Building Strong Trees From the Bottom Up
Why is fertilizing necessary?
Trees in their natural habitat get plenty of nutrients, but in urban settings that’s not always the case. Providing supplemental feeding at the root level helps your trees look better and protects against insects and disease.
Supplemental feeding protects and preserves your trees from the bottom up. The roots are a tree’s foundation and the health of your tree is dependent on how well its roots function. A malnourished tree is vulnerable to disease, decay and insect invasion.
Many people imagine trees with large deep taproots, but this is seldom the case. Although roots may extend beyond the dripline, the entire root system is usually no more than three feet deep.
In fact, most roots responsible for absorbing nutrients grow in the top eight inches of soil, where water and oxygen are more readily available – thus making the term “deep root fertilizing” a bit outdated.
It’s best to feed your trees as part of a regular maintenance program.