Too early to fertilize?

[SouthernMaple]

So here in Western NC, we have had a early spring, I pretty much repotted most of my collection of deciduous by march 14th. When would be a good time to start fertilizing? Also on a side note when should I start to layer my trees? this next weekend?

 

[GGB]

depends on what stage of development your trees are in. And who you ask. some folks feed small doses all throughout the year. but anything you feed now will wind up with large leaves and internodes. So if you want to turn your sticks into logs, start dumping the miracle gro on em. If you have primary and secondary branches set you should wait til the leaves have hardened off in the summer then feed lightly

 

[SouthernMaple]

depends on what stage of development your trees are in. And who you ask. some folks feed small doses all throughout the year. but anything you feed now will wind up with large leaves and internodes. So if you want to turn your sticks into logs, start dumping the miracle gro on em. If you have primary and secondary branches set you should wait til the leaves have hardened off in the summer then feed lightly

Well I read to feed maples with cottonseed meal as your plants are waking up, but if I repotted them in march don't I need to wait a few months to fertilize?

 

[bonsaichile]

Well I read to feed maples with cottonseed meal as your plants are waking up, but if I repotted them in march don't I need to wait a few months to fertilize?

I think you can safely start fertilizing when you see growth

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Young trees. Feed pretty much year round. If it has leaves, it is time to feed. Weakly but weekly. Or if you prefer, less frequently but at a higher dose.

Advanced trees in refinement usually are not fed in spring at all. Here you wait until well after the summer solstice. Until after the bulk of foliage extension and expansion has been finished for the growing season, then you begin feeding. Waiting to feed until this time promotes shorter internodes, smaller leaves and better back budding. You discontinue feeding in autumn, until the resuming following summer.

 

[River's Edge]

Well I read to feed maples with cottonseed meal as your plants are waking up, but if I repotted them in march don't I need to wait a few months to fertilize?

It still depends on the stage of development and your goals for the tree! Is it in refinement or a tree in development?

 

[GGB]

i don't follow a hard rule on when to start fertilizing after a repot, I wait until the tree has grown a little. My collection is extremely small so I have the luxury of repotting trees right as the buds swell, so they tend to keep right on growing and get established very quickly. I know sometimes people with larger collections repot on the early side and the trees are dormant for a few weeks still. So taking that into consideration it would be impossible to give an exact number of weeks. Also if it helps you sleep better I've never heard anyone talk about losing a tree because they burn the new roots with fertilizer after a repot, might be sort of like a maple bleeding to death kind of situation?.. Either way im sure it's best avoided but I don't think you need to sweat that detail to much. I always say when in doubt wait, worse case scenario you end up smaller foliage and internodes. But that sentence there is enough to start a war, so don't quote me or tell anyone I said that

 

[quietobserver]

If it’s growing it needs to eat. (Adage I follow)

Exception being refined trees.

 

[GGB]

ive Recently been reminded that “hardening off” of leaves is an incorrect term. I meant “lignified growth” as in the growth tip isn’t currently extending. Gotta learn the jargon