I have about 60 pecan tree to fertilize they range from 6" to 40" in diameter. All the trees have grass around them and I was wanting to know the proper way to fertilize them? I thought about broad casting but won’t that feed the grass more then the tree, I have enough grass to cut and don’t want the grass growing faster? Someone told me to dig a 6" wide trench around the drip line and pour the fertilizer in the shallow trench, I have a subsoiler for my tractor where I could dig the trench. If this trench method is good to use how far off the trunk is best to dig the circle trench around the tree, is it the drip line?
I plan on 1 pound fertilizer per 1" trunk diameter now and then again in July.
If you have a sprayer for your tractor after they leaf out spray the leaves with a zinc spray. It really helps them produce.
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I don’t have a sprayer I’m just going to put fertilizer down this year to check out the quality of the pecans come November I’m not sure what type of trees I have someone told me I have a lot of seedlings. Out of the 60 trees only 12 had good nuts come out of the shell cleanly all the other ones I had to pick out the pecans, not sure if that’s the lack of fertilizing and spraying or just the quality of the tree.
Posts from Dr. Bill Reid, regarding fertilizing trees, at his Northern Pecan blogspot: Northern Pecans: Search results for fertilizer
Also, check you state land-grant college’s school of agriculture Cooperative Extension website… I’m sure they also make general fertilization recommendations.
Yes, you just broadcast… the pecans’ feeder roots are everywhere in the top few inches of soil, from the trunk, out to, and beyond the extent of the trees’ canopies; they’re not just out at the ‘drip-line’.
Will the grass grow more? Yeah, but at least under the canopy’s shade, the tree will outcompete for the majority of fertilizer.
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