Re: CULT: Spring Fertilizing
- Subject: Re: CULT: Spring Fertilizing
- From: J* I* J*
- Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 22:52:20 -0800
From: John I Jones <jijones@ix.netcom.com>
Sharon McAllister wrote:
>
> When the iris start breaking their winter dormancy, it's time to feed.
> Here in southern New Mexico, that's usually sometime in February -- but I'm
> sure that happens later in other places.
>
I think Sharon hit the guideline right on the head, and it is tied to an event
that is pretty universal, even though it happens at different times in
different climes. Here where I am in California, in mild winters it seems that
they never really go into winter dormancy. So it is a difficult event to guage.
The rule I use is about a month before the spring growth spurt, I fertilize
with a balanced fertilizer. Course I also till in a 270 - day time release
fertilizer when I redig my beds. Some folks use a balanced liquid fertilizer
in the spring (not Miracle Grow - too much nitrogen) but you apply that much
closer to the actual growth spurt otherwise it is wasted.
Alfalfa doesn't have much N-P-K fertilizer value but it has some great trace
elements. There are several great articles on alfalfa on the CIS website at:
http://tor-pw1.netcom.ca/~cris/CIS/alfalfa.html
John | "There be dragons here"
| Annotation used by ancient cartographers
| to indicate the edge of the known world.
USDA zone 8/9 (coastal, bay)
Fremont, California, USA
Visit my website at:
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President, Westbay Iris Society
Director, Region 14 of the AIS
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