The Real Christmas Tree Board

Christmas tree growers usually observe that transplants turn yellow during the year of planting. Mixing one tablespoon of a controlled release complete fertilizer with the soil surrounding the roots of a tree as it is planted corrects the symptoms of mineral deficiencies during the first year following planting, and provides a modest increase in growth that year. Growth in the second year was also improved. The overall economic benefit of this practice will have to be assessed based upon the time that it takes to grow the tree to harvest and the quality of the resulting trees.