Question
Hi Jim. I just bought and had planted by a nursery two trees. One is a Cleveland Pear and the other is a Pyrus Aristocrat Pink Dogwood. They're in great shape and look very healthy. Would you tell me the best schedule for watering and feeding for the first year, then just feeding after the first year. Thanks in advance, Jon

Answer
For the first couple of weeks water every third day with 1 inch of water (place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop). The rest of the growing season water once a week with 1 inch of water. Do this if it does not rain. , If you have not done so mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. Do not fertilize for the first year.

Next year fertilize with about a cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter. Fertilize in the early spring and again in late summer. Water the fertilizer in good. DO NOT use lawn fertilizer containing herbiicdes (Weed and Feed type lawn fertilizer). These will kill the trees. Next year water if it does not rain for a while. The root system should be developed by then to not need as much water.