• What do the numbers on fertilizers mean?

• Fertilizer 101

• Winter tips

• Alternative fertilizers and what they do

• What can thrive in excessively wet or dry conditions

• Plant division 101

• How to divide a plant

• Watering plants and lawns

• Mulching 101:

Average bed fertilizer should be 5-10-10 .The three major elements... N -Nitrogen for general growth and leaf development, P -Phosphorus for root development and also for seed and fruit production and K -Potassium for flower and fruit formation and health and disease resistance.  Minor secondary elements -necessary elements essential for plant growth and health... Calcium for stronger cell walls, Sulfur and Magnesium for the formation of chlorophyll production, and Trace elements necessary elements in minute amounts easily found in alternative fertilizers.

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General Fertilizer 5--10-10 or 5-10-5 . Lawn fertilizer should be higher in nitrogen 27-5-7 .  Starter fertilizer for lawn or seed production higher in phosphorus 15-28-15 . Water soluble fertilizer (Miracle Grow, Peters, Fish Emulsion), fertilizer suspended in water to be used during the growing season.  Acid loving fertilizer (Holly Tone) for azaleas, hollies, and rhododendrons.  Fertilizer should be applied in late fall or early winter so it will be available in spring when the roots are searching for food.  On newly planted plants, fertilizer can be applied in July/Aug so it is available in the cool fall months when plants are actively consuming fuel for the winter and following spring.  Top-dress plants as you would pepper a steak, in the beginning of the growing season, spring- then mulch.

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Prune carefully for winter decoration.  Don't forget to feed the birds, especially if the ground is snow covered, also its just cheap entertainment!

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Green Sand:  Slow release source of potassium and trace minerals, adds structure to sandy soils and loosens clay. 

Water soluble potash:  Speeds potassium to plant material, promotes healthy balance between leaf and root growth, insuring a hardier plant.

Cotton Seed meal:  Really slow release nitrogen, good for acid loving plant material, boxwoods and tomatoes. .

Bat Guano:  High in phosphorus, great for root growth and flower inducing, not really to be used around vegetables. .

Kelp Meal:  Rich in important micronutrients, manganese, boron, copper and zinc, beneficial to all plant material, expensive but worth it.

Epson Salts: Magnesium sulfate, a micronutrient that aids in flowering and root development.

Gypsum:  Calcium, helps phosphorus to be absorbed, breaks down clay and gives structure to sand, gives a quicker green up to lawns in spring.

Lime:  Lowers acidity of soil to allow plants to absorb available nutrients in the soil, great for lawns and beds. 

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Division is the easiest way to propagate clump-forming plants.  Not only does it produce more plants but it also rejuvenates older clumps that are over crowded. When certain plants stop blooming, such as Iris Siberia, dividing the original plant often solves the problem.  Many perennials are divided in early spring when plants are just beginning to awake from the winter.  Spring blooming plants are best divided after bloom. Early summer or late summer/early fall is the best time for most perennials because of the warm days, cool nights, and hopefully moisture (rain) and this is the best time for active root growth.

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Dig or lift parent plant and gently pull or cut apart sections of the crown (head of parent plant).  Put the spade in the center of the parent plant, cut through the fleshy material and soil.  Do this again if necessary (quarters). You only need 2 stalks and a shoot system for success. .Replant the divisions ASAP!! .Keep plants well watered until established.

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Most plants have the availability to adapt to environmental conditions that are less than ideal, but sometimes watering is necessary.  Most plants require 1 inch of H20 per week in growing season.  High light and heat intensity requires more water than overcast days.  Lawns with fibrous root systems require heavy and long but infrequent watering.  Soil moisture meters and rain gauges tell exactly how much moisture plants have received.  Water beds when sun is not directly on area for long periods, 1-2 hours. .Place a glass to measure how much water has been applied. Soaker hoses work best in bed areas; can be done at night with less thought of disease.

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Mulching hides a multitude of sins; it hides all the winter debris not picked up or weeds yet to be pulled. Mulch helps hold moisture in the soil, protects the soil from evaporative effects of sun and wind.  Well-mulched soils tend to be loose and crumbly rather then hard packed. .Mulch helps curb erosion and keeps weeds in check.  Mulch moderates soil temperature; it helps keep soil cooler in the summer and warmer, when the weather starts to get cooler . .Mulch helps to protect the roots of perennial plants and hardy annuals (cleome).  Compostable mulches help improve soil structure when they begin to decompose, the break down helps improve soil tilth and the decaying matter will not tie up available nitrogen.

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Please note that we have made every attempt to have accurate information, but we cannot be responsible for any errors or omissions.