there is no such thing... ergo you cant find what you think you are looking for ...

all marketing gimmicks.. and snake oil salesmen aside... it just isnt that complicated ...

fertilizer is fertilizer is fertilizer.. leaving aside the organic discussions ....

its all in the N-P-K .... read up on that you you will be all set ...

N is nitro ... make things grow fast and be real green.. most famous for making lawns green and grow too fast if improperly applied ...

P is phosphorus ..

and K is Potassium ...

and i always get the last two mixed up ... so link below.. or google for NPK ....

one is for root growth.. and one for flowers ....

too much n ... gives lush green growth.. but the plant might not flower. ....

the simplest.. and least expensive fert is your best choice.. a good balanced fert.. like 12-12-12 [cubed] or 16 cubed.. or 19 cubed ... should be pennies per pound.. and all you need to do is give each plant a very little.. maybe a tablespoon of 12 cubed.. or a teaspoon of 19 cubed ... it is like adding salt to a recipe.. just a pinch ... in a circle a few inches out from the plant .... make the roots work to get out to the food.. rather than burn the crown of the plant .... [lol .. fertilizers are salts... so it is a great example...]

if you have any kind of decent soil .... that is all you need.... PLEASE DONT WASTE fertilizer or your money ...

whatever the plant does NOT need.. will end up in the water table... develop good soil ... and you probably will never need to fert ... research compost ...

they are plants.. they feed off the soil.. they are not children that need to be fed .... make the soil good.. and you will be well on your way to success ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I politely disagree with Ken - annuals need fertilizer to really pump out the blooms, and let's face it, flower power is why we grow annuals.

Do agree, though, that it doesn't matter if the container is labelled annuals, perennials, roses, whatever - just look at the numbers on the container.

For annuals, I like Osmocote, which is readily avaiable pretty much anywhere, I shake it on when I plant the annuals, water in, and that's that for the season - doesn't get any easier than that. I've used Jackson and Perkins Once in the past with great results too - it's basically the same thing as Osmocote, but I have to pay for shipping so I just get the Osmocote locally.

For my other plantings (perennials, shrubbery), agree that building the soil is the important thing and don't often add supplemental fertlizer - but that's a whole other ballgame, and the original question was regarding annuals.

Gardens Alive has a really nice organic blend for annuals. I sprinkle it on when I plant out my containers and maybe touch it up once during the season (if I remember). I've been very happy with the results.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardens Alive for Annuals

i saw a bag of 12-12-12 in the tractor supply advert 40 pounds for 8 bucks ...

i NEVER use osmocote in the garden ... it is engineered for use in pots... and not really for the garden ...

mxk is lucky that she is getting away with it ... if she lived in my z5 .. with 4 months of warm season gardening ... and applying a 7 month time release fert... she could kill everything in the garden.. because it is getting fert in septmeber.. when the plants are supposed to be hardening off for winter .. not zooming out lush vegetative growth ...

just because it is easy .. and expensive.. does not mean it is what is best ... but often it works ... lol

and that is the bottom line.. whatever works.. within your budget ...

but you need to learn about NPK ... to make informed choices ....

ken

Osmocote works very well in a garden situation, if the product is located near the root zone of your annuals. A sprinkle in the hole before you plant will do the job.

A triple 16 will have some slow release N in it, usually enough to see an annual planting all the way through the season. Top-dress after planting, or even after mulching.

Just to clarify - I only use the Osmocote on the annual plantings, I scratch it only only at the root zone of the annuals. I have a lot of annuals in pots, but I also do have some planted here and there in beds (gotta have flamin' geraniums in the front yard LOL!), and use the Osmocote for both, but again only around the root zone of the annuals, never spread out into surrounding bed areas.

Sorry if my above post was unclear.

Hi everyone: Thanks so much for the info. I wonder why all the weird labels on fertilizers, this for that and so on. It makes one very confused. You are right, fertilizer is fertilizer, in one form or another. You just have to choose what suits you. So I will definately use osmocote, so much easier.

Or might look into the cheap stuff at the tractor supply store, I have one close by and love it, thanks Ken. I'm still nervous about not using any fertilizer in my perennial garden though, but that's for another forum. Thanks for all the information, I appreciate it!!