2.15.2016

Giving our Yard...uh..."Fertilizer!"

  It's been so long ago that I don't remember where we learned about this job of feeding our fruit trees.  It was probably from the LSU Agriculture Department, or maybe from our County Agent, who we dragged over here one time to have a look at some stuff growing on the bark of one of our trees. (was nothing serious) Maybe we learned it from Peggy's Master Gardeners class years ago, or someplace else but, anyhow, for us, the "F" word in February stands for "fertilizer" and not what some Yankees may have to say about conditions in February.  
   So, here that month has rolled around again, and like every year, we put down 13-13-13 ("triple thirteen" they call it) in 1 lb. doses around all our fruit and nut producing trees.  Our yard is quite fertile, so trees like the Crepe Myrtles, Ligustrums and River Birches do fine, but we always give back to the fruit bearing trees 'cause we figure they work harder producing good things for us. 
     We are certain that the thirty few dollers we spend for 100 lbs. of fertilizer pays us back in fruits and tree health, not to mention the exercise of puttin' it in the ground...whew.  We put 1 lb. of fertilizer every 6 feet or so along the outer drip line of each tree. We were told that they should get one pound for each year old they are.  Some small bushes, like our newly acquired blueberry bushes only get 1 lb.  Some smaller trees get 2 or 4 lbs.   It takes 12 lbs. to go all the way around our big Japanese plum trees.  To be sure, the citrus trees all take up a good share, but still, even doing something nice for 'em, ya still gotta watch out for those sharp thorns!
    It is now, like we said, February, so much of the yard is still kind of asleep and in need of tending to and weeding, but this is the time we need to feed the trees; when they are dormant.
    Here is a very short video of the last hole, showing how we do it and how glad I was to be done with this month's major "F" chore.

No comments:

Post a Comment