Question
QUESTION: Hello We have Maple trees and Weeping willow thet have been in our ground 1.5 yr and you can sey that they are mature trees(25ft)Do you tink we need to prune them on the top so ve can have a more full brenching(foliage) or thet will happen with time?
Wath can we do to have more foliage and can we fertilaze this trees?
Thank you in advance
Mirella

ANSWER: Pruning will not help in adding foliage to the crown. I would fertilize the trees with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the trees and water in good. Do this now and again in the Fall. 10-10-10 fertilizer is a general type fertilizer and your local nursery/garden type store will have it. Make sure you DO NOT use a weed and feed type fertilizer that is used on lawns. This contains a herbicide that will kill trees.

During dry spells water the trees with 1 inch of water per week. Place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again,
Should I also use 10-10-10 fertilezer on my Crepe Myrtels and River Birch too?
What do you recommend for the evergreens (fertilizer)-- we have White Pine,American Holly, Cedar (various), Leyland Cypress, and Arborvite?
I appreciate your help and expertise,
Thank you

Answer
Yes you can use the 10-10-10 for any of the tree species but I would use only the spring application every other year unless the foliage is not healthy looking. Trees once they are established do not usually need much fertilizer but it will not hurt the trees to fertilize them.