AboutThe Long Island Gardener Expertise Do you know the wrong fertilizer will keep your plants from blooming?
Do you know that too much Nitrogen can kill your grass, even if it does not burn the roots? Do you know that Roses need a LOT of Nitrogen to bloom -- and why is that?
There's some complex chemistry in those plant foods. The secrets behind N-P-K are the key to the ultimate lawn, the the biggest flowers, the most fruits and vegetables. And if you don't get it right, you could be sorry.
I'll show you what you did wrong, and how to fix it.
Experience Homeowner with gardens indoors and outdoors, lawns back and forth. I wrote my first gardening column for our college newspaper, teaching roomates about the right way to feed those windowsills gardens. Today I look for challenges. Organic Fertilizers are the key to proper feeding of all our plants. Can you make your own fertilizer? Some people think so -- but there are side effects. I have been there, done that for 54 years and there is nothing like the voice of experience when it comes to Horticulture and Fertilizers.
Publications Numerous and sundry but only in college did I write about plants.
Education/Credentials B.A., Botany and Mass Communications.
Question In hopes of forming a shrub screen we planted containers of Lilac Dogwood Burning Bush and Ninebark in mulitples. It's been a few weeks and they look fine (although the burning bushes look like slackers compared to the rest). I wondered if I should be giving them something additional like food or fertilizer. Also what's the best mulch variety for them? We have had a lot of rain and I water when regularly.
Susan
Answer Please tell me if I understand you correctly: You recently planted, in the ground, container-sized Lilac (Syringa), Dogwood, Burning Bush and Ninebark. They are planted fairly close because you intend for them to grow into a thick privacy screen. You prepared the Soil where they would be transplanted, and dug the typical $10 hole for the 10 cent shrub. You watered them thoroughly after they were set in the ground.
Do these shrubs/trees get a full day of strong Summer Sun? Or is there are large tree or building that blocks full Sun rays from the plants?
And where do you live? Juneau Alaska? Boise Idaho? Paris France? rsvp
