My question also. Why do you think they need it? Had a soil test done?

my GGs have been in the ground 22 years.. and are around 30 feet tall..

they have NEVER been fert'd.. in yellow sand..

they are not children.. they dont need to be fed .. nor clothed.. nor educated ...

save your money to buy more plants...

ken

BTW.. besides lawn.. i cant think of much of anything that NEEDS 46-0-0 .... but if you insist.. i would not be using much ....

Mine GGs are like ken's, in fact, getting bigger than I originally wanted. So now I have to invest effort on trimming them.

Sorry for the late reply and thank you for yours.

Well mine are about 7ft or 8ft tall.  They look good, but they look like they can be fuller.  I figured if I fertilized them, they'd grow faster and fuller.  The reason I was asking about Urea is because I have many fruit trees.  The company I bought the fruit trees from sells and suggests feeding them with "their" orchard name brand 45-0-0 in the spring.  I was surprised that that's all their fertilizer had in it, so I bought Urea instead and fertilized them.

I was wondering if I can do the same with the Green Giants.

" I figured if I fertilized them, they'd grow faster and fuller. "

That's not what fertilizer does. It is only intended to supplement the soil nutrients, should any be lacking, that the trees rely on for normal growth. Excessive nitrogen - the urea - can induce rapid, lush growth. But that sort of growth is neither desirable or sustainable.

btw, 7-8 foot GG's are still babies!! They will fill in all on their own in due course.

@tye22tye How long have your GG’s been in the ground? You know the 3 year plant growth rule?

I'd be interested to know what 3 year plant growth rule applies to conifers.......:-))

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) I’m thinking of the sleep / creep / leap rule. My understanding was that rule applies to all new perennial & evergreen plantings. No? From my pictorial record keeping of my personal landscape most things I planted followed that rule. Exceptions of course for some things that missed the creep & went straight to leap! 😄

That typically only applies to perennials and perennial vines. Woody plants - trees and shrubs - do not follow the same principles. They take longer to establish after planting, generally live significantly longer and also put on growth at a rate more commensurate with their mature size and lifespan.

It's hard to imagine a 3 year old Doug fir doing much "leaping"!! 🥴

Okay gardengal ! I never thought about the giant conifers as regards that rule. No one has ever questioned me when I make the statement but I’ll be sure to pay attention to what kind of plant is being discussed. I’m likely not questioned because I use the phrase when explaining or answering a garden question from someone who knows nothing - or at least less than me - about plants! I’m one of those who sounds like I know what I’m talking about even when I might not! 😉A fine trait in my working career but maybe not so much for plant knowledge. The adage certainly applies to most things I’ve planted in my last two homes - which are of course mostly perennials! I’ve decided most growth rate & mature size info on plant tags are more suggestions than fact. I became well acquainted with the local Master Gardener dig team who dug up my really too large & @ 5 years in ground Limelight Hydrangeas & a couple of giant Hosta which I donated to their annual plant sale.

kw pnw: I hope you join us on this and other forums. i cant tell you how much ive learned here, from how to move big hostas to how to take care of trees to how to deal with irate neighbors or unruly dogs,

people much more knowlegible than I graciously(usually) teach and share informaion gleaned from experience and in several cases decades of education and in the field experience.

Looking firward to hearing more from you!

ps if youve been posting here for a year and I imisssed it i apoligize

tye22tye

i see now you are the original poster