As winter comes to a close, you may be wondering how to give your plants a good and healthy jumpstart. Fertilizer is a gardener’s great tool to do just this! However, it is important to know how to fertilize wisely so you don’t hyper-boost your plants, killing them in the process.
Before creating your fertilizer schedule, it is essential to take a moment to understand these 5 quick tips:
- Know Your Plants: Research your plants’ specific nutrient needs.
- Test Your Soil: Check for nutrient gaps with an at-home soil test.
- Here’s a link to an at-home soil test from Amazon (USA) or Amazon (Canada).
- Use Organic Fertilizer: It releases nutrients slowly, so you can’t over-fertilize and harm your plants.
- Follow Instructions: Stick to the fertilizer’s label for the best results.
- Water Well: After fertilizing, water your plants to help the nutrients soak in.
Organic fertilizer is a safe and easy way to keep your plants healthy!
Here is a general guideline to help you get started on your fertilizer journey:
- Early Spring: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer as new growth begins. This helps wake up the plants after winter dormancy.
- Late Spring: Reapply a balanced fertilizer or one that’s higher in nitrogen to encourage lush vegetative growth.
- Summer: If you have flowering plants or fruiting vegetables, use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium to support blooming and fruiting.
- Fall: Apply a lower-nitrogen, higher-potassium fertilizer to help perennials and shrubs store energy for the winter.
- Winter: Generally, no fertilizer is needed during this time as most plants are dormant.
If you have specific Bloomin’ Easy plants in mind, DaisyDigs, our resident plant bot, can provide more tailored advice. 🌱✨
“Ok, how on earth do I stay consistent?” You may be asking… Here’s a few tips for you, the one with a lot on their plate:
Work from home? Yes!
- Put a reminder in your phone to take a little screen break and spend some time in the garden adding your pre-made fertilizer and watering those plants.
Work in the office? Yes!
- Make it apart of your rhythms when you come home to take a walk around your garden. Create it as a transition out of work-life into personal-life! Find the plants that need a little fertilizer juice and spend time tending before moving forward.
None of the above? Yes!
- Perhaps you have one day a week you could dedicate a little half hour to checking on and fertilizing your garden. Take it as some self-care, mindfulness time!
At the end of the day, rhythms are all about finding what works best for you! Take into account the instructions on your respective fertilizer bottle and then form that into your current lifestyle.
