Spring Fertilization

Good nutrition is important for every living thing and plants are no exception. While its true that plants make their own food, they need a base of nutrients in order to manufacture food (through photosynthesis). If you choose to eat nothing but cupcakes and potato chips, you won't die, but you won't by healthy either. Similarly, not fertilizing your plants won't kill them, but they won't be as healthy as they would be with proper fertilization.

If you tend to fertilize your plants only once a year, the best time to fertilize is in the fall. If it's been several years - or worse yet, if you've never fertilized those plants in your landscape - start now.

Like so many other things in life, when fertilizing there are no absolutes. Over the last 40 years I've collected files full of information on every outdoor growing topic you can imagine, but I think my file on fertilization is thickest of all. It's a topic that can be confusing. There are some easy parts, however, so let's do those first.

Fertilizer must be labeled so that the contents are clearly defined. The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Feed and Fertilizer Division tests fertilizer to make certain the contents are matched by the label.

The label isn't regulated as to what is listed first, but there is a general standard. Most labels list contents based on quantities of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. For example, a 10-5-10 fertilizer would be 10 percent nitrogen, 5 percent phosphorous and 10 percent potassium. The more expensive fertilizers have a better carrier/filler. The filler act as a carrier and each little particle of filler in the base is impregnated with the total nutrient content or the filler separates them uniformly. Either way, this assures more even distribution of the nutrients.

There are many trace elements that can be contained in fertilizer. Elements such as magnesium, sulfur and boron and others are frequently added for a more complete application of nutrients.

I always like to advise soil testing before you start fertilizing. Check with the local garden center or call your county cooperative extension agent, or check your yellow pages for soil testing. They can explain the procedure for soil testing. You will learn exactly what type of soil you have, it's pH, and nutrient content (except nitrogen) and buffering capacity, etc. and therefore, what fertilizers need to be added - and their quantities - to ensure the healthiest plants in your landscape. This will depend on the types of plants you are trying to grow and their individual needs as well as your desired goal.

If you are trying to achieve high foliage growth, you should look for a fertilizer with higher nitrogen content. You'll get a faster growing, larger plant. But, if you want better "fruit" growth - flowers and vegetables - look for higher phosphorous and potassium contents.

Vegetable growers may want to add a super phosphate during preparation and based on the soil test recommendations. Look for fertilizer marked 0-20-0 and add it in addition to the organic matter or peat, and topsoil that you add anyway.

When adding fertilizer during the rest of the growing season to give the flowering plants a little extra phosphorous and potassium again look for a 5-10-10 ratio and pay attention to the suggested rates of application and timing. It's possible to damage the roots with over- fertilization.

Make sure the soil is moist before you fertilize. I prefer water soluble fertilizers for that reason, but you can get many other varieties based just on type of application. Fertilizer comes in granules or powders that are sprinkled on the surface, and other types that are placed in drilled holes - such as for tree fertilization - as well as those dissolved in water.

Don't be confused by the analysis on the bag; just ask the garden store personnel for assistance. You really don't need to buy individual fertilizers for each flower, vegetable and shrub. Let the pros know what your goals are and they can suggest the most efficient approach for you needs.

Now that you've "fed" your plants, maybe it's time to get out your grill and fix something tasty for yourself.