Fertilization and Soil Management
Jack of All Trees
Jack of All Trees offers a fertilization and soil management service to improve your soil and keep your trees healthy and fit to survive even our most extreme winters.
Your trees are valuable. Keeping them healthy means they will be there for future generations to enjoy. And healthy trees depend on healthy soil. Trees depend on their root system to supply them with nutrients from the soil. But even the most fertile soil can become degraded over time. Poor soil management practices or the overuse of certain machinery can damage or compact your soil. Soil can become depleted of nutrients. Over or underwatering will impact on the health of your soil and, as a result, the health of your trees and plants.
It is also important for you to have the right soil for the right species. Some species need a higher pH than others. Some species will need a different balance of nutrients than others. And all of this can be affected by specific weather and environmental conditions. You can’t improve soil just by adding fertilizer. It’s complicated!
Need some advice on tree care or improving your soil?
Call us on +1 (647) 229-6439
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Soil Management for Healthy Trees
At Jack of All Trees, we can help you manage your soil so it is healthy and fertile. We will make sure your trees get all the macro- and micro-nutrients they need to stay healthy. The starting point is to test the soil your trees are growing in. We test in several places because, soil conditions can vary between locations that are even quite close to each other. On site tests can tell us a lot about your soil but if necessary we will send it off to the lab. Once we have analysed your soil we can get to work improving it. We will also put in place the right irrigation system for your plants and soil conditions. And, of course, add the right fertilizers to support the growth of your particular tree species.
When is the best time to fertilize trees?
Trees need different levels of fertilizer throughout their life but, as a general rule, it is best to apply fertilizer in the spring and early summer. Your trees need nutrients for the growing season although they will need less over time as they become more mature. You shouldn’t fertilize trees in drought conditions.
How do I know if my trees need a fertilizer?
Pay attention to yellowing of the leaves on your tree which could indicate nitrogen deficiency. This is often caused by sandy soil lacking in organic matter. Along with fertiliser to add nitrogen, you also need to improve the quality of your soil over time by adding organic matter.
Take care when applying fertilizers. Trees generally need a high nitrogen fertilizer. Adding a fertilizer that has too much of other macronutrients such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) or adding to much of a high nitrogen fertilizer in a short time can damage your tree. A soil test can determine the right balance of nutrients that your tree needs.
Remember that simply adding chemical fertilizer is a temporary solution that will not improve the overall health of your soil. This is why we recommend a long term sustainable approach. This means improving soil health and structure, by adding plenty of organic matter and mulching as well as adding fertilizers.
