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Fall Tree Fertilization

Fertilization of Fall Tree | Landscape Experts in Dallas

The autumn season is upon us, and this means ticking off tasks on your fall landscaping to-do list. This includes raking the lawn, layering new mulch, and tree trimming. For most homeowners, the thing that is often left off is fertilizing their shrubs and trees.

Why is it best to fertilize plants in the fall, and how are they fertilized? Let us at Southern Botanical, your landscape experts in Dallas, TX, answer these questions.

Why is it best to fertilize in the fall?

Spring and fall are the best times of the year to fertilize your shrubs and trees. Fertilizing during the fall season will help your shrubs and trees stay healthy during the winter months by supplementing the lost nutrients when you rake those fallen leaves.

A good rule of thumb would be to fertilize only when the soil is about 55°F to avoid unseasonal growth which can be quite damaging to your trees.

How are shrubs and trees fertilized?

Before fertilizing, you must first identify if your shrubs and trees need it. This can be done by getting in touch with your certified residential landscape contractors, who are experts in testing the soil. They can determine your soil’s nutrition levels and pH to see if your shrubs and trees would benefit from added nutrients from the fertilizer.

Should your shrubs and trees need fertilization, the landscape professional can prescribe the correct fertilizer and spread it for you. The fertilizer bag has 3 numbers, and they correspond with the main nutrients in the mix: phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium.

The landscaping professional can help you understand what these numbers mean for your plants. Your soil test can accurately identify what your fertilizer needs are.

Fertilize only when needed

Fertilization is important for the health of your plants, but it is also essential to do this only when needed. Over-fertilization can do some serious damage to your plants. Some of the symptoms of over-fertilization are:

  • Wilting or yellowing leaves
  • Slow growth or none at all
  • Brown or rotting roots
  • Increased presence of disease or pests

Your landscape experts in Dallas, TX will be able to confirm if your plants have been over-fertilized and can give you the best advice on how to remedy it.