Question
Dear Rick,
 I purchased and planted two 3 foot Eastern White Pine trees the end of April.  I have watered them quite well, but have noticed them getting yellowish and appear to be stressed.  I had put red cedar mulch around them to help maintain the moisture.  I had also mixed some compost in the soil.  My questions are....What is the best fertilizer for these trees?  Is this what they need?  Could the red mulch have caused this problem?  I live in Northern Maine.
Thanks,
Ted

Answer
my guess is you are watering them too frequently. water w/5 gallons once per week for the 1st month. after that water once every 2 weeks w/5 gallons of water. if you receive sufficient rainfall during a week skip that week's watering. once the temps go below 60 during the day stop watering until the next spring/summer. mature trees need watering only during hot dry spells and never more than once per week. get to a local garden center/nursery and quiz them on evergreen tree care in your area. buy some hollytone evergreen fertilizer(by Espoma brand) and sprinkle one cupfull on the ground around the tree once in early spring and again in late summer. this will help them remain green & healthy. compost is always a good soil additive. the red mulch would only hurt them if you watered too frequently.  
good luck
rick
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