|
At planting, use the recommended number of 21-gram, 2-year fertilizer tablets.
I personally have never used root stimulator solution and have planted
many thousand plants in the last thirty years. Aside from the financial
benefits to nurserymen who promote them, the products might have some small,
measurable benefit when planting bare-root or balled-and-burlapped stock.
Water deeply whenever the soil of the rootball is dry one-inch down or
on the day before the leaves would have wilted. Deep watering is
easily accomplished with a root feeder. Plunge the end of the root
feeder as deep as possible, at the west edge of the excavation and turn
it on. When water bubbles up at the surface, turn it off. Now
plunge it as deep as possible at the east edge of the excavated area and
turn it on. Turn it off when the spring appears. Next watering,
plunge the end of the root feeder at the north and south edges of the hole.
Alternate at each watering.
In addition to the watering, to achieve maximal rates of growth, fertilize
as indicated below. Use a water-soluble 20-20-20 with trace elements
in the following manner:
1st
year
From
mid-March to mid-October, fertilize monthly, with five gallons of 20-20-20
in solution, evenly distributed, at a one-foot radius around the tree.
2nd
year
From
mid-March to mid-October, fertilize monthly, with ten gallons of 20-20-20
in solution, evenly distributed, at a two-foot radius around the tree.
3rd
year
From
mid-March to mid-October, fertilize monthly, with fifteen gallons of 20-20-20
in solution, evenly distributed, at a three-foot radius around the tree.
4th
year
From
mid-March to mid-October, fertilize monthly, with twenty gallons of 20-20-20
in solution, evenly distributed, at a four-foot radius around the tree.
5th
year
From
mid-March to mid-October, fertilize monthly, with twenty five gallons of
20-20-20 in solution, evenly distributed, at a five-foot radius around
the tree.
In heavy,
clay soils with poor internal drainage, stop feeding for the year
if leaf margins
begin to burn from fertilizer salt build-up.
|