Here at Plantland we are looking out our windows with Spring-tinted glasses, are you? We wanted to share with you some pre-Spring planning ideas that are on our mind to inspire a little Spring Fever in your garden as well.
Now is a
great time to start feeding those poor dormant plants in your garden. As the
winter snow and rain drains into the soil, it will transport the fertilizer
through the soil and to the roots, getting your plants off to an early start
when Spring has finally arrived.
You may be wondering which fertilizers are
best for the different plants in your yard. To help you make the right
fertilizer choices, and to maximize value with correct application, here are a
few general rules, from the brilliant Ed Hume, who’s seeds we have in our store:
- Evergreen
trees and shrubs, including rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, juniper cypress
and broad-leaf evergreens, are fertilized with a rhododendron-type fertilizer.
- Deciduous
trees and shrubs, which includes fruit, flowering and shade trees, roses,
lilacs, forsythia, etc. are all fed with a rose or general garden-type
fertilizer. Deciduous refers to trees and shrubs that lose their leaves during
the winter.
- Perennials,
annuals and vegetables are also fertilized with a rose or general garden
fertilizer.
Of course
there are exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between. You can do
most of your plant feeding with these two basic types of fertilizer.
There are
several rules you must observe when applying fertilizers.
- The first
one is critical - READ THE LABEL before you apply any type of fertilizer. Application times,
amounts and conditions must be followed to the letter. In other words, only
apply as directed on the package.
- Second, most
fertilizers should not be applied to dry soils, as the material is apt to burn
the surface feeder roots almost instantly.
- Third, all
of the dry-type fertilizers should be watered-in thoroughly, immediately after
application.
- Fourth, it
is important to apply the fertilizer out at the drip-line of the plant, as this
is where the feeder roots are located. If you spread the fertilizer up under
the plants, you are apt to burn the tender surface roots.
- As you apply
the dry fertilizer, keep it off the leaves of your plants, spreading it on the
soil only.
- Distribute
the fertilizer evenly around the base of the plants. Avoid concentration in any
one area.
Here are a
few basic tips for fertilizing the various types of garden plants:
- Large Trees
and Shrubs -
By perforating the surrounding soil area to a depth of twelve to eighteen
inches and spacing the holes about two feet apart, you can get the fertilizer
down to the roots of established trees and shrubs. Water thoroughly after
applying the fertilizer. An added advantage to this method of feeding trees is
that it encourages the roots of the trees to grow deeper into the soil.
- Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias,
Junipers, Evergreens, etc. - Use a rhododendron type of fertilizer when feeding these types of
plants. Most should be fed twice a year, once in March and again in June. Be
careful not to spread the material up under the plants, as it is apt to burn
the surface roots; instead apply it at the drip-line of the plant. Follow
application directions on the label of the fertilizer you use.
- Annuals,
Perennials and Roses - Both the annuals and roses will do best if they are fertilized on the
average of once a month throughout their growing season. Perennials should be
fed in spring and again in the summer. Use a rose or general garden fertilizer
to feed them.
- Vegetable
Gardens -
Use a general all-purpose garden fertilizer or a rose-type for feeding
vegetable plants. Mix fertilizers into the vegetable garden soil prior to
planting. Established garden vegetable plants are side-dressed with fertilizer
during their growing season.
- Planting of
New Shrubs, Trees, Annuals, etc. - Use one of the specially prepared
planting or transplanting fertilizers at planting time. These fertilizers are
mixed into the soil according to the directions on the label of the brand of
fertilizer you use. The greatest advantage of a planting or transplanting
fertilizer is that they encourage root growth, thus insuring better top growth
as the plant develops.
You can get your garden plants off to a good start and keep
them growing well by feeding them properly, with the correct type of
fertilizer.
