CULT: spring fertilizing

From: Linda Mann <lmann@icx.net>

When do the rest of you folks in rollercoaster-freeze land do your
spring fertilizing?  

We talked about this on-list before, but at that time, there weren't
many listers gardening where late freezes are a routine problem.  If I
wait till after the last freeze, the TBs will already be in bloom.  If I
fertilize now, they may get a growth burst that will make them more
susceptible to damage.  

I haven't kept notes on what I do each year - kind of intuitive based on
how they look, how much it's rained over the last year to leach out the
previous year's fertilizer, what I guess the rest of the spring will be
like, etc.  Seems like last year I used some 6-12-12 or triple
superphosphate & ground limestone or dolomite early, then some alfalfa
pellets and small amounts of 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 right after bloom.  

We didn't get much rain last year during summer and fall, so I didn't
fertilize much, mostly alfalfa pellets and a little dose of fertilizer
and lime for new plantings.  

They really don't look like they need anything right now.

What do the rest of you do?  Our annual rainfall is close to 60 inches. 
If it were half that amount (like Missouri/Arkansas/Oklahoma) or if I
had more soil and less gravel, I wouldn't use as much fertilizer.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
I should be out grubbing in the dirt instead of in here talking -
another gorgeous day


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