Ensuring adequate nutrition is as important for trees as it is for people. But what kind of fertilizer should be applied and how much? The answer comes from performing a soil analysis test.
Mineral nutrients necessary to maintain plant growth and health come primarily from the soil. Soil analysis provides information on the existing levels of these minerals in your soil and whether or not they are deficient. A soil analysis test will also reveal the pH value of the soil, a measure of acidity/alkalinity. This is important because pH provides insight into whether minerals in the soil will be available for root absorption. Soil analysis also measures the organic matter content, which is a key consideration for healthy biological soils.
Winter is a good time to perform soil analysis to determine needs for fertilization, pH adjustments and organic amendments. Analysis now will provide the necessary information for developing programs that can be applied in spring to promote optimum health.
View more tips