LD

Denver is just different than my area. What did your soil test show and are there any changes mid way vs at the end of your fertilizer cycle? If you know that it will tell us when you need to fertilize more.

Nice part of the country btw. Next time you are at Red Rock shake a fist at them folks sprinting up and down all them steps for me! Talk about cardio training.

You know, the free soil test you do once a year through your local cooperative extension office listed in the white pages by county?

I doubt the tree needs feeding ever.

IMHO ... trees NEVER need food..

only when a soil test indicates something lacking in the soil.. would a soil amendment be needed.. and that is NOT fert ..

and if you are paying to feed your trees [which dont need it].. i bet you also pay for lawn fert.. and if you fert the lawn.. there is no reason to then go fert the tree .. the tree will steal it from the lawn.. if it survives EAB ... of which mine died of...

is there EAB in CO???

in summation.. IMHO.. you are getting ripped off ...

ken

Our trees don't receive any nutrients via a lawn either because we don't have any sod; our landscaping is 100% xeriscape.

If EAB refers to borers, yes we have borers here, and plenty of other harmful insects.

I would love to move back to a place that has normal soil someday. This climate and environment is extremely harsh on plants and trees.

Yes, Red Rocks is a great place for cardio exercise. Also extremely beautiful.

LD

i dont know what to tell you..

but i would die to see a pic of your garden ... it sounds so alien.. any chance??

ken

Laurie, I was thinking on my way to work about my big white ash and what a paint it would be if I had to add a billion pounds of xyz to the soil to keep it alive.

Besides the cottonwoods I did not notice many big trees in Denver. A bunch of mediums perhaps though.

Regardless, to get the most bang for your buck add more fertilizer when the other stuff runs out and a soil test or someone with a decade experience living RIGHT there will tell you that.

Aren't you glad I stopped by?

;^)
+oM

Aren't you glad I stopped by?

;^)
+oM

Ken, here is a link to a photo that includes the autumn purple ash tree in question

I think it's scrawny since there are very few nutrients in the clay. That's why I was asking about ways to help it thrive.

Per your request, here are a few more pics of our xeriscaping:

Stone bench and different colored mulches, stone and brise ("crusher fine") path:

We also have a dry stream bed, a bridge and many more trees and shrubs.

LD

Two applications of fertilizer a year sound about right to me.

One early in the season and a follow-up after the peak of growth but before the time period when it would promote late, tender growth. Here in Detroit, that translates to April and mid June to right about now at the latest. Denver is very similar overall, just a slightly longer frost-free period perhaps, so timeline is similar.

i often say.. to peeps.. well. quit whining.. you still have a lot of useless grass left.. i think you took care of that.. lol ...

you said: I think it's scrawny

==>>> why do you say that?? .. it looks fine to me [for what that is worth] .. is there any chance.. that it is so foreign to you.. that it is simply doing what it is supposed to be doing.. and you are comparing it to other things ...

its been a long time since i got rid of mine ... and i can not bring them to mind... but one thing i am sure.. they 'looked' scrawnier than same sized oaks ...

so.. perhaps its your observation.. rather than the tree itself???

take care.. gorgeous yard..

ken

I'm going to conclude that "scrawniness" is a matter of opinion, as the ash looks fine to me :-) And without a soil test to confirm, it is erroneous to assume clay soils, just by definition, are lacking nutrients - clay soils are often very fertile, as nutrients tend to bind to the clay particles.

It is true that trees established in the landscape seldom need additional fertilization but that is certainly not an absolute. Depending on soil structure and composition and other growing conditions, available nutrients may become depleted or used up and need to be replaced. But it is not necessarily appropriate to place fertilizing (I too dislike the terminology "feeding" plants!) under any sort of routine program - you should fertilize only when you need to (determined by soil test) or when your plants indicate a need.

Many non native trees do need help here, but you don't know specifically what to add without a soil test. Unfortunately, they are not free here, but the cost is nominal, maybe $25-30 depending on what you're testing for.

I would take soil samples from areas where you haven't fertilized. I just don't see wasting money on additives until you know what's missing from your soil, or what nutrients you already have enough of. I would also be extremely careful with fertilizing right now as we are in severe drought status. If you feel like you need to fertilize before you have soil test results, maybe do half strength.

Any problems you're seeing now are most likely drought related as we've had virtually no rain, horrific winds and weeks in the high 90 - 100+ degree temps. We have a 50% chance of rain this weekend, which would certainly help. We've had roughly 4.5" of precip. so far this year. Your soil ph is most likely in the 7 range, as mine is 7.9.

I have a Patmore ash, fraxinus pennsylvanica 'Patmore' planted 4-5 years ago and I've not ever fertilized it. It's doing fine. Your ash looks good to me. The native tree choices here are limited which is why we bring in non-natives. FWIW I don't have 10 years experience, just 5, but have planted and killed enough trees that maybe I'm not a newbie anymore, lol. I'm still learning and will be for life.

This is a tough place to learn the ropes, but you're doing great. I love your yard!

Barb

Unless you really have severe deficiancies that a soil test confirm.