Expert: Jim Hyland - 8/19/2007

Question
I recently bought 5 trees ( Norwegian pine, Norway spruce dont really know) from a roadside market. They went in the ground really well and are growing. I live in southwest Ohio and I have been giving them a shot of miracle grow 1 time a week and watering them almost every night skipping a few days here and there according to moisture content of the soil. Like I said earlier I dont know what type they are but there really pretty. What I want to know is am I doing the right thing for them to get them ready for the winter months? They have been in the ground for about 4 months.         Thanks,

Answer
Thw watering sounds right but do not fertilize them any more. The fertilizer will cause new growth and this maybe killed back by the winter temperatures. The general recomendation on fertilizer is wait a year before fertilizing anew tree. I would wait until late spring and fetrtilize them and then maybe mid summer if not in a drough. Twice a year is plenty.