Author Topic: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?  (Read 947 times)

Fiddler

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Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« on: January 17, 2022, 06:00:45 AM »
A retired arborist friend of mine stopped by, and when I complained about some of my oldest fruit trees looking poorly, he recommended "root feeding" with sort of a giant hypodermic needle that forces fertilizer and water deep underground. He said he used this technique up north and it quickly rejuvenates fading old trees. We rode around town to various stores and nurseries, looking for a root feeder, but to no avail. Before I go to the trouble of ordering one online, I thought I'd seek opinions here.

SaltwaterTx

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2022, 08:27:39 AM »
Could you just cut a diagonal and hammer say 1” pvc down a few feet and feed through the pipe? You might have to pull out and clean a few times with water hose...
I’ve seen people deep root feed big live oak trees here with fertilizer spikes a few feet deep, seems to help the older trees

EddieF

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2022, 05:55:43 PM »
Fiddler, i'd try drenching if you have sandy FL soil.
Don't know size of tree but a garbage can full of mixed liquid fert & micros of choice i'd expect to work.
Never tried it but sounds much quicker & easier.  Dress soil with regular fert afterwards.

spaugh

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2022, 07:57:34 PM »
Sounds like a bad idea but Im not an arborist  ???

Maybe try some good old fasioned compost or manures?
Brad Spaugh

K-Rimes

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2022, 08:33:47 PM »
It sounds to me like disturbing or cutting a few roots and soil feeding would be doing the same thing? It just seems weird that a single pierced root would "turn on" the tree like you're describing. Eventually whatever you put on top will leach down to the roots.

Galatians522

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2022, 09:39:51 PM »
It is actually the tiny feeder roots that absorb nutrients. Often, the majority of feeder roots are concentrated in the top few inches of soil because that is where the nutrients are. The tap roots are mainly looking for water and anchoring the tree. I think the idea behind a fertilizer spike is that it places the fertilizer in a constantly moist environment that facilitates constant uptake by the tree. If you spread granular fertilizer on dry ground it won't release any nutrients to the tree until it gets wet from rain or dew. When it dries out, it will quit releasing nutrients until it gets wet again.

elouicious

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2022, 03:20:22 PM »
Could you just cut a diagonal and hammer say 1” pvc down a few feet and feed through the pipe? You might have to pull out and clean a few times with water hose...
I’ve seen people deep root feed big live oak trees here with fertilizer spikes a few feet deep, seems to help the older trees

Just because I am seeing a lot of comments to the contrary, I see this all around the place on professionally (read arborist) managed lots-

Maybe it is only for delivery of micronutrients or something though? I agree it seems like Nitrogen delivered that close to the taproot would be detrimental-

I was told it is because the plants on the surface (grass and weeds) will eat up a lot of any fertilizer applied

achetadomestica

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2022, 06:24:50 PM »
What kind of old fruit trees are you referring to?

Fiddler

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2022, 07:00:04 PM »
What kind of old fruit trees are you referring to?
I'm assuming you mean me, the original poster. That would be lychees, macadamias, loquats, mulberry, jujube, mangoes, starfruit, etc.
    The macadamias look the worst.

palmcity

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2022, 07:08:27 PM »
Agree with most, bad idea for most tropical plants in Florida locations.

I just read a comment about arborists and yes I could see it on high ground with a low water table maybe 30 ft down etc. (mine is high water table 6ft and you hit water thus almost no root growth in that area). So are you talking about oak trees on the high ridge in the middle of the state near lake wales etc. and I bet the roots are deep there and you could do this to your oak trees... lol...  If desired...

If your in Florida, you probably have sandy soil and sandy soil is known to readily drain water/minerals/etc. through it. I guess it's possible your on rock/limestone and it would hold more minerals. Very unlikely to be on heavy clay soil. You need to tell us those water percolation answers for your location.

Sandy soil has  no problems passing water/fertilizer through it. The problem is usually the opposite::: too quick of passage of water and nutrients through the root zone and then the plant may need another dose. As long as you water or it rains when you fertilize, it should pass through all the layers of the root zone eventually and what's left over eventually passes below the root zone & that part is not utilized by the plant... Do not skip the upper thin layer root zone near the surface IMO.

Slow release fertilize helps prevent the rapid passing of fertilizer below the plants roots during heavy summer rains etc..

I wonder what part of the country this arborist tends to plants, perhaps primarily out of state. Just my guess.

fruitnut1944

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Re: Root Feeding: Yea Or Nay?
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2022, 07:17:41 PM »
The technique sounds like a marketing gimmick. Hey guess what I can do for you that you can't do yourself.

Putting all the fertilizer in a small area is similar to fertilizer spikes. The experts routinely recommend against them.

On sandy soil broadcasting a slow release would be my plan.