tree root fertilization

The Benefits of Deep Root Fertilization for Your Louisville Trees

The trees on your Louisville property should not be an afterthought. Unfortunately, that’s how many homeowners treat them. They don’t think about providing care for their trees until something is wrong. 

But there are important steps that you can take to protect the overall health of your tree and preserve their longevity and value for many years to come.

One of the best things that you can do for your trees is to provide deep root fertilization services to support strong and healthy growth. The benefits of deep root feeding are plentiful for your trees. In order to improve tree growth in Louisville, this is a vital service that you’ll want to use.

In this article, we’ll explain more about what this service is all about and why it’s not one to skip.

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Why fertilize trees in Louisville?

While a lot of people assume that trees are self-sustaining, the truth is, trees in a residential landscape aren’t receiving the nutrients they need to perform their best. 

In the forest, there is a natural cycle of nutrient replenishment that occurs as fallen leaves and other organic matter is left on the ground to decompose. 

But in the residential landscape, yard debris (including fallen leaves) are often promptly cleaned up…and for good reason. Fallen leaves left atop of grass can lead to problems with your turf like mold and pest infestations. It can even block access to sunlight and water, and kill your lawn.

For these reasons, trees in the residential landscape can benefit greatly from deep root tree care in Louisville. Deep root fertilization involves feeding your trees nutrients directly through their root system.

technician fertilizing tree roots

Why is tree health so important?

If you have trees on your property that are lacking vital nutrients, they might be struggling with their overall health.

How can you tell? 

There are a couple of ways to distinguish a healthy tree from an unhealthy one.

  • A healthy tree generally has vibrant leaves, intact bark, strong roots, and healthy branches. It maintains the majority of its leaves during the proper seasons and lacks noticeable signs of pest or disease trouble.
  • Conversely, an unhealthy tree might have hanging, broken, or fallen limbs; various leaf problems; and/or issues with the bark and roots. An unhealthy tree might also have signs of an insect infestation with noticeable pests crawling on it. This can actually lead to problems that can pose serious risks, like a tree limb falling or even the stability of the tree itself being compromised.

At the end of the day, a well-fertilized tree is a healthier tree. When fertilizer is making it down to the root zone, you’ll ultimately grow stronger and healthier roots. Healthy roots mean a healthy tree. 

large tree with lots of branches and leaves

Understanding deep root fertilization benefits

In general, when your trees are getting the nutrients they need, they’re going to be healthier. That can lead to a number of benefits.

Three of the important benefits that you can anticipate from healthier trees include:

  • Aesthetics: A healthy tree is also a beautiful tree. That means instead of having stunted leaf growth or yellowing your trees’ leaves should be green and healthy. You might also notice that blooms are more vibrant or profuse and that your tree blooms for longer periods. This can have a direct impact on your home’s curb appeal and overall value.
  • Avoiding liability: When a tree is unhealthy, it is also a risk. You do not want to have to worry about limbs falling due to a tree’s struggling health. But when a tree is healthy, it can better stand up to problems, including weather incidents like high winds. A healthy tree can resist other issues as well. Whereas pests and diseases could easily ravage a tree that is already struggling, a healthy tree will fare better in an attack. It will also be able to better recover from injuries more easily.
  • Improved longevity (aka: Protecting your investment): When you choose to invest in deep root fertilization, you are also improving the overall longevity of your tree’s life. A healthy and thriving tree is going to live longer. Given the value of your trees, that’s an incredibly important benefit. Replacing trees can be an unwanted hassle, headache, and expense! For that reason, you might look at tree fertilization as a protection of your investment.

Plant health care technician fertilizing tree

Fertilization techniques for trees

If you decide you want to fertilize your trees, you might be wondering why you can’t just use store-bought products. But the truth is, store-bought tree fertilizer is probably not going to be as high-quality as what a commercial provider is using. 

There is no question that the quality of the fertilization product that you’re using is going to impact your results.

In addition, the fertilization technique also matters. You want to make sure that you are fertilizing your trees in a highly effective way.

One of the biggest problems is that the tree spikes, like those sold in stores, simply aren’t getting the fertilizer deep enough into the soil. These products only go a couple of inches into the ground at most. Similarly, fertilizer products that you’re simply dumping out at the soil level probably aren’t making their way deep into the ground like you need them to.

As a professional service, deep root fertilization involves injecting a blend of important nutrients deep into the soil. These are some of the nutrients which are found naturally in forest soil. 

With deep root fertilization, nutrients are injected 8 inches into the ground so that the roots are targeted. 

This is critical when it comes to delivering those nutrients where they’re needed. Fertilizing at the surface level is unlikely to reach deep down to the root zone so you might fail to get the full benefits of fertilization.

large tree with big branches

When to fertilize trees?

Knowing when to fertilize your trees will ensure that you get all of the deep root fertilization benefits you desire. 

The two times of the year that we recommend this service are the Spring and the Fall. Our services are seasonally adjusted for what your trees need at that time. There are key seasonal differences to pay attention to.

  • Spring: During the spring season, we are using more nitrogen to promote shoot growth and that beautiful green color. Spring is an important time for deep root fertilization as this boost of nutrients plays a valuable role in new growth. Fertilizing your trees in the Spring will also help set them up for success in the coming Summer months. Summer can be a stressful time for trees as they have to deal with intense heat and drought conditions.
  • Fall: In the Fall, we’re applying more phosphorus and potassium to focus on root growth and set the tree up for maximum success as we head into the dormant season. By the Fall, your trees have become very depleted of nutrients and will need this boost to head into the Winter months. Fall fertilization also helps set your trees up for success as they come out of dormancy in the Spring.

With these two seasonal applications, deep root fertilization is a proactive step that will help protect the health and long-term success of your trees.

CC - White Oak

Choosing tree care services in Louisville

In order to truly get the most out of deep root fertilization services, it’s important that you choose to work with a professional tree care service in Louisville. 

Of course, there is no shortage of options so it’s important that you do your research so that you can find the best tree care service for your needs.

Finding the best tree company for your needs is a matter of peace of mind. They’ll not only be able to provide vital services like deep root fertilization and pruning, but they’ll also be able to diagnose problems and help you maintain your trees’ value and appeal.

At Limbwalker, we’re here to help. 

We are using professional-grade tree fertilization products that will deliver the best results. We’re also focusing on the correct distribution of the material and making sure that the product is taken up by the tree’s roots and dispersed throughout the entire tree so that you can gain all of the important benefits.

In order to achieve this, we use Certified Arborists who are experts in the field of tree care. This helps ensure that you are truly getting exactly what your trees need to perform their best.

When you make the wise choice to invest in professional tree care, you can have peace of mind that you’re on the right path to success. Your Louisville trees will be performing better than ever and you can get back to enjoying your landscape to the fullest. 



If you’d like to learn more about tree services for your Louisville home, get in touch, get your quote, and get back to enjoying your yard.

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Chris O'Bryan

Chris O'Bryan

Chris grew up in Louisville, KY. He holds a Forestry degree from the The University of Kentucky and a Master's Degree in Economics from Clemson University. He is a Certified Arborist and 5-time Kentucky Tree Climbing Champion. When not at work, he has fun with his family, enjoys traveling, one-wheeling, and working in his yard.

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