I always put compost and organic fertilizers before the 1st Flush, but I find it more important to fertilize after that. It costs the plant a lot to produce that many blooms so I try to replenish its reserves.

Granted organic fertz needs the life in soilt to wake up and work....I'm going to try to put it a bit later than earlier next season before the 1st flush.. I feel like the spring rains so much, I'm not sure how much of X is being washed out . I tend to get spring fever so right after I'm done with the 1st post winter prune, I throw down fertz.

I've fed more lighty after each flush this year, only really giving it alfalfa meal. Some got huge Basal Breaks - aka, single growth 7 feet high. Some others, like small weaker basal breaks and some others none. My Spring Prune I left them a bit higher this year, around 36-40" verus all the youtube videos that seem to suggest 9-12 inches....

Next year, I do plan to prune them short. Maybe due to lower prune height, more energy will get focused down below (ahem, basal break) versus just VERT growth.

IMO, the spring flush always sends out s 2-3 foot high stem anyhow, so In My MInd, it doesn;'t matter if I pruned it short or tall before the 1st flush.

Trial and error. I suppose.