Do you even need to fertilize? Have you had a soil test done that shows your garden soil is nutritionally deficient? With relatively decent soils and the application of an organic mulch, fertilization of trees and shrubs is rarely called for and certainly never on a routine basis.

Are your plants showing signs they need fertilizing? I'd be especially amazed if the trees needed it, unless your soil is truly awful. Establish the need before sloshing fertiliser over everything.

well established trees and shrubs are not children..

they do not need to be fed.. clothed... nor educated ..

save our money to buy more plants...

on a mature tree.. you would probably be fertilizing your neighbors lawn.. to get the fert the the feeder roots...

which brings up the point.. if you fert your lawn... the trees will get more than enough ...

simply look around your greater area.. trees and shrubs are like weeds.. growing EVERYWHERE with no input from humans .. no water.. no food.. no clothes ...

do a soil test.. or call you local county extension office.. and find out if anything is lacking in your local soil.. and if so .... then amend your soil.. but there is usually no need for throwing fertilizer everywhere ....

key words: spend your money on more plants ...

ken

You don't need to fertilize unless your soil is deficient in something.

I only fertilize the shrubs that I want to grow larger, or any that show nitrogen deficiency. That being said I do fertilize roses and Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) because they are both heavy feeders. I use lawn ferilizer that has a slow release compenent, just because it's cheap. If you use lawn fertilizer make sure that there are no additives such as crabgrass or week killer. Osmocote is another option that works well. Shrubs and trees are not picky so I normally pick what is reasonbly priced in the size I want.