The Benefits of Nutri-Root for Trees: An Alternative to Common Fertilizers

Look, we know we're biased, but we love trees and want to keep the key trees in your landscape happy and healthy so that you can enjoy them and the benefits they provide for years to come. At risk of sounding like a broken record, trees in our urban and suburban environments are stressed! They're facing so many baseline stress factors, from limited root space to root compaction and damage, to increased heat and drought stress, to competition with your lawn (and lawnmower damage)...chances are your trees could use a little extra help.

And while arborists typically don't recommend standard fertilizers for trees because of the potential adverse effects (such as fertilzer burn, or too much nitrogen causing a spike in certain pest populations), there are some more appropriate options available!

What is Nutri-Root?

Nutri-Root is a liquid seaweed-based soil enhancer that delivers a unique blend of micro-nutrients without an overwhelming amount of the macro-nutrients you will find in standard chemical fertilizers (usually only containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Nutri-Root is a balanced blend of seaweed extract, micro-nutrients, humectants and surfactants that encourage healthy root development and reduce water/drought stress. When injected directly into the root zone or applied as a soil drench, Nutri-Root helps your trees form a stronger, deeper root system, promoting better absorption of water and nutrients. This not only supports healthier trees but also strengthens their resilience against environmental stressors or pests and diseases. Nutri-Root also pairs nicely with plant growth regulators like paclobutrazol (which you can learn more about here) to really support tree roots and overall tree health. This can be the difference between life and death, especially in scenarios where tree roots have been heavily impacted such as construction zones!

Mature healthy tree canopy

Benefits of Nutri-Root for Mature Trees

Mature trees are the pride of many of our clients' properties, but they can face challenges as they age, such as reduced nutrient uptake, root damage, and susceptibility to pests and diseases. Here’s how Nutri-Root can make a significant difference for these established trees:

1. Improved Nutrient Absorption

As trees age, their roots may become compacted or damaged, which can limit their ability to absorb the essential nutrients they need. Nutri-Root stimulates the development of new roots and enhances the existing root system, enabling better nutrient uptake. This is crucial for maintaining the tree's health and vigor, ensuring it continues to grow and thrive.

2. Enhanced Soil Conditions

An older tree’s root system might suffer from poor soil conditions, such as compacted soil or nutrient-deprived environments. Nutri-Root improves the quality of the soil around the roots, promoting root expansion and encouraging the growth of fibrous roots. A healthier root system increases the tree’s stability, making it less likely to uproot.

3. Stress Reduction and Water Managment

Mature trees often face environmental stress due to drought, unfavorable soil conditions, and even pollution. Nutri-Root helps trees recover from stress by improving their ability to absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. The humectants help enable the soil to extract/retain water from the air in the root zone, helping to maintain more consistent soil moisture and reduce drought stress during periods without rain.

4. Increased Resilience to Disease and Pests

Nutri-Root doesn’t just improve root growth; it also enhances the tree's immune response. A strong root system enables trees to better resist disease and pests, reducing the need for later intervention with pesticides. By promoting overall tree health, Nutri-Root helps mature trees stay strong and resilient for years to come.

New sapling getting established

Benefits of Nutri-Root for Newly Planted Saplings

Newly planted trees are uniquely vulnerable, often struggling to establish strong roots in their new environment. Nutri-Root can provide a vital boost to saplings, helping them settle into their new home and grow into healthy, robust trees. Here’s how Nutri-Root can benefit saplings:

1. Faster Root Establishment

One of the most challenging aspects of transplanting a tree is helping it establish a strong root system. This is why we do all of our tree planting services during the dormant season, when the demand on these root systems is less intense, and the trees can have time to get established before the heat of the growing season. Nutri-Root promotes faster root growth, allowing saplings to get established more seamlessly. With a well-established root system, saplings can access nutrients and water more effectively, ensuring they grow strong and healthy with minimal maintenance.

2. Better Soil Adaptation

Newly planted trees may struggle to adapt to the soil conditions of their new location. Nutri-Root works by enhancing the soil environment, making it more conducive to root growth. This can be particularly beneficial if the soil is compacted, or lacking in essential nutrients. The product encourages microbial activity in the soil, leading to a healthier and more dynamic root zone.

3. Increased Resistance to Transplant Shock

Transplant shock is a common issue when planting saplings, as they often experience stress due to the sudden change in their environment. Nutri-Root reduces transplant shock by improving root development and helping the tree adjust to its new surroundings.

Why we personally choose this product for gentle and generalized tree-health support:

• Targeted and Efficient: Nutri-Root is applied directly to the root zone, ensuring maximum absorption and minimizing waste. This means your trees get exactly what they need for optimal growth, and you get all of what you pay for when you work with us to create a healthcare plan for your tree(s).

• Eco-Friendly: Nutri-Root promotes healthier trees without the need for harmful chemicals, reducing the chances that you'll have a need for pesticides (or tree removal) later on!

• Proven Results: Arborjet's Nutri-Root has been field tested and studied, and it is shown to improve the health of both mature trees and saplings in environments similar to those we see on client properties on a daily basis. Arborjet has a long-standing trusted reputation in our industry for their tree care products.

  
  

Whether we're caring for your towering oak that has stood in your yard for generations of family members, or helping a young sapling grow into a mature tree, this treatment offers valuable benefits that promote healthier, more resilient trees which require less maintenance and effort on your part. By improving root growth, nutrient absorption, and overall tree health, Nutri-Root is an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance the beauty and longevity of the trees in their landscape. It can be applied as often as once per month during the growing season, or just once per growing season for a little added boost, ideally ahead of the driest/hottest part of the season. We typically recommend three times per season to get increased benefit-- once in the early spring, once in the late spring/early summer, and again towards the end of the summer/early fall.

We offer this treatment as a stand-alone service, an add-on to a tree work project (while our tree crew is on site for pruning or other tree removals on your property), or as part of a tailored and customized subscription-based tree healthcare service we offer. Reach out to us for more information on this or other plant healthcare options!