Need to fertilize my trees

[Alys]

My girls have free run of my back yard for 6+ hours a day. I need to fertilize my 10-odd fruit trees for the first time since we got the chickens.

I normally apply the slo-release fertilizer around the base of the trees and water it in, but it usually takes while for the granules to disappear. Is it safe to let the chickens forage around this stuff?

 

[Den in Penn]

Eating to much of it could get their chemistry out if balance. I would hold them away from there for a week or so. You could spread the chicken litter around the trees. Raking that in should work as well as a commercial fertilizer.

 

[chfite]

You might consider turning the soil over and working the fertilizer in by hand, then watering it in to keep any residue to a minimum. Covering it with mulch might help keep them away from it as well. Chicken wire around the fertilized area for a while might work, too. Chicken wire isn't much, but it will keep chickens out.

Chris

 

[redsoxs]

Yeah, I used to use those slow release granules myself. I've switched to the pound-in fertilizer spikes to keep my chickens away from the danger.