Vogel's Tips... Fertilization
Landscape Shrubs and Evergreens
A balanced fertilizer, no higher than 15-15-15, should be used at the rate of 2-4 pounds per 100 square feet of bed area. This application should be made in early Spring, after the new growth has started.
Established Trees
Use a balanced fertilizer, no higher than 15-1-15 at the rate of 2-4 pounds for each inch in diameter of the tree trunk, measured a chest height. Small trees, six inches in diameter or less, should have half this rate. Application is done in holes drilled one inch in diameter and 12-18 inches deep two feet apart in concentric circles starting at the trees’ drip line and working in towards the trunk, but no closer than two feet from the trunk (click for diagram). The fertilizer is to be divided and distributed equally among the drilled holes. If the hole is not filled, use peat moss to fill it.
NOTE: American Beech and Crabapple are more sensitive to fertilizers than most trees. Hence, the dosage should be reduced by one half. Newly planted trees should not be fertilized during the first year after installation.