are they in the lawn ...

and do you feed the lawn ??

if so .. they will get what they need

ken

I don't think very many people fertilize their yards these days. Sure, some do, but I would bet they are the exception. Also, the fertilizers used on lawns can, in some cases, be harmful to trees.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some Info about Fertilization from ISA Site

Here in my neck of the woods people who don't fertilize are definately the exception.

Elizabeth- Its not usually a good idea to fertilize unless a soil test calls for it. Extra lush growth tends to draw insects and grow weak wood. Extra water, so long as the soil gets to dry out, may be the best way to go.

tj

I have a river birch I planted this year about 12ft tall. We got a postcard in the mail from some outfit who drove by and said it needed iron for its yellow leaves. They offered to sell us fertilizer spikes. Is this a legitimate suggestion?

If you don't fertilize out here, your lawn won't look so hot.

My birch doesn't have leaves on the center branch yet, but does down low ... is that normal?

Sighing heavily...............;^)

Sunnytop

The short answer is no. The long answer, the one I and others have provided here so often before, is that A: Spikes are a dumb fertilizer delivery system, concentrating lots of nutrients in one or several little tiny areas of the trees' rootzone, costing more than much more efficient, and easier delivery methods. B: Iron chlorosis, which may well be affecting your river birch will very often occur where the soil may contain adequate iron. The problem will be a too high soil pH, or degree of acidity or alkalinity. Correcting this problem is more often the remedy on acid soil-loving trees like RB, than simply fertilizing or adding more iron.

Actually, I'm going to leave it there for now. I'd say skip the spikes and hit us back if you want further discussion about soil pH and its' effect on nutrient availability.

+oM

Wisconsitom,

Thank-you for your information which makes sense. I had wondered about that very possibility. Thank-you for confirming it. However, your sarcasm was totally uncalled for. I don't care if you and so many folks b4 have lamented on the use of fertilizer spikes. I don't visit this particular forum very much. If you are tired of giving out advice, then don't answer these forums unless you can maintain patience with newbies and respond in a congenial manner.

Sunnytop, while I agree that getting an answer in a long-suffering tone can be hard, this is a question that comes up at least once a week, if not almost daily. At the top of the Trees Forum page, it says that it would be a good idea to do a search before posting, since the answer to your question might be found in the FAQ. Since I haven't searched the FAQ, I don't know, but I rather expect fertilizer questions are answered there.

I agree that patience with newbies is called for, but I admit that I sometimes wish newbies would also do some research before posting. Answering, again, the question you answered the day before, the day before, the day before, does get very old.

Please don't take it personally. The only way to learn is to ask, but sometimes, asking can be answered by reading as well as by direct questions.

I did a search on iron spikes and got one result. I never did see anything about the subject on the thread, maybe I just couldn't see it. I read FAQ and did not find the subject addressed. I did a search just now on fertilizer spikes and got 11 results with 5 being this year last one being in April. I don't think this is coming up at least once a week nor daily. I think wisconsitom was rude. I admit that I should have done a search on fertilizer spikes rather than iron spikes but I don't think I deserve to be chastised for not doing my homework.

Sunnytop

Sorry for coming off as rude. I put these things ;^) in my posts sometimes to try and signal that the exasperation I'm feeling is in a good-natured way. Maybe you didn't see it or maybe that just doesn't work.

Anyway, I'm taking a bit of a gamble here as actual soil tests, etc. are the only way to confirm this, but because of where you are-Nebraska right?-and because of the fact that R. birch has a pronounced preference for acidic soil, the chlorosis (Yellowing) of the foliage on your tree does seem likely to me to be caused by a too-high soil pH. The remedy that I like for this problem, and it's not the only one, is to apply soil sulfur to the root zone of the tree. It can be simply sprinkled over the surface. If you have a mulch ring around the tree, this material can be mixed in slightly with the mulch. But the roots probably extend far beyond that, so to be effective, you'd want to go at least out to the dripline of the tree. At this point, I always mention that changes we make to soil pH tend to be temporary. Soil has what's known as buffering capacity. In short, the pH will, over time, revert back more or less to what it always was. But for someone with just one, or a few trees to treat, it's no big deal to reapply the material every few years.

Hope this helps...........+oM

Thank-you so much. I apologize for calling you rude. I tried watering in with muracid today but I'm sure that is like adding a drop of acid into a large bucket, LOL. I will look for soil sulpher. Yes, Nebraska, and we have very alkaline, clay soil. Iron deficiency is a common problem around here with a lot of trees. Thanks.

S'no problem ;^)