Feed/fertilizer heuchera?

11 years ago

I'm getting ready to repot some of my heuchera. I acquired all my heuchera last year and they all did very well and are currently blooming. Should I feed/fertilize them. I have never done so and thought maybe they would benefit from doing so. I have planted them in everything from 6-12" terra cotta, to black gallon nursery pots. I used potting mix obtained from "big box" stores, much of it Miracle Gro. Most of the mix has turned rock hard. I want to change to a different mix.

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

11 years ago

If they are in containers, then yes, they need fertilizing. Unless ferts are added, as with the MG stuff, potting soil has no nutrients and these must be supplied by the gardener. Any liquid fertilizer will work.

Most GW'ers that garden in containers have a very low opinion of Miracle Gro potting soil. It is too fine in texture and excessively moisture retentive and turns to a soggy mush in a very short time. Plants often suffer from root rots and/or fungal problems.

Turning 'rock hard' sounds much more like MG's garden soil, which is really a soil amendment and should not be used for containers. Heck, none of their stuff should be used for containers!! It's all garbage.

If you are in CA, look for Master Nursery's Gardener's Gold or Gardner & Bloome's Blue Ribbon Blend potting mixes. Both are Kellogg products (local to CA) and are two of the better commercial packaged potting soils you can find. They are sold only though independent nurseries, not at box stores. More expensive than MG soils but you get what you pay for.....in this case much better quality!

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Comments (6)

cakbu z9 CA
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for the recommendations. I no longer use MG...did that and see the results. They do have a good ad compaign. :(
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cakbu z9 CA
Original Author
11 years ago
My local nursery carries the G&B products, but not Blue Ribbon Blend. I went online to the G&B website and it does not list the Blue Ribbon Blend. In looking over their container mixes, I see the first ingredient listed as sphagnum peat. Isn't that what produces the rock-hard soil condition?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
No, peat is what holds in moisture and is what makes up the largest percentage of the MG potting soil. If you allow peat to dry out too much, it becomes hydrophobic and repels water but it never becomes rock hard. Virtually ALL packaged potting soil mixes will contain either peat or coir (coconut fiber) - that's what provides their moisture retention ability. You just don't want it to be biggest proportion of the mix. The other stuff is to provide texture and assist with drainage. That's what is lacking in quantity in the MG stuff. There is no 'soil' in potting soil - that's why they are often referred to as 'soil-less' mixes.

G&B must have changed their product line since I last used them. Blue Ribbon was their premium potting mix. I use the Master Nursery line - they are essentially the exact same products sold under different labels. I've used one or the other of these Kellogg products in containers for years - I grow the majority of my plants in containers - and have never encountered an instance where they become rock hard, even when a container was left empty but full of soil and allowed to dry out.
cakbu z9 CA thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
cakbu z9 CA
Original Author
11 years ago
Gardengal: An update. I googled Kellogg and was surprised to find out they are located in Lockeford, CA, a small town very near to where I live. In fact, I go to Lockeford weekly to purchase feed and supplies for my horse. Kellogg does not have a store front but their products are easily obtainable at local retailers. Thank you for the information; I will be buying some of their products today!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Great! I think you'll find their products will give you excellent results. As I said, I've used their products for years and find them to be entirely satisfactory. Other than making my own soil mix, I wouldn't use anything else.