Where your garden is concerned, the best course of action is to get your soil tested. It will tell you what the pH is & how much of different nutrients should be added for best plant health. You can often make fertilizer a non-issue by feeding your soil. I.e. by continually adding organics to the soil, you can improve structure & nutrient capacity. Most growers have no idea of what to do with fertilizer & use it too often or use too much of it. There are just too many variables going on in a garden to recommend a program off-handedly.

My garden is rich in P, so I keep that in mind when fertilizing. Early applications might be an application of 10-10-10, or 12-12-12. I then watch leaf color carefully & apply what's appropriate. Example: N is very mobile in plants. The first signs of chlorosis in older leaves, growing low on the plant, tell me the plant needs N. If the plant is not a flowering plant or it is and has lots of buds, I might top-dress with a high N organic, like Milorganite. If it's a flowering plant & scant on buds, I might apply another dose of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. The point I'm making is some thought needs to be put into what you apply.

Containers are easier, but you still need to be a detective. Nutrient deficiencies are more common in containers & the growing medium has a big impact on how much N your plants will need to grow properly. The speed of your soil (how fast it drains) and your watering habits have a huge impact on how much and how often containerized plants need supplemental fertilizing. I use a very fast soil, and water copiously at each watering, so need to fertilize weekly at full strength. Here's how I treat my containers: Since every batch of soil will react differently to how much N is available for plant uptake, I begin applications of 5-1-1 fish emulsion immediately after planting containers. Those plants that are grown for their foliage, get alternating applications of the 5-1-1 and 20-20-20 chemical solutions. The flowering plants get whatever it takes to keep foliage green & lush, usually alternating 5-1-1 and 2-3-1 fish emulsion. As long as color is good, I also use the bloom-booster formula (I think 10-50-10) on the flowery stuff. It took me awhile to figure all this out, but it works very well for me & my containers usually look good until frost.

I'm not suggesting you do what I do, but this gives you something to think about & a few tips on what to watch for.

Al

I don't usually fertilize perennials for the reasons given above. Pus, overfertilization results in foliage growth at the expense of flowers.

For containers, I mix osmocote with the soil when planting and every time I water, I use a weak solution of fertilizer. (1/4 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon in a gallon of water.) I figure the plants would prefer a steady flow of fertilizer rather than a large amount every so often.

I used Osmocote on my indoor Hibiscus plant and all it did was cause me to get a lot more large greenish yellow leaves instead of the deeper green ones I had and I also am not getting any flowers now even though I've put it outside in more sun. Any ideas on what happened?

Likely you used a high N blend, which tends to stimulate vegetative tissues rather than reproductive (blooms). I expect natural senescence (aging) and yellowing of older, bottom leaves on tropical H, & just remove them as they occur. As long as remaining leaf color is good, I would try one of the bloom inducing formulas of fertilizer, like 10-50-10, when it's needed. You also need to take care not to over-fertilize.

Al

Marti, I buy special hibiscus fertilizer..This food is only used on hibs..It's a 10-4-12...I've been using this food for 10+ yrs and have yet to lose a hib..they flower througout the yr..Just sprinkle pellets on soil, amount depends on pot size..The work up to 3 months..But I reduce and use every other month..You can buy this food at www.plumeriapeople.com or www.stokestropicals.com Toni

There are too many variables in container soil chemistry to solely rely on one fertilizer as the only answer to plant x's nutrient needs simply because the fertilizer is labeled for use on plant X. In some soils, 10-4-12 will be too high in N to insure optimum bloom volume. In other soils, it will be inadequate to insure normal growth. The ability to judge a plants needs based on how the plant is reacting to your supplement program, and to react with some variety at your disposal is always preferential to "putting your eggs in one basket."

Al