grouper52
Masterpiece
I probably should have posted this under my collection of "Resources" tutorials, but here it is anyway.
It occurs to me, while out for a walk this evening, that some folks here might find my experience with a somewhat “off-the-beaten-path” approach to the use of fertilizers and supplements to be perhaps useful or at least interesting.
I’ve certainly had my share of trees die on me over the years, but I think it has been many fewer than others would have had when working largely with Yamadori, Yard-a dori, and Nursery-a-dori beginning material, where the roots had been significantly disturbed in the beginning of my care of them.
This impressed me early on with the importance of attention to the roots, concluding that if a tree’s root were happy and vibrant, the foliage (and the flowers and fruits - about which I usually care little) would be happy and vibrant as well.
My methods have held up with good results in both my beloved Pacific Northwest conifers, as well as in my tropicals during the year I spent in the Philippines.
My approach is simple in its conception: Take care of the tree’s roots, and the tree will take care of the rest.
This naturally starts with good soil and good drainage, and this topic has most probably been extensively fought over and argued into viciously-held warring camps on the site, so I’ll not go into that very much.
But my additional input into my approach, then, is to fertilize and supplement with the roots in mind primarily. I use kelp emulsion, with relatively high potassium compared to nitrogen, and I don’t think I have ever - even once - given more than a cursory nod to whatever the phosphorous was.
I augment this with a humate/humeric acid supplement. If you don’t know the benefits of this stuff, an on-line search would certainly persuade you.
B-Vitamin root-stimulating formulas are sometimes helpful in a difficult/“iffy” transplant, and the controversial - though not to me - Super-thrive was the standard in the old days before a new company took it over and ruined the formula I hear. But there are lots of substitutes these days it seems.
And finally, and perhaps of equal importance, I like to use the “Soluble Root Growth Enhancer” put out by the Down To Earth company. It also contains some humic acids, but its main effect is due to two types of fungal spores that colonize roots, and by doing so, greatly increase the absorptive surface of the root system, to improve nutrient and water uptake. You can see these white fungal colonizers when you dig around in among the roots, and it’s a beautiful and promising site to behold, and one that guarantees the tree’s health.
Hopes this helps some of you still struggling with the basics of keeping your trees alive and robustly healthy.
It occurs to me, while out for a walk this evening, that some folks here might find my experience with a somewhat “off-the-beaten-path” approach to the use of fertilizers and supplements to be perhaps useful or at least interesting.
I’ve certainly had my share of trees die on me over the years, but I think it has been many fewer than others would have had when working largely with Yamadori, Yard-a dori, and Nursery-a-dori beginning material, where the roots had been significantly disturbed in the beginning of my care of them.
This impressed me early on with the importance of attention to the roots, concluding that if a tree’s root were happy and vibrant, the foliage (and the flowers and fruits - about which I usually care little) would be happy and vibrant as well.
My methods have held up with good results in both my beloved Pacific Northwest conifers, as well as in my tropicals during the year I spent in the Philippines.
My approach is simple in its conception: Take care of the tree’s roots, and the tree will take care of the rest.
This naturally starts with good soil and good drainage, and this topic has most probably been extensively fought over and argued into viciously-held warring camps on the site, so I’ll not go into that very much.
But my additional input into my approach, then, is to fertilize and supplement with the roots in mind primarily. I use kelp emulsion, with relatively high potassium compared to nitrogen, and I don’t think I have ever - even once - given more than a cursory nod to whatever the phosphorous was.
I augment this with a humate/humeric acid supplement. If you don’t know the benefits of this stuff, an on-line search would certainly persuade you.
B-Vitamin root-stimulating formulas are sometimes helpful in a difficult/“iffy” transplant, and the controversial - though not to me - Super-thrive was the standard in the old days before a new company took it over and ruined the formula I hear. But there are lots of substitutes these days it seems.
And finally, and perhaps of equal importance, I like to use the “Soluble Root Growth Enhancer” put out by the Down To Earth company. It also contains some humic acids, but its main effect is due to two types of fungal spores that colonize roots, and by doing so, greatly increase the absorptive surface of the root system, to improve nutrient and water uptake. You can see these white fungal colonizers when you dig around in among the roots, and it’s a beautiful and promising site to behold, and one that guarantees the tree’s health.
Hopes this helps some of you still struggling with the basics of keeping your trees alive and robustly healthy.
