A professional lawn care service knows the importance of proper fertilization to extend the lifespan of healthy trees. Fertilization will help ensure the correct nutrients are applied to allow a tree to reach maturity.
What is Fertilizer?
Fertilizer is any natural or chemical substance added to the soil to increase the parcel of the land’s health. Fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The exact ratio of these elements is based on what nutrients are lacking in the soil. A professional service will analyze the chemical balance of the soil surrounding the tree to find the best mix.
Why Fertilize Your Trees?
The amount of time between fertilization can vary greatly depending on the age of the tree. Young saplings actually require the least amount of attention, receiving only small applications. A newly planted or growing tree is delicate.
It stands to reason the older, and larger, a tree becomes the more nutrients the root system would need to thrive. Older trees growing in a more suburban area would not typically receive the nutrients they would were they in a forest. In a forest the leaves that fall in autumn and the decay of plants or animals provide a natural fertilizer. In lieu of the decay that occurs within nature, Organically Green Horticultural Services uses natural, safe fertilizers composed of organic products.
Why Fertilize Your Lawn with an Organic Fertilizer?
Organic fertilizer is composed of materials derived directly from plant and animal sources. Along with providing a plant’s primary nutrients, organic materials can improve the soil’s integrity by increasing its ability to hold water. Chemically processed fertilizers provide real danger to the health of your lawn by damaging the soil and plant roots with a toxic buildup of uranium, cadmium, and arsenic.
Synthetic fertilizer often leads to runoff. When excess nutrients from synthetic fertilizer are not absorbed into the soil they will pollute the nearest source of water. Pounds of nitrogen and oxygen molecules intended for the lawn will eventually find their way to rivers, lakes, or oceans. Incidental fertilizing of the nearby aquatic ecosystem will cause algae buildup, leaving “dead zones” in their wake. A “dead zone” is a body of water so heavily polluted that nothing can live. The water pollutants will also affect the aquatic wildlife, increasing the number of chemicals found in the fish we eat.
Chemically created fertilizers are becoming so damaging to the environment that many lawmakers, including those here on Long Island, are considering banning the use of synthetic fertilizers altogether. Senator Kemp Hannon of New York’s 6th district (R – Nassau County) and Assemblyman Steven Englebright (D – Setauket) have reached across the aisle, working together to submit a bill that aims to cease the chemical contamination of our ground and drinking water, “we don’t have to sacrifice the quality of our coastal waters to have a healthy lawn” Englebright states. (News12 Report on Possible Chemical Fertilizer Ban)
Regardless of the upcoming legislation, Organically Green Horticultural Services has always believed in providing environmentally friendly lawn care. Our services will keep your lawn looking great and protect your family from damaging pollutants.