A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Fertilizing in Winter, good idea?

I decided to try an experiment. I am fertilizing all my trees and shrubs with an all purpose Miracle Gro during the Winter.

I would think that fertilizing in Winter would mean all the energy would go to the buds and branches, which for my trees especially I just purchased who weren't pruned right and have long, lanky branches need. I am hoping being they were pruned earlier that all the remaining branches will "bulk up" now and the new buds will be nice and large come spring time, being the fertilizer is not going towards growing leaves to take away from the branches getting nutrition.

I am not sure if this will work, but it seems my trees branches have grown thicker over the past month! I tied a loose knot of string in Fall and now the string is almost on very tight, im assuming the branches have gotten thicker.

I hope it works for you, Keith. The thing about not fertilizing in late fall through winter is to avoid newer, weaker growth that can succumb to freezes and the possibility of disease through those destroyed parts.
I have been known to fertilize all year long when I think about it. But I live in a different kind of climate. By the time my fall leaves have finished things are budding up with new growth and blooms here.

The buds on my trees did get rather large, but then again they do grow through winter and bust open in spring. Do you think being it's around 20-30 F the buds will open if I fertilize or will they remain shut? I obviously do not want them to open, but with it being so cold, I dont see why they would open anyway.

I am just not sure, Keith. And what may work out alright this year may be a disaster next year depending on the weather patterns. Even here in southern California things can get tricky.

Never fertilize at this time of the year, in this hemisphere! Not even Houseplants....

Yeah .....i think you risk a warm day or two follwed by a quick cold snap .....definitely a risky adventure....