Weekly Garden Tip

July 9, 2006

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

Many people’s landscapes are doing much better now that we are getting regular rainfall and better growing conditions, but if you are one of these individuals that is not totally satisfied with the appearance of your landscape, part of the problem might be a need to fertilize on a more frequent basis. Heavy rainfall or frequent irrigation leaches out valuable nutrients from the soil around the plant’s root system and these do need to be replenished on a regular basis to keep plants growing at optimal levels.

For most landscapes general fertilization is recommended 3 to 4 times a year and on small or newly installed plants you can fertilize every other month to help get them off to a better start. There is a wide array of fertilizer types at almost any retail garden center you visit. Some are made specifically for certain types of plants and often when used will give better results. Good examples of those type products would be fruit tree fertilizer, palm fertilizer or those made for acid loving plants.

Whether you use liquid or dry fertilizers also can make a difference in the landscape. Soluble or liquid fertilizers that are mixed with water are not long lasting because they are easily leached out by rainfall or irrigation. They work well when applied on a frequent basis, but you have to remember to do that. On the other hand dry or granular type products are generally formulated so they release over a longer period than soluble types and some types are time release products that only have to be applied once every several months.

Always when applying fertilizers apply them over the surface area around the plants rather than in a concentrated spot. This will give more roots of the plants access to the fertilizer and provide for greater efficiency.

If you have mulched areas, don’t worry about fertilizers getting through mulch. Even dry fertilizers spread over mulch will dissolve and work through them and still get to the plant’s roots.

If you’re not sure what types of fertilizers to use on certain plants, most retail garden centers that sell such products can give you helpful advice. You can also call the Palm Beach County Extension Service for fertilization information on any type of landscaping in south Florida.

If you have problems that you suspect may be nutritional deficiencies but aren’t quite sure, you can take samples of the problem to the Palm Beach County Extension office for free diagnosis during normal business hours.

For information on fertilizers you can call the Extension Service at the following numbers. Dial 233-1750 in the north and central county area or 276-1260 in the south county area.