Slow release fertilizers
Jane McGary (Thu, 19 Feb 2004 10:23:08 PST)
Mary Sue wrote,
I know a number of people who swear by dilute miracle grow with every
watering. Will Ashburner who was a participant in the IBS forum in the
past said something that has stuck in my brain. He suspected getting your
medium correct was more important than what kind of fertilizer you used.
He stressed a medium with the correct air filled porosity.
I swear by applying a liquid (soluble) fertilizer 4 times a year: once in
fall and 3 times in spring. I have used Miracle-Gro, which several writers
mentioned, but I prefer Peters Blossom Booster. I also repot my bulbs into
completely fresh soil (including nutritious unwashed sand from a subalpine
quarry) every other year. The old soil goes onto the garden as a
top-dressing or ingredient in rock garden soil.
For information on porosity and air space, look in the new book "Rock
Garden Design and Construction," (Timber Press, 2003) in the chapters on
"Soils" and "Moraines." You will learn probably more than you ever wanted
to know on the subject. There is also a detailed table of soil ingredients
as an appendix.
Best regards,
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA