Conifers are still particularly popular hedge plants in gardens. Actually, this tree has never disappeared from our gardens. It is not surprising that conifers are so popular hedge plants: the trees are particularly robust and therefore have a long life. Moreover, you can always find a conifer that also fits well with your garden style. A Taxus hedge has a completely different appearance than a dainty hedge of common spruces, and a Thuja hedge has completely different characteristics than a hedge of cypresses. If you have chosen a conifer hedge, then of course you want to make sure that this hedge will look pretty for as long as possible. Timely pruning and maintenance of your conifers can definitely help with this. Fertilizing conifers is also important then. We are happy to give you a few useful tips here.
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Why should conifers be fertilized?
Fertilizing a hedge is really nothing more than enriching the garden soil with important nutrients and minerals. These nutrients are then absorbed by your hedge, giving its growth and overall well-being an extra boost. But conifers should also be properly fertilized from time to time. This way, you will avoid your beautiful conifer hedge from getting brown, dried out spots. This will also prevent your hedge from not recovering as well after pruning.
When is the best time to fertilize my conifer hedge?
In general, it is recommended to fertilize almost all hedge plants once a year in the spring. But some hedge plants should be fertilized one more time per year. Especially conifers can suffer from magnesium deficiency relatively quickly. Therefore, it is best to fertilize a conifer hedge twice a year. The first fertilization should take place at the end of April and then you should repeat this again at the beginning of September. In this way, your conifers will be well prepared for the winter. It is not recommended to fertilize your conifers as late as October or later, because this can cause frost damage to them. Here you can read even more about the care of conifers.
What should I fertilize my conifers with?
When fertilizing your conifer hedge, you have a choice between an organic fertilizer and artificial fertilizer. Some garden owners use both types of fertilizer, but never at the same time. Indeed, both fertilizer variants have their advantages and disadvantages. In any case, it is wrong to think that artificial fertilizers are not good for plants. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to use only artificial fertilizers. In fact, organic fertilizer is much better for the environment. Besides, you can also buy a fertilizer specially designed for hedges. After all, hedge plants are often quite close to each other and then absorb a particularly large amount of nutrients and minerals from the garden soil. However, the composition of a hedge fertilizer is well prepared for this, and this fertilizer is therefore also a very different fertilizer than normal, organic fertilizer or artificial fertilizer. Of course, you can also opt for a special fertilizer specifically for conifers. This actually contains everything your taxus hedge or conifer hedge needs. How convenient!
What is the best way to do this?
Fertilizing a conifer hedge is actually quite simple. First, however, always read carefully what is written on the packaging regarding the dosage of your conifer hedge or single plant. Then, distribute the fertilizer evenly along the entire length of your hedge. Do you use fertilizer in the form of fertilizer grains? Then sprinkle these grains into the hedge as well. After you have distributed this fertilizer well, you can start raking it around the garden soil. In this way, the fertilizer will be well distributed in the soil and thus you will help the absorption of the fertilizer by your soil. Conifer hedges you can also get from us as practical ready-made hedges.
Other tips for fertilizing conifers
Think carefully about what your conifers need and what the soil in your garden needs. Conifers can sometimes turn brown if it is magnesium deficiency in the soil. However, if you use a special fertilizer for conifers, then you can avoid this: this fertilizer also contains a sufficient amount of magnesium. Independently of a basic fertilizer, you can of course still give your hedge some magnesium separately. Magnesium is available in garden centers or even in online web stores. Sometimes it is even recommended to think about winter protection for hedge plants.
Do your conifers grow in a sandy soil? Then it is recommended in order not to fertilize the whole hedge at once. It is better then to give your hedge small amounts of fertilizer every now and then. This should be done in the period between April and September. In this way you can avoid that the nutrients and minerals are washed away by the rain, especially in somewhat lighter sandy soils. If you apply these tips and fertilize your conifer hedge in the right way, then you can continue to enjoy these wonderful trees for a lifetime! If you want to learn more, read more about fertilizing and watering your hedge here.
