Arborvitae Fertilizer Will Give Your Shrubs the Best Chance at Lush New Growth Year After Year

Arborvitae shrubs (Thuja spp.) make a wonderful addition to just about any landscape, but it is important to know how to properly care for arborvitae. Fertilizer applications are particularly important to ensure the shrubs are healthy, green, and able to handle any stress. Arborvitae are frequently planted close together as hedges so nutrients are often in short supply.

It is not unusual for there to be some slow growth immediately after planting arborvitae. Fertilizer can help new shrubs to become established and also help older shrubs to be revitalized. If you notice that your arborvitae shrubs are looking a little worse for wear, or you are growing arborvitae in a location with sandy or heavy clay soil, then fertilizer for arborvitae is recommended. Keep reading to learn more about the best fertilizer for arborvitae, when to apply it, and how to apply it.

When to Use Arborvitae Fertilizer

Arborvitae fertilizer should be used if your arborvitae shrubs’ new growth is slow, if the needles are brown or not a healthy green, if the shrub has suffered insect or disease damage, or if you are planting the shrub in less-than-ideal soil. Sandy and heavy clay soils may need some amendment, as well, to ensure the health of your plants.

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The ideal time to fertilize arborvitae trees is in spring before and during their new growth period. When the summer gets hot, growth begins to slow and you should back off the fertilizer. A good rule is to stop fertilizing arborvitae around the summer solstice (between June 20 and June 22, depending on the year). A slow-release fertilizer can be used later in the year if you make sure to follow the instructions on the fertilizer bag.

Before you buy an arborvitae fertilizer, it is a good idea to test the soil around your plant with a simple soil test kit to determine what nutrients may be lacking. You don’t have to get too complicated, even a little Rapitest soil test kit from Amazon will give you the information you need to make a more informed decision.

If you want a little more detail and tailored recommendations, a MySoil test kit, also from Amazon, will give you lab-quality results and advice on next steps. Evergreens need slightly acidic soil to be healthy and take up nutrients efficiently, so you should also pay attention to the pH results of your soil test.

Best Fertilizer for Arborvitae

Again, using a soil test kit will allow you to zero in on any nutrient deficiencies your arborvitae may have, but a general evergreen fertilizer will suit most situations. Nitrogen is important for lush foliage and potassium will help the shrub become more resistant to environmental stresses. Phosphorus is also important but phosphorous deficiency is rare, so an NPK fertilizer mix with more nitrogen and potassium is usually enough.

Espoma Evergreen-tone fertilizer, available from Home Depot, is a great, gentle, organic fertilizer for arborvitae and other evergreen trees and shrubs. Vigoro Tree, Shrub, and Evergreen food is another great option that is also available from the Home Depot.

How to Use Arborvitae Fertilizer

Once you have purchased your desired fertilizer, be sure to follow the instructions on the bag. In general, though, you will want to water the soil around your arborvitae and sprinkle the recommended amount of fertilizer around the base of the plant in an even coat. Keep fertilizer granules away from the plant’s trunk area.

If there is mulch, pull back the mulch and then apply the fertilizer before recovering the area with mulch. Water the area thoroughly after application so the fertilizer will begin to permeate the soil and get to work!

If you are planting a new arborvitae, fertilize the soil you will backfill into the hole, or apply fertilizer in the bottom of the hole before planting. Again, be sure to water thoroughly.

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