Question
QUESTION: I planted a Red Oak Tree in my front yard 4 years ago. Every year up until this year the tree was full of leaves. This year, the leaves came late and the tree is not full of leaves. The leaves look like they are still coming in but very slowly. The tree shows leaves like early spring. Also my tree is the last to start blooming leaves and the leaves are the first to drop. Is there something wrong with my tree or what can I do to have full leaves?
ANSWER: Sounds like a root problem--could be compaction of the soil, grade change )added fill dirt), use of a lawn fertilizer with a herbicide (Weed and Feed) or a disease. Just not enough information for me to make a definite diagnoses. I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. This will increase the overall health of the roots and the tree will leaf out more fully. Do this now and again in the early spring.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Jim,
I wanted to wait a couple of months before I responded to see if there was any improvement to my tree. I did take your advise an used a 13-13-13 fertilizer on my yard and around the tree. The tree produced more leaves but it did not come out fully. I looked at the type of fertilizer I was using for the last two years and it was Scott's Southern Turf Builder 32-0-10. I don't know much about the numbers but after using the 13-13-13 fertilizer, the tree did produce more leaves. I will continue to use this type of fertilizer and monitor any improvement. Do you recommend a winterizer for the tree to help it bloom for next year? Also a had some small ant pile next to the tree. Someone told me that the ants could have gotten into the tree and was eating the tree from the inside. I got rid of the ants and started using the 13-13-13 fertilizer about the same time. Maybe destroying the ant pile and using a different fertilizer contributed to the increase in leaves on the tree. Thanks for your advise and I will let you know how the tree bloom next year.
Answer
All fertilizers are labeled with three numbers, giving the percentage (by weight) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O). A 100 pound bag of fertilizer labeled 10-10-10 has 10 pounds of nitrogen, 10 pounds of phosphorus, 10 pounds of potassium, and 70 pounds of filler. Filler is added to make the fertilizer easier to spread and to reduce the likelihood of burning plants with too much fertilizer. A fertilizer may contain secondary nutrients or micronutrients not listed on the label.
Nitrogen is a primary component of proteins and is a part of every living cell. This nutrient is usually more responsible for increasing plant growth than any other nutrient. Shortages can cause slow growth, reduced leaf size, yellowing, short branches, premature fall color and leaf drop, and increases the likelihood of some diseases. An over abundance can cause excessive shoot and foliage growth, reduced root growth, low plant food reserves, and increased susceptibility to environmental stresses and some plant diseases.
Phosphorus (P) plays a role in photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer, cell division, and cell enlargement. It promotes early root formation and growth, and the production of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Many of our urban soils are low in phosphorus. Cultivated farm land often has a high phosphorus level from years of fertilization. In these cases, the addition of more phosphorus is not going to increase yields and can potentially harm the environment.
Potassium in involved in many plant growth processes; it is vital to photosynthesis and helps regulate water in plants. Potassium fertilization helps plants overcome drought stress, increases disease resistance, and improves winter hardiness. Potassium can be leached through the soil by water, but not as quickly as nitrogen.
There is not a real reason to winterize trees. Usually the result of fertilizer will show up the next year in trees. I would plan to fertilize the tree again after the leaves fall and again next Spring. You should see an improvement in the amount of the leaves.
