Granular fertilizers are more persistent in the soil; they are absorbed more slowly and last longer. They can be incorporated into the soil at planting or they can also be broadcast onto the surface of the soil of existing plants. Super phosphate, frequently lacking in western soils, is essential for plentiful flowers and strong root growth. Grow Power is an excellent all-purpose fertilizer especially for lawns. It should be worked into the soil when planting turf and ornamental grasses.

Be sure to use an orchid food that is formulated for orchids and follow the instructions on the label. In general, most orchid fertilizers recommend usage once a month. Less frequent fertilizing may stunt growth and inhibit flowering; more frequent fertilizing may burn the roots and leaves and inhibit flowering. For complete step-by-step instructions on how to feed your orchids, click here. Be sure to use an orchid food that is formulated for orchids and follow the label instructions.

I don't think there's one "correct" answer to this one. The general rule of thumb is for Paphiopedilums to fertilize every 1 to 2 weeks at 1/2 the strength of the recommended dosage for other orchids such as Cattleya's and Phals. I haven't had any problems following that guideline and my plants grow quickly and strongly. For Phragmipediums I've ended up cutting back to 1/4 strength doses at most, as I've been developing a lot of fertilizer burn on the leaf tips recently.

Again, this is specific to the plant and the environment but generally, during the spring, summer, and fall (the growing season) use a house plant fertilizer per package directions. An excellent strength is a fertilizer comprised of a 9-6-9 ratio.

We do not know the answer to this question. We plan to undertake a small research project to answer this question in the near future. You may want to try your own experiment to answer this question.

To be sure you may use a testkit to test the soil or send a sample to a testinstitute. But I don't think that's necessary if your Ginkgo looks allright and grows well as it is supposed to do!

Orchids must be fertilized on a regular basis! For best results, use Norman~s Optimal Orchid Nutrients every other week. It is recommended to pre-water plants before applying the diluted nutrient solution if the potting media is dry.

Definitely, fertilizer toxicity can have an adverse effect on your plants directly or may cause environmental damage. Major nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and sulfur in excess will cause marginal leaf burn. Excessive levels of phosphorus, calcium and iron will interfere with the availability of other nutrients. Minor nutrients like zinc, copper, and boron will cause leaf drop if over applied.

There is some dissention about whether it is recommended or not to fertilize an extensive greenroof – I believe the answer is yes, as most German roof greening professionals recommend. Use encapsulated slow release fertilizer twice during the first year of establishment in the early spring and fall, and then yearly thereafter for the next 4 years or so.

This is a tough one to answer, because fertilization is so tremendously tied to water quality, potting medium, temperature, light and a variety of other factors. However, if you just have a few plants, and don't want to fuss around a lot learning about the intricacies of water and fertilizer, I'd simply suggest you get any reasonably balanced 'orchid' fertilizer, that is low in urea, and use it at approximately 1/4 to1/2 the label strength every other watering.

Trees often require fertilization at some point in their life span. Remember, most tree’s natural environment is the forest. There nutrients are continually recycled as leaves and other plant, and even animal material, fall and decompose on the forest floor. When you put a tree in a landscape setting it is usually deprived of these nutrients. One thing you can do is try to recreate the tree’s natural environment by providing mulch rings. See Mulches.

We tested 27 mulches in the field, and found that some supported more artillery fungus than others. In this study, resistant mulch was the large pine bark nuggets. The large bark nuggets stay hard and dry, conditions that the artillery fungus does not like. Cypress mulch also performed well, as it probably contains some anti-fungal, anti-decay chemical(s).

Interestingly, homeowners that put down new mulch each year generally have less of the artillery fungus problem. But, we have not confirmed this practice. But it does seem to work. Don't miss a year!

You really need to ask this question to a compost expert, but most good mulch today is composted to some degree. However, I would insist on a thoroughly composted mulch.

Free mulch for residential use is available at the Solid Waste Complex, 1701 N. Hercules Ave., and Moccasin Lake Nature Park, 2750 Park Trail Ln. Please bring a shovel and containers. For hours, please call (727) 562-4920. For full information on free mulch in Pinellas County, call the hotline at (727) 464-7500. Mulch at collection centers is for residential use only. For pick up of bulk quantities or commercial use, please call (727) 464-7500. Back to Top

In most cases, no, you should not cover your plants for the wintertime. A protective mulch (salt marsh hay, pine boughs, straw, etc.) can be applied after the ground is frozen, and removed with the first thaw. Here in the Midwest that is very hard to do - since we typically have a December thaw, a January thaw, and Feb. and March thaws. The biggest killer of perennials is having the crown of the plant smother (or rot) in the late winter/ early spring.