Applying fertilisers

Now we know what a fertiliser does let’s look at the best way to apply it.

Firstly, always stick to a very important gardeners rule whatever fertiliser you are applying ”little and often” is the best way forward, applying too larger amount can be detrimental to a plants health and can even lead to its death.

You can buy fertilisers in many different forms ranging from pellets, liquids, granules or even powders they can be slow release, foliar feed, long term or short term. Using the right fertiliser in the right form will give you and your plants the best for gaining maximum growth.

So, let’s look at which is best for which situation around the garden.

Pellet and granular form, these are best used when you are applying to a large area such as to a lawn or a garden border.

Slow release, these fertilisers come in different release periods from as little as a few months to a year or more, these are best used in pots and containers especially with trees and shrubs as they will release and feed the plants at a steady rate over the time period stated.

Powders, these are excellent for when you are growing annuals when a quick boost is perfect to keep them in in tip top health and aid with their continual flowering.

Liquid feeds, these are perfect for using in greenhouses when you are nurturing younger plants that are in smaller pots which makes for a lot more ease of application rather than trying to apply a powder or granular feed.

Foliar feeds, these are best applied via a watering can with a rose head, they can be applied with a hose with a special attachment. whichever method you choose it is a good way to give your plants a quick boost as generally the nutrients will be absorbed through the leaves quicker than via the roots. These can be good if you notice a plant seems to be suffering with a certain deficiency because of their fast-acting nature.

Now we have looked at what fertilisers are and the different ways and uses they have just a short note on application time, any time during the plants growing season is a good time to feed, but don’t be too hasty to feed too quickly in the year as plants are generally more tender when they begin to grow after dormancy so I would suggest if you do feel your plants want an early boost apply at a slightly weaker rate in the beginning of the season and the same goes towards the end of the year when plants begin to slow down for the cold of the winter as you don’t want to be promoting to much growth as the plants growth slows down.