Each season of the year requires you to accomplish certain tasks that will keep your lawn looking vibrant, well-maintained, and healthy. The arrival of fall in Georgia means that it’s time to not only aerate your fescue lawn but also fertilize trees and shrubs surrounding your property.
When To Fertilize Shrubs and Trees
While it’s tempting to fertilize trees and shrubs in early spring in order to encourage new growth once the winter weather finally breaks, the most ideal time to fertilize trees and shrubs is in the late fall following the first frost. When to fertilize shrubs and trees in Georgia has everything to do with the fact that in the fall, your trees and shrubs have lost their foliage, and their growth has significantly slowed. During this time, their roots yearn to soak up as many vital nutrients from the soil they can get; these nutrients will strengthen their root systems and help your trees and shrubs build their disease tolerance.
Fall Fertilizer for Trees and Shrubs
Ready to fertilize trees and shrubs and keep your lawn looking verdant? Great! The best way to fertilize trees and shrubs is to start by conducting a soil test to determine what specific nutrients your soil is lacking. A soil test reveals the soil’s pH and nutrition levels, helping you pinpoint if your shrubs and trees need to be fertilized in the first place (not all do!), along with what fertilizer you should purchase.
Our professionals at Arbor-Nomics would be glad to test your soil. If indeed your trees and shrubs would benefit from fall fertilization, we can provide the necessary combination of nutrients and apply them accordingly. Fall fertilizer for trees and shrubs usually contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, plus bionutritional materials that enhance root development.
While you are welcome to purchase fall fertilizer for trees and shrubs from big box stores, keep in mind that those fertilizers won’t contain the custom nutrient combination your lawn needs. Custom blends work best!
Trusting Arbor-Nomics to fertilize your lawn’s trees and shrubs will ensure that the fertilizer is applied correctly. The application process is just as important as securing the correct balance of nutrients within the fertilizer; over-applying fertilizer can contaminate your soil. If you contaminate your soil, you disrupt the delicate balance of microorganisms within it, which can degrade its quality and limit its ability to sustain new and healthy growth in the future.
If you’re unsure how to use fall fertilizer for trees and shrubs, it’s better to be safe than sorry; our professional lawn care experts can confidently complete this annual task.
Benefits of Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs in the Fall
We’ve covered when to fertilize shrubs and trees, plus why it’s important to do so. But why should you fertilize trees and shrubs in the fall? What are the benefits?
One of the biggest benefits of fall fertilizer for trees and shrubs involves strengthening their root systems. Think of fall fertilization as your opportunity to give the roots of your trees and shrubs a sizeable “energy drink.” After such a successful growing season, your trees and shrubs will store the much-needed nutrients you supply them in their abundant root systems so they can replenish the “calories” they burned when they were actively producing leaves, flowers, and fruit. Strengthening their root systems builds resilience, decreases their vulnerability to diseases and pests, and adequately prepares them for the coming spring.
Essential nutrients keep your trees and shrubs healthy year-round. Giving your soil the correct combination of nutrients will help your trees and shrubs grow, thrive, and brighten your lawn. Should you need more information about how to fertilize trees and shrubs, we encourage you to read this insightful article published by Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center.
Rely on Arbor-Nomics to Fertilize Trees and Shrubs
If you’ve been wondering when to fertilize trees and shrubs so yours are prepared for winter and ready to thrive come spring, we hope this blog educated you and gave you all the insights you need regarding the proper fall fertilizer for trees and shrubs in Georgia. Taking good care of the trees and shrubs will prolong their life and contribute to a flourishing and resilient lawn—a lawn that our team at Arbor-Nomics would be delighted to care for year-round if you’d like to invest in one of our affordable plans.
For more information about Arbor-Nomics, please get in touch with us via our website or call 770-447-6037. We can fertilize trees and shrubs on your behalf, plus provide other top-notch lawn care services that will make it obvious to your guests and passersby that you value the numerous benefits of a lawn with undeniable curb appeal.
Contact us today for more information. Remember, your trees and shrubs are not unlike chipmunks and squirrels that stockpile acorns during the winter to sustain them through the season; proper fertilization gives your trees and shrubs the nourishment they need to stay healthy so you can continue to enjoy their beauty, shade, and even the sense of privacy they offer.