When to Fertilize

[Nyboy]

I planted 9 bareroot fruit trees beginning of april.I did nothing to improve the soil. The trees are just starting to bud out. When should I fertilize ? What does everyone think of horse manure vs miracle grow?

 

[thistlebloom]

It's good that you planted your trees in native ground without amendments. The way it used to be done by adding peat and improved soil has been found to be detrimental to the long term
health of the tree.
Horse manure vs MG? Well, manures main contribution will be as a soil
mulch, adding humus, and feeding soil microbes. I can't quote you the NPK ratings, but they would be in the low numbers. MG will give more of the NPK, but will do nothing to feed soil microbes.
Also, if the horse manure isn't composted you will be getting a lot of salts from it.
But I'm all for manure!
If it were me, I'd get a bag of good organic fertilizer and use that to feed them.
Don't fertilize with anything until you get good leaf growth covering the tree.
That's around mid to the end of May for me here.
Hope that helps.

 

[patandchickens]

I wouldn't fertilize newly planted trees at all til next year, personally.

You want them a bit on the desperate side, setting roots outward and downward, not growing aboveground or setting too many roots right around where you planted 'em.

If the native soil is not sufficient to sustain good establishment and some growth the first year, then they're doomed in the long run anyhow

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[journey11]

I always plant dead fish/fish scraps with mine, at the very edge of the hole, with good results. You could even go back later, as yours are already planted, and dig in a few out from the drip-line. The fish takes awhile to break down, so they aren't taking it up as fast as they would a pelleted fertilizer or fertilizer stake. Putting it out from the drip-line makes the roots work for it.

ETA: The biggest thing you can do to help them right now really is to make sure they're getting lots of water. Put the hose on them once a week and make sure they get a good, deep drink. That will get them going faster than anything!

 

[thistlebloom]

ETA: The biggest thing you can do to help them right now really is to make sure they're getting lots of water. Put the hose on them once a week and make sure they get a good, deep drink. That will get them going faster than anything!

Yep!

 

[Nyboy]

Thanks,with all the rain here in NY water not a problem yet!