OK, everybody put your to-do list for the week on the table and let’s see how many of us have “fertilize trees and shrubs” on it.
Hmmmm. We see a couple “get the oil changed.” A “bake chocolate chip cookies.” And a “call in sick and hit Netflix.”
Nobody has “fertilize trees and shrubs?”
DIY tree and shrub fertilizer may not be at the top of your to-to list, but your green leafy pals out there wish you’d consider adding it. Or think about hiring a pro.
What’s involved, either way? Let’s take a look.
What’s So Important About Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs?
Imagine if you never ate. Not cool, right? No pizza. No tacos. No fried chicken. No chocolate cake. (Is it getting depressing in here, or is it just us?)
Same with your Idaho trees and shrubs. Fertilizer gives them a boost that improves their health and appearance, from strong roots to glossy leaves to plentiful, pretty flowers.
When your trees and shrubs struggle to get the important nutrients they need, they get weak. That makes them more susceptible to damaging insects and diseases.
Struggling trees and shrubs won’t grow as tall or as full as they could, either.
DIY Tree and Shrub Fertilizer
If you’re tackling your tree and shrub fertilizer yourself, mark your calendar for a couple key treatments. (You might want to mark two calendars. You know how you are… )
Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs: Spring Feeding
You’re hungry when you wake up, right? So are your trees and shrubs. Fertilize them in spring not just to help them grow and thrive, but to better stand up to attacks from diseases and pests.
Nitrogen is the key, so look for a high-nitrogen fertilizer with numbers like 4-1-1, 3-1-1 or 3-1-2.
Fall Feeding
Fall is a great time to fertilize trees and shrubs in Idaho. Why? A few reasons:
- Hungry roots. In the fall, your trees and shrubs’ roots take those nutrients and use them to boost their health, really soaking in the good stuff they need to thrive.
- They’re extra hungry after a long summer. Summer is tough on your trees and shrubs. All that growing takes a lot out of them. Replace those nutrients.
- Fall color! Make sure your trees and shrubs are healthy enough to produce those vibrant golden, orange, and crimson leaves. Fertilizing trees and shrubs delivers a long-lasting nutrient boost.
How to Fertilize Trees and Shrubs: DIY Mistakes to Avoid
There are some tricks to DIY tree and shrub fertilizer:
- Avoid late summer nitrogen. Don’t fertilize trees and shrubs with high nitrogen fertilizer after mid-August. That late-summer feeding can cause some plants to put out a new flush of growth that could be susceptible to early frost damage.
- Don’t fertilize new trees and shrubs. Newly planted trees and shrubs can’t absorb those tasty nutrients until they grow an adequate root system. So resist the temptation to feed those babies. It can actually prevent good root growth.
- Avoid fertilizing during drought. Don’t fertilize trees and shrubs during the stress of drought unless you’re watering them regularly. They can’t use that fertilizer without enough water. Some fertilizers may actually damage the roots and scorch the leaves if water is lacking.
How the Pros Fertilize Trees and Shrubs
For one thing, the pros will show up at exactly the right times of year for fertilizing trees and shrubs, and get the job done.
Meanwhile, you’re looking over your jam-packed calendar and muttering, “When the heck was I supposed to fertilize my trees and shrubs? Wait — did I already do it?”
Professional Plant Health Care: They Have Cool Stuff You Don’t
Professional-level plant health care includes a deep feeding treatment that goes beyond the DIY tree and shrub fertilizing you can do. It’s pretty cool.
Deep root tree fertilization injects nutrients for your tree directly deep into the soil, rather than spreading it over the top.
By injecting the fertilizer with high pressure, the nutrients can reach the deepest tree roots fast, feeding your tree from the roots up.
The fertilizer is delivered straight to the tree’s roots, with a long, cool-looking wand, so your tree gets an immediate nutrition boost.
Then, over time, the nutrients make their way to the rest of your tree, making it healthier and more vibrant.
Fall is a great time for deep root fertilizer in Idaho. The deep feeding will bolster your trees after the stress of a long, hot summer of growing, and set them up in good shape for the winter ahead.
Choosing Plant Health Care in Idaho Falls
So you’ve decided to hire a professional lawn care service to fertilize your trees and shrubs? Good plan. Now you don’t have to worry about it, woo hoo!
Look for these qualities:
- They care about your yard’s total health, not just hurriedly stopping by to apply lawn fertilizer and weed control. Plant health care includes everything from fertilizing to controlling bugs to warding off diseases.
- They keep you in the know. Five minutes after your Lawn Buddies technician leaves your yard, you’ll get an email with a quick video featuring our technician explaining what they just did and any follow-up tips you need to know.
- They know their stuff. Some lawn care service employees just get a study guide to help them pass certification tests. You want your company to provide real on the job training with professionals in the field and weekly trainings to boost their knowledge.
- They make everything easy. Life is complicated enough. Some lawn care services offer so many confusing lawn care choices, you give up in frustration. Hire a Boise or Idaho Falls lawn care company that offers an easy, no-nonsense lawn program.
Are Your Trees and Shrubs Ready for a New Best Friend?
Don’t neglect those precious trees and shrubs. Make sure they get the fertilizer they need to thrive.
Or, just relax and leave all that to us.
Expert plant health care like deep root fertilization is available for our Idaho Falls and Boise customers who use our full-service lawn care program.
The first step is to sign up for our 6-step complete lawn care program.
You’ll be glad you did.
Choose an Idaho Falls or Boise professional lawn care service that makes it easy, bundling your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan.
Fertilizing, weed control, grub control. Done. Expert tree and shrub services: Double done.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.
Fill out the form on this page.
Call us at (208) 656-9131.
Or read more about our services.
Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
