I mulch with compost and grass clippings. Nice slow release stuff.

I use those for mulch in the 'big beds' too - although I'll have to get better at not hoarding all the compost for the veggies!

My problem are a couple of plants "landscape-locked" by rock mulch and an underlying layer of weed fabric (creeping phlox are two of the ones in most desperate need of fertilizer), so any fertilizer I just spray or scatter on the ground largely won't reach them or would muck up the rock mulch - that is, if the rock mulch could look any worse.

Ah. In that situation, what I'd do is mix a tablespoonish of miracle grow powder in a gallonish of water, then water the plant with that, directly, so that the nutrients are getting directly to the roots and the soil around that specific plant. And maybe repeat that again in mid summer.

Why are you fertilizing? What did your soil test say? The results will drive what you fertilize with.

Dan

Thanks, David - good idea!

Dan - the phlox need fertilization because they bloomed beautifully last year and wimped out this year with only about half the plant in blooms. They're also getting increasingly woody in the centers, so my plan is to trim back after blooming and then fertilize. No soil test results. I haven't tested other areas of the yard either, but these particular (end of the driveway) spots have no exposed soil and no easy soil access either, thanks to the rock + landscape fabric.

I'm fertilizing the rest of the beds because I haven't fertilized at all for 1+ seasons and I figure they could use it!

So you don't know if the soil is deficient but you figure the garden can use it, so you'll spend money to consume a fertilizer product without knowing if there's a need!?!

Well, the corporate fertilizer marketing campaigns have been successful, surely! And the dead zone in the GulfMex is the largest in history, as it was last year, the year before, the year before that, the year before that, the year before that, the year before that...

Dan

Yep! I try to be as scientific as possible with gardening.

I like the gallon of Miracle Grow idea - anyone else have any suggestions for all purpose plant food stakes or anything like that?

I view use of miracle grow as irresponsible...I have used it before. It is like crack cocaine for the plants and horrible for the soil...good way to kill your dirt, meaning worms, microbes, bacteria etc. All that nitrogen burns up organic matter really quick in my experience. Compost, organic fertilizers, worm poop etc....all work well for me.

Given the situation, a plant surrounded by weed barrier covered with rocks, what options are there?

There is also the "Organic Miracle Grow", aka "compost tea". That opens the door to a whole range of topics and discussion. I use a simple process - take 5 gallon bucket, dump shovel full of compost in bucket, fill with water, stir, leave over night, stir again, then use the 'tea' to water stuff. Works wonders for container plants.

Dan, nice to see some one else has has the same opinion. I have thought for some time that most/some people are fertilizer happy. They think that there is some magic mixture that will over come bad gardening. And give them plants like the slick magazine picture ads.
Now for nappingking,that old yell of "chemicals bad" just does not hold true. Yes, good gardening can never be replaced by chemicals. But Any thing can be over done.
Last year, when I was in very sandy soil, I used a liquid fertilizer attached to my drip system. Worked nicely.
Kenny

Kenny, what brand of liquid fertilizer did you use and like? I'm not married to Miracle Grow, which is why I'm looking for other options. Unfortunately, compost/worm poop etc just won't work for these particular areas or I would have already applied them.

Compost tea is another good idea, David. Thanks for your input.

Pumpkin, I really don't remember the brand and I can't find the container with my move. I think it came from Ace hardware and was "like" MG. Basically just a standard nitrogen plus and then later like MG for tomatoes. Powder mixed with water and run in the drip system with and injector (ejector ??)
If I were organic, I would be making compost tea and other teas.
I admire those that have built up their soil over years.
Kenny

Hi Pumpkin,

I almost never fertilize my plants, perennials or veggies, when they're growing in the ground outside! As long as they look ok, I figure they ARE ok! I had a few things that were looking a little bit chlorotic when they started growing this spring, and I fed them two or three times before the swap. Except for one gentian, they all greened up pretty well, tho I suspect The Rains washed a lot of my fertilizer halfway to China! If/when you're feeding, keep in mind that a lot of xeric plants prefer poor soil, and will do much better if they are not fed.

I finally had time to look for it, and I've linked a thread below with my rantings and ravings about fertilizer--in my second post on the thread! This won't make any sense till after you've read what I said there, but! Before the swap I tested this out and found what I had always suspected and wondered about! I have some of both Peters and Jack's, and into a measured quantity of water I put a teaspoon of each (two separate dishes). The Peters took somewhat longer to dissolve and there were undissolved "deposits" in the dish even after they were sitting there for almost an hour--that's bad. The Jack's dissolved very quickly, and dissolved completely--that's good. Come back and read this again after you have time to check out the linked thread! By then you'll know who Jack Peters is! Any soluble fertilizer should dissolve quickly and completely. I don't buy/use MG products, so I don't have any to test, but I'd be surprised................

But the real bottom line is---like for everything else in gardening---If it's workin' for ya, keep on keepin' on! If your plants are smiling at you when you're looking at them, whatever you're doing is working. If you can hear them moaning when you're in bed at nite, try something else!

Your phlox are creeping phlox? Phlox subulata---if you know? The stems are getting "long and sprawly" with "dead stuff in the middle?"

Always the questions,
Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread with fertilizer info!

david52
With the compost tea, do you filter out the compost and just ad the liquid, or do you pour liquid and the compost that is in the bucket?

Redley

I just pour the liquid and compost all together, and as often happens, there are bigger bits that haven't completely decomposed - eg mango pits, and I'll just pick those out and toss them into the garden.