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SPRING is right around the corner and gardeners are pawing at the ground ready to explode through the garden gate! As a passionate perennial gardener, I am right there with you. But before launching into another flower-filled season, let’s go through a spring checklist of do’’s and don’’ts to make sure we make the most of the race and have the best finish ever.
DO :
apply a granular fertilizer to your perennial beds while they are still ‘asleep.’ Depending on the winter we’ve had, this may be anytime from mid-March to mid-April. Don’t worry if there are already ‘early risers’ visible like spring blooming bulbs or woodland ephemerals. I recommend using 5-5-5, 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet. Cast the fertilizer just before it is about to rain to make sure fertilizer is watered into the ground and washed off any existing leaves. You can give other plants in your yard this treat as well including flowering shrubs, groundcovers, climbing vines and roses.
Photo by Gardener's Supply Company
DON’T:
put fertilizer on top of the snow or on ground that is still frozen. You want to make sure the fertilizer disappears into pliable soil and to waiting roots, otherwise runoff can occur. And don’t think more is better. You can stress or even kill plants by over-fertilizing, especially in spring when leaves are not fully developed to utilize nitrogen in the fertilizer. If you are going to err, less is better! Simply Saratoga | 51