HOW TO FERTILIZE A SHRUB CORRECTLY

Shrubs should be fertilized twice a year, in late fall and again in early spring. The fall fertilization is the most important application.  As a shrub goes dormant, the roots are still actively growing and storing food for the incredible burst of energy that will be required with the new spring growth. Without a fall feeding the plant will not be prepared for the spring growth spurt and will be stressed. The spring feeding does not deliver the needed nutrients for the early spring growth; it provides the nutrients for the summer and autumn.

I use a slow release turf fertilizer on my shrubs because it’s cheaper than shrub fertilizer yet gets the job done. Even though the nitrogen levels in turf fertilizer are higher than shrub fertilizer, it delivers it to the shrub slowly so the shrub receives a smaller amount of nitrogen over a long period. The other ingredients are delivered right away but also break down slowly. Organic fertilizer is naturally slow release and also adds trace minerals to the soil. I alternate organic and chemical fertilizer. The organic is great but costs a lot more per application.

Spread the fertilizer uniformly over the entire planting bed using the application rate on the package. Do not pour a ring of fertilizer around each plant. That may lead to a salt build up around the plant that could burn the roots. It could also discourage the roots from spreading out beyond the width of the plant.

The last step to good fertilization is to work the fertilizer into the soil and/or bark dust with a rake or hoe. That delivers the nutrients to the soil rather than having them wash away with the rains. The first year I took the time to work the fertilizer into the soil, my plants looked much more lush and grew a lot faster than before. I’ve done it that way ever since.

Wrong Way:

Right Way: