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How Often Should I Fertilize My Outdoor Plants?
How Often Should I Fertilize My Outdoor Plants?. Fertilizer is one of the best things a gardener can apply to her garden, as the nutrients provided keep plants fed and healthy throughout the growing season. Applying fertilizer at the right time of the growing season is key for the health of outdoor garden plants. Amount matters too, applying too...
Fertilizer is one of the best things a gardener can apply to her garden, as the nutrients provided keep plants fed and healthy throughout the growing season. Applying fertilizer at the right time of the growing season is key for the health of outdoor garden plants. Amount matters too, applying too much fertilizer causes problems for plants.
Spring Application
Early spring is the most effective time of year to apply fertilizer to garden plants. Plants are emerging from their dormant state and will use a larger amount of nutrients over a short period of time as they begin the first growth of the season. Producing leaves and flowers in the early spring means plants need more nutrients to sustain the energy needed for growth. Using slow-release fertilizers provides plants with nutrients over a longer time period.
Summer Application
Some plants, like certain types of trees and shrubs, benefit from a second application of fertilizer in the late spring or early summer. The extra nutrients provide the garden plants with the energy they need to continue growing healthily for the rest of the growing season. Only apply extra fertilizer if the plants need it, and if the soil is moist enough to disperse the fertilizer equally without harming the plants' growth.
Fertilizer Burn
One of the biggest risks with fertilizer comes from fertilizer burns; too much fertilizer causes harmful chemicals and salt to build up on plants like grass and flowers, dehydrating them and causing them to take on a burned appearance. Water the garden thoroughly before and after applying fertilizer to help the chemicals move through the soil, preventing it from burning plants.
Considerations
Applying the right amount of fertilizer is also important for the health of plants. Place fertilizer around the base of plants, but avoid putting it directly on the roots of plants, as moist fertilizer can promote the growth of bacteria and fungi that damage garden plants. Most plants need a few pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of root spread and the ratio of nutrients contained in the fertilizer.
