The Grass Doctor

What's a good starter fertilizer for evergreens?

I've got 50 thuja green giant seedlings that are 15~20 inches tall and in 3" pots. The soil here has alot of clay and rock in it. I planned on digging out a "milk jug" sized hole for each seedling and filling it with some good garden soil, then planting the evergreens in the good soil. What's a good fertilizer blend to add? I have a 5 gallon bucket of urea (46-0-0) in my garage, along with a bucket of DAP (18-48-0) and potash (0-0-60). I'd rather use what I have instead of purchasing something.

Public Comments

1. I would use what you have that is if you want to kill them. A balanced fertiliser of around 7-7-7 would be about right.What are you doing with that sort of stuff anyhow bomb making?
2. For Thuja http://easybloom.com/plantlibrary/plant/western-arborvitae in clay soil, "Backfill with a mix of existing soil and 1/2 soil amendment thoroughly mixed of soil conditioner (finely ground pine bark). To give your new plant a head start, use a very mild solution of water soluble root-stimulating fertilizer which is high in phosphorous and potassium." Not sure what you're doing in your garage...but get some root-simulating fertilizer.
3. don't do that... if you do, the evergreens roots will never leave the good soil in the hole you made, but grow round and round and kill the tree.... use native soil heavily in the mix, as EDITH suggested.... and no fertilizer for the first year but for a rooting solution, again, EDITH hit on it.... if you really want the trees to prosper, don't take chances with your own homemade concoctions... get this stuff and do it right... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000BZ8HHW/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=286168&s=garden