I planted 120 small trees last year. All bare root. All shade trees. They ranged in size from saplings up to 6' high.
The instructions said not to fertilize any of the trees during their first year. How do I calculate the amount of fertilizer needed for each one? I would like to enhance their growth this year if possible to ensure that they 'take'.
If you planted them last Fall, this is still their "first" year. I planted some pecan trees back in September and October, and the literature I read indicated I shouldn't fertilize them until perhaps this coming Fall, because their root systems would not be sufficiently developed to take advantage of the fertilizer. However, the particular source I got my trees from, the Forrest Keeling Nursery, says to go ahead and fertilize them this spring because their Root Production Method, a special way they grow their seedlings, is supposed to give better root systems which can take up the nutrients. Did you tip prune your trees when you planted them? That's another thing often suggested when planting bare root trees, because the root system is usually not sufficient toi support all the top growth present in a newly planted bare root seedling. Again, Forrest Keeling says their trees are different and shouldn't be tip pruned. I plan to use about a cup of general purpose fertilizer per tree.
I don't know what 'tip pruning' is, and wasn't asked to do it with my bare roots.
I did receive one bare root species that was highly developed with a very large root system. I pruned the roots back on that one as well as the tree itself.
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