-12" deep and pull the probe back out then drop the tablets down the shoot tube that is lined up with the hole at the ground. This allows the tablet to release in the root zone and will leave a slight impression in the ground when you heel over the opening for water to channel down the hole and start releasing the tablets. You dont want the tablets close to the base of the plant but out where the capillary roots will be taking nutrients back into the plant. what's nice is its very easy in early spring to push right thru the mulch without having to remove any to get into the soil.

 

It depends on what type of fertlizer you use. What do you have in mind?

Have you ever thought of injecting the 15' ornamentals?? It would probably be more cost effective.

 

I was thinking of using lesco 14-14-14. I do not have a spray rig so I could not do injecting.