Why do you think they need "feeding"? (btw, plants feed themselves so I assume you mean fertilizing)

Fertilizing is not done as a routine matter of course but only when needed. Generally, plants established in the landscape, especially something like junipers, seldom if ever need supplemental fertilization. They get all the nutrients they need for proper growth from the soil.

Without a soil test in hand indicating a lack of nutrients and poor plant growth and performance, you do not need to fertilize in the spring, now, OR in the fall.

it is simple.. they are not children.. and they NEVER need to be fed ...

below is a pic of 30 year old junipers.. that have NEVER been fed

it my world... its because i am cheap.. and would rather spend the money elsewhere in the garden ...

BTW .. if they are close to a fert'd lawn ... and it is an established TREE ... it will have roots out under the lawn.. getting more than they will ever need ...

dont know where you are ... so cant tell you about timing .. should you insist on such

ken

Thank you both for your responses. I have small juniper bushes that were planted in the fall, along the road at the front of my home. The landscaper who planted them advised me about fertilizing. They look fine to me, so I am happy to save myself the time and money required to fertilize.

Two quick comments: If the landscaper had evidence of a nutritional deficiency in your soil that his/her fertilizer recommendation was designed to correct, it is probably a good idea to follow the advice to use it.

This is not intended as a criticism of Mr. Adrian, but there is a certain irony in his advice. Overuse of fertilizer is a serious problem in the United States. By far most of the fertilizer sold and applied goes on lawns. Multimillion dollar ad campaigns convince homeowners they must use it. Professional lawn care companies do the same thing. An experienced grower like Mr. Adrian undoubtably knows what he is doing, but we would all be collectively better off if we fertilized shrubs and trees judiciously when and if needed and cut way, way back on the stuff we dump on the grass.

Just as an aside........most 'landscapers' - and I use that term loosely as skill levels and experience can vary widely - are rarely sophisticated enough to be able to assess soil nutrient levels. It is far more likely the case of just repeating a "standard" planting methodology, whether it has any validity or not.