I don't fertilize that stuff. California natives and Mediterraneans like lean soil. A few things, like kniphofias, get a few handfuls of cotton seed meal purchased in a big bag from a feed store. I do keep most everything mulched. The vegetable garden and my two Japanese maples get compost. I spend a lot more time pruning things back than feeding them!

Interesting. We just planted everything about a month ago. I think it will be awhile before pruning is needed. ☺️ Interesting that nothing is needed--I expected a least a little help. I failed to mention we have two pepper trees, does this change anything? I always wonder if they are taking all the nutrients. We planted extra hearty plants to withstand those trees (at the advice of a precessional lamdscaper). So far so good! I just wondered if there was anything I could do to make them "fill out" quicker ☺️

Nope. Just time. Sorry about the pepper trees.

You shouldn't add anything unless you have a soil test indicating a deficiency. You will get plenty of nutrients from the mulch.

Can you tell me how to test? I'm new to this. Thanks!

Check out this link - soil testing. I would avoid the home test kits offered in nurseries and box stores. They are notoriously inaccurate - best to use a professional testing lab for any meaningful results. Typically the labs themselves will detail on their websites how to prepare a sample for testing.

One doesn't fertilize to make things grow faster or fill in quicker - that will lead to all sorts of other problems (rapid and more disease and insect prone growth, lack of flowering, reduced drought tolerance, etc) and usually requires more frequent watering to offset. Woody landscape plants - trees and shrubs - generally need NO supplemental fertilization ever unless they display growth issues that would suggest a specific nutrient deficiency. Which only your skill in horticultural diagnosis or a professional soil lab is able to determine :-)) And an organic mulch will generally resupply all the nutrients required for healthy growth as it breaks down over time. As noted, xeric plants, natives or tough succulents do not respond well to fertilization anyway.

Despite Miracle Gro's constant advertising to the contrary, routine fertilization of anything in the ground is seldom indicated!!

Trade offs. If you want to goose a plant a bit, w/o burning it, give it some half strength or less fertilizer. I know routine fert is not indicated, but when you want a little boost during those first few years, a weak solution will do no harm.

-Babka