Fertilizing seedlings - when and what

[Chad Hauenstein]

I have a few hundred 2 and a half year old trees and i was wondering if they would benifit from some fertilzer. The seedlings got some fert when planted 2 springs ago but anything i direct seeded has only been sprayed around.

Does anyone fertlize their young trees?

If so, When is a good time to to fertilize young trees and what fert should be used?

Our first killing frost 4 to 6 weeks out.

Here is what a have planted:
Dunstan chestnuts
Persimmions
Swamp white oaks
Dwarf chinkapin oaks
Sawtooth oaks

Thanks, Chad

 

[Needmorebrush82]

I have a few hundred 2 and a half year old trees and i was wondering if they would benifit from some fertilzer. The seedlings got some fert when planted 2 springs ago but anything i direct seeded has only been sprayed around.

Does anyone fertlize their young trees?

If so, When is a good time to to fertilize young trees and what fert should be used?

Our first killing frost 4 to 6 weeks out.

Here is what a have planted:
Dunstan chestnuts
Persimmions
Swamp white oaks
Dwarf chinkapin oaks
Sawtooth oaks

Thanks, Chad

Chad I am a firm believer in fertilizing trees. I fertilize my young trees every yr with great results. Lots of people will say not to fertilize a young tree. If I direct seeded nuts I would not fertilize them the same yr. Persimmons do not respond all that well to fertilizer as I have tried different doses and well it was just a waste, but I still give them a little. Swamp and Sawtooth like the fertilizer as do most faster growing plants. I have 5ft+ Sawtooth that are 9mos old then I have 3ft saws that I did not fertilize nearly as much. Once they are field planted I use a 50/50 mixture of old chicken poop and triple 13. On a young 1 or 2yr old tree I may only use 10 ounces total dibbled in the soil in three places around the tree. It doesn't sound like much but the trees shoot up and I figure that is good enough for me. When I water I always have my water mixed with a chicken poop tea. It's pretty weak but what you will notice is a tree that has good nutrition will do much better in periods of drought. A stressed tree is toast when conditions are not favorable. On larger trees I will give them between (20-40oz total) cup dibbled into the soil in at least 3 places. I use the chicken poop for the soil building qualities. After one yr of using the tea and the fertilizer mix you can visibly notice the soil health is improving when you water and so on. I only fertilize (dibbling actual fertilizer) in the spring at bud break so that they can burn all of the added nitrogen off by fall to avoid damage. I will use the chicken poop tea mix until the last time I water and have had no ill effects from doing so. It doesn't give them much, but I know it helps them so its worth it to me. The method has has worked well for me for 4yrs now. This yr my burs added 3ft and I consider that a good indication that they like it. Do not fertilize this late in the yr, it could push fresh growth leaving your trees prone to die back from not being able to harden off.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

I use osmocote and the biologic tree paks in the spring around all my 2yr and older seedlings and then ill add osmocote or milorganite once or twice during the summer. Nothing in the fall.

 

[Diamond hunter]

How do you make the chicken poop tea and how is it stored?

 

[cutman]

Although I don't specifically fertilize young trees, my trees that are on the edge of food plots (and thus receive fertilizer when I broadcast it on the plot) are MUCH bigger than trees that don't receive fertilizer. Night and day difference.

 

[Needmorebrush82]

How do you make the chicken poop tea and how is it stored?

I have a 40 gallon tub that I fill half way with chicken poop and half with water. Once the poop is saturated it will stay on the bottom while the liquid stays at the top. As a precaution I use something like a pillow case to strain any floating debris out when I am adding the tea concentrate to my water tank. I usually start my batch in the spring by just filling the tub half way with poop and let the rain run off from a corner of the chicken house fill it up. From there if it's not raining I add water accordingly. It sits out there and bubbles all summer but it really does not stink unless you are right beside it or dipping it. If I happen to run out before the season ends I take a pillow case and put some poop in it and sit it in a large tub just like you would brew tea. After a few days with the sun its ready to be used and does not have to be diluted if you do it this way. If you do it the concentrate way make sure you dilute it down to a 1 gallon poop concentrate to 15 gallons of water at least. The concentrate should look like you are dipping dark dark coffee if its right. On a normal yr my tub will make it all year on the original poop I added at the start. Once in a while I will lightly stir it with a shovel to release a new layer of poop. At the end of the yr I let it dry out and use the solid left overs in my garden or dibble it in around trees. Its not giving them a whole lot but it does make my trees thrive. Obviously if you need a larger volume than this you would upsize. I only haul 250 gallons at a time so my tub has just enough concentrate to fill it up once and then I get the hose and fill it up to start the process all over. After doing this around a new tree or any plant for a yr if you dig around one you will notice how many worms are using the soil also benefiting the tree. You will also notice how the ground starts to hold more and more water. Most of my ground is solid red clay and will not take any water at first. By the end of the yr the water goes into the red clay like normal soil.