Choosing safe, sustainable fertilizers to bring the pep back to plants this spring

Ann Lovejoy

After the extremely warm December, the extremely cold January came as a shock to our plants. Such weather events can be deadly, but it may take time to sort out the living from the dead. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to do nothing at first; prune too soon and we risk losing more top growth to late frosts. The worst damage should be obvious by mid March; half-hardy perennials may suffer from root rots and tender shrubs may not recover. To check, gently tug on emerging foliage or stems; if they pull up easily, that’s a clue to go shopping. Shovel the funky roots, soil and all, into the compost, then refill the hole with mixed topsoil and compost before replanting.

Among the worst things we can do for damaged plants is to feed them, especially while night temperatures continue below 40 degree. Struggling plants will recover much better with a compost mulch than with a chemical fertilizer, since wounded roots can’t process fertilizers well. Until plants are in active growth, fertilizer is not just wasted, it becomes water pollution. When new growth appears, offer a fertilizer that delivers slow, steady food to both soil and plants.

Commercial fertilizers have their place; a balanced, low-number fertilizer is fine for nourishing hanging baskets, container plantings, and annual vegetables. Most woody and perennial plants do best on a leaner diet. To know if permanent plants need feeding, take a good look. Plant that appear vibrant, full, lush and healthy are clearly doing fine on the nutritious compost you are (of course) already using.

Weak, yellowed, or skimpy plants with intact roots are probably hungry. In spring, all plants appreciate the combination of quick and slow release nitrogen. Good sources of quick nitrogen are corn gluten meal and a synergistic combination of composted manure and alfalfa meal or pellets (sold as unmedicated calf manna). Mature compost offers more complex, slow release nutrients. E.B. Stone, a family-run California company, makes some effective organic products, including a 5-5-5 All Purpose fertilizer. Their Planting Compost, formulated for Washington and Oregon gardeners, combines aged bark with composted farm manures, alfalfa and kelp meals, providing both speedy and slow food for plants and soil.

You can also make your own fertilizer from safe, natural ingredients. The following fertilizers are adapted from recipes developed by Steve Solomon, the founder of the Territorial Seed Company.

Spring Booster

  • 4 parts cottonseed or soy meal

  • 1 part dolomite lime

  • 1 part rock phosphate

  • 1/2 part kelp meal

Measure by volume; one part may equal one cup or a bucket. Blend all ingredients and add to each planting hole; 1 tablespoon for a plant from a four-inch pot, 1/4 cup for a gallon pot. You can also work some in along the row line when sowing seeds. Use 1/2 cup for 5 gallon sized plants, and 1 cup for mature heavy feeders such as rose bushes and clematis.

Refresh fruit and vegetable beds with this balanced feeding mulch combining quick and slow release nutrients. This is optimal food for rhododendrons, camellias, fruit trees, cane fruits, blueberries, and strawberries.

All Purpose Spring Feeding Mulch

  • 2 parts alfalfa pellets or meal

  • 1 part aged dairy cow or barnyard manure (bagged is fine)

  • 1 part mature compost

Measured by volume; each ‘part’ equals one bucketful. Mix in a wheelbarrow and spread an inch deep over planting beds and around existing plants’ driplines. Store in a trash can with a tightly fitting lid.

Contact Ann Lovejoy at 413 Madrona Way NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 or visit Ann’s blog at http://www.loghouseplants.com/blogs/greengardening/ and leave a question/comment.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Making your own fertilizers for a natural boost in the garden

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