What make you think they are hungry?

Dave

I just want to fertilize them this spring.

From most 'senior' conifer collectors I have spoken to, most conifers don't need or want too much additional fertilizer. I imagine that unless you're planting in a very poor patch of soil, or they really look like they need it, I assume your yews are probably OK.

I have hundreds of conifers planted in the ground and the only fertilizer that I've given them is a very small scoop of osmocote when I planted them. I don't plan on fertilizing down the road.

Agreed. But if you do go ahead anyway, just provide some nitrogen. Formulation, slow vs. fast release, other nutrients, etc. just don't matter much. If all you had was a quick release liquid fertilizer, that could work. If all you had was some high quality, slow release lawn fertilizer, that could work. Lacking a detailed soil analysis, which wouldn't show you nitrogen levels anyway, it's all just guess work. Nitrogen is pretty much always in short supply, if compared to the total amount the plant COULD use, that is. In other words, it is probably not needed, but its' addition would still yield a growth response.

If you go easy with whatever material you select, there is little chance of harm.

+oM

Great answer Tom. We are lacking way too much information to give the blanket advice of "never fertilize".
A watchful gardener will know by the look of a plant if fertilizer may be needed.
With such intense planting as you have Sparky, never say never!

Barbara

If you have healthy conifer/deciduous plants that are quite happy and growing naturally give me a few reasons why adding fertilizer will make things better. In my opinion,if left alone, you will have a naturally balanced plant that is not trying to be something its not because somebody thought gee...I don't have a reason other then if it looks this good I'll just give it and extra shot of this fertilizer and it will be even better.

Such nonsense and a waste of time and money.

If you are a farmer and growing crops then this is an excepted practice...for more yield but in the real world of landscape plants trying to force growth and deeper colors for that special look usually leads to disaster because the novice will usually over applicant...the old saying more is better.

If you are experiencing under active growth along with poor performance from your plants I would get a soil test before I would start applying any amendments or fertilizer to an unknown situation.

Dave

I didn't say never! :)

I just think they rarely need supplemental fertilizer like so many other plants prefer.

If my conifers look 'anemic', or more accurately chloritic, I'll use slow-acting fertilizer as necessary.

I'm new to conifers but what I've read is that they rarely need fertilizer and that fertilizing can actually be harmful. Here are a couple links for info on care for Yews http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/hortcult/treeshru/probyew.htm
http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/taxusmealybug.html

If your Yews are looking sick, I think it is less likely they need fertilizer than that they may be suffering from soil that is too wet. Make sure there is good drainage. Yews are relatively pest-free, but there are a few pests which could be problematic; mealy bugs are a pest of the yew. I prefer natural pest remedies over chemicals and have found that Green Lacewings are beneficial to attract (or add) to your gardens. Another beneficial insect which will feed on mealybugs is the Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (mealybug destroyers), but they do not survive cold winters and would need to be replaced each year unless you live in a warm climate.

I'm new at posting here, so I hope I am not violating any rules by providing a couple links to sites specializing in natural pest control:
http://www.naturescontrol.com/mealybug.html
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=5030
You could also simply give the Yews a good hosing with your garden hose.

Tom and Barbara hit it on the head.

Nitrogen is almost alway the lacking nutrient. It just happens to be the most difficult to test for. Nitrogen levels change frequently, so test for Nitrogen would just give you a snapshot in time and could be very different a month down the road.

Most papers on fertilizing trees state that landscape trees don't receive the same amount of N as trees in the forest (due to lack of natural N from decomposing ground litter). The consensus of the studies state N will provide a healthy tree and faster growth rate - if done in a responsible way. That being said, if a person is content with a slower growth rate than the potential of the tree, in many cases N is not necessary.

A slow release N will provide benefits over a longer period of time and help prevent excessive N runoff into waterways/groundwater during storm events.

John

What did all these trees do before man intervened with fertilizer. Who needs a faster growing tree?

Fertilizer...a pipe dream. All nursery's push this product by making the customer to think the tree expects it and won't do well without it. Bottom line...big profit margin in these products.

I once purchased a Braken's Brown Magnolia tree. The nursery would not sell it to me unless I purchased a $10.99 tub of MYKE. A annual and perennial Transplanter 0.2-0.1-0.1. A must said the nurseryman because it contains mycorrhizae. enhances rooting, establishment and flowering...oh man I forget to tell you it was an all natural formula.

I purchased both the tree and the MYKE. I went home and planted the tree correctly and tossed the MYKE aside with no intention of using it. 2 weeks later I took the MYKE back for a refund...yes the tree is growing beautifully and does its thing with magnificent flowers. A perfect specimen that needs nothing.

Next to extended new car warranties this fertilizer nursery add on has to be has to come in 2nd in regard to exploiting the general public into buying something they don't need.

Dave

Dave

I do not wish to have this become an argument because in truth, I agree with many of the points you are making. But to answer your initial question-what did trees do before the advent of fertilizers, they lived in forests where nutrient cycling occurred on a continuous basis. Nowadays, many landscape plants are deprived of this because of many people feeling they need to rake up and dispose of any organic "waste" that would happen to fall in their yards.

Yes, the pushing of fertilizers by garden centers is primarily motivated by profit. But that doesn't mean that there is never any call for additional nutrients. What I do find reprehensible is when the nursery or garden center guys state that a certain plant "needs" a certain specialty fertilizer. That is nearly always bunk info.

Yews do not have any exceptional need for say, high nitrogen levels in the soil, so again, in agreement with you, it is highly doubtful that the OPs' yews really need this nutrient to be boosted. This is why I advocated for a very moderate dose, if any.

In the department I work for, we plant roughly 1000 new street trees/year. Our supervisor had us fertilizing at planting time, until the din of our voices decrying the practice persuaded him to stop doing so. BUT.......let's say, for the sake of this discussion, that a moderate dose of slow-release fert. was added at planting time. The tree would respond by producing FEWER roots, not exactly what you want with a new transplant. However, as this material was broken down such that the nutrients could be absorbed, there would be an increase in top growth of the tree. Now if we stop right here, this is not a desirable situation, as I'm sure you would agree. But.........if we move forward in time, all the additional top growth is going to send a chemical signal to the roots to expand. So, after a period of a year or two, it is my belief that there would be either no net difference between fertilized/unfertilized, or possibly, the fertilized plants may actually have produced more roots. It is a see-saw type of relationship in a sense.

Alright, if anyone is still reading this, I think I've said enough. OP. if you really want to fertilize your yews, go ahead and do so.......very lightly;^)

+oM

+0M I am not auguring with you or anybody...just expressing my own opinion which is only based on my own hands on approach with what works and discarding that which does not.

I have worked at our local nursery off & on for several years. We were always told to push amendments/fertilizers with the sale of a plant. My only concern is for people not to be taken in with purchasing these expensive products that practically do nothing when thrown in the planting hole. Is anyone aware that the roots within a year or less have already left the planting hole feeding off the natural untouched soil that the plant will live in till it dies.

With that said...

So much for fert as Ken calls it.

I rake leaves and bag my grass...so far I see nothing in the over all seasional growth of my plants that says they are in need of anything. I didn't just start doing this last week...well...maybe two weeks ago...actually my plants talk to me...their biggest concern is don't kill me with to much love.

Dave