I owe this ode to fertilizer blog to Theresa!  Thanks for all of the great information!

Fertilizing your plants regularly is a great way to keep your plants looking and feeling healthy and protecting them from pests and diseases. 

Use bonemeal in the early spring on your existing plants to establish good roots.  Start fertilizing by late May.  If you start too early in spring, you push the new growth too soon, allowing for the chance of freezing the new leaves.  Ultimately resulting in your plants to be setback.  We always suggest fertilizing your tomatoes or other vegetables with a specific tomato fertilizer.  It has calcium in it which helps prevent blossom end rot on your fruit or veggies.  Another helpful tip to prevent blossom end rot is in keeping your watering eveningly consistent.

Epsom salt is wonderful to use.  It helps the plants take up more valuable nutrients that are in the soil, which makes for a healthier plant, hence more blooms.  Which is always our goal, right? 

Dolomite lime is another great one.  It neutralizes acidic soil, especially under your evergreen trees.  It is also good for blossom end rot on tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash.  Another great tip – Sprinkle it under your apple trees, it prevents apple maggots.  (I don’t know what apple maggots are, but they sound like something I’d want to prevent. UGH)  Epsom salt and dolomite lime work great together.

Aluminum sulphate does the opposite of dolomite lime, it makes the soil more acidic.  You can use it to change the color of Endless Summer Hydrangea blooms to blue, a neat little trick.  Blueberries also like acidic soil, add some aluminum sulphate and watch your berries thrive!

We carry a wide variety of fertilizers that are all easy to use:

Plant Prod

Miracle Grow

Garden Pro

Jobe

If you have any questions, please feel free to come in and ask any of our knowledgeable staff!