Maybe it depends on why you want to give them some food.

An old bottlebrush tree usually doesn't need any feeding. Unless there's signs of yellowing (keep in mind that most bottebrush varieties aren't as deep green as stereotypic shrubs).

A young mulberry may simply need time to get its roots into your soil. If it seems to be noticeably stunted or yellowish (compared to other mulberry trees in your neighborhood), a mulch of good compost usually does the job.

Joe

Thanks Joe I`ll probably be here with more questions. Patty

I never feed a mature tree. The first two years they are putting on growth and establishing roots. Once grown, they do not require added fertilizer. UC Davis did a lot of research on fertilizer requirements of landscape trees and found that a lot of published information suggesting a fertilizing requirement was false. Al

I have a cherry tree and it has done well over the past 35 years that we have been here. This was the first year not one cherry. My aborist tells me he was advised the CT Agricultural center, that due to the everlasting winter and cool and damp spring we encountered is probably the reason for no fruit. I haven't noticed any worms or catipillars so I guess thats out. He advised me to fertilize with spikes around the tree drip line. Any further advise would be greatly appreciated.

My cherry trees grow plenty of wood without fertilizing. I often, like this year, have very few cherries. This is due to the weather when they are in bloom. Fertilizer would do nothing to cause more cherries to set. When the weather is good at bloom time, I get a bumper crop. There is a good reason for cherries not being a commercial crop here. Al