Using Tree Tone fertilizer on JMs

Discussion in 'Maples' started by Spacehog, Jun 24, 2012.

  1. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    That's a quick solution that works. Alternatively, if you have time, you can do as they did when creating the New York Botanical Gardens: truck in and spread huge amounts of organic matter for a period of 10-15 years until your heavy clay morphs into a perfect humus rich growing medium.

    Gomero
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Sounds pathenogenic. Awhile back I lost a bigleaf magnolia to what appeared to be Armillaria. It had taken many years to start becoming a fairly substantial specimen - with a long ways to go before it had reached the 50' height displayed by other examples in this area. But it had been flowering for at least a few years. And was a surprising number of years old when I first bought it.
     
  3. mr.shep

    mr.shep Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I have an apology to offer to a certain someone.
    It is unfair for someone to come out of the woodwork
    after a long period of time (almost five months) of
    inactivity in this forum and wreak his ugly head by
    stating an exception to a well intentioned post.
    I am sorry for this and the trouble it may have
    caused. I've been subjected to worse in this
    forum.

    Doesn't anyone use the keyword search feature
    and go back in time to read if anyone else has
    broached a similar subject in the past?

    I do not amend potting soil or planting soil
    with fertilizers, any recognized form at
    planting. I have in the past used topical
    applied liquid forms of fertilizers on Citrus
    and Fruit and Nut trees at planting but never
    applied to the bottom of the hole and then
    backfilled with soil. I've seen what just a little
    bit of commercial granulated fertilizer can do
    to a root system placed at or near the roots
    at planting. Lift the tree out of the ground a
    couple of weeks later and take a look at the
    root damage. I've seen what too much
    elemental Sulfur can do to a potted,
    containerized, Camellia and that is pretty
    much choke off the roots from being able
    to breathe oxygen when used as a top dress.
    [We go in with the right idea to lower the soil
    pH but there is no one to tell us how much
    is too much or how little is too little.] We
    have to play it by ear and we have to learn
    the hard way which is acceptable for a specific
    plant for us where we are and from a plant loss
    or two learn what is not to our benefit. Some
    people that have been around plants for a long
    while like Ron has side with caution for good
    reason.

    Ron posted a link to the Whitcomb books.
    The 'Plant Production in Containers' book
    is well worth having and is still one of the
    better books ever published for container
    growing. A used book can be found from
    an online source right now for a lot less
    than what we paid for our hardback copy
    years ago. What are you waiting for?

    I cannot speak for the Tree-tone as I have
    never used it. In theory it may be a good
    product to use on ornamental plants as a
    topically applied (applied on the surface)
    side dress. I cannot vouch for it otherwise
    until we have better and broader spectrum
    information as to how well it works on Maples.

    Jim
     

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