Re: Cimicifuga ramosa atropurpurea

At 12:59 AM 02/23/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>I dunno, Penny....considering your latitude, I would imagine it could
>take a good deal more sun for you than for me.  Now 'not moist
>enough' is another issue.  Like Gene, I don't fertilize.  Oh, there
>has been the odd occasion when I've flung a handful of superphosphate
>around, but, for the most part, mulch is all mine are lucky to get
>and sometimes not even that except the residue of winter's leaf
>debris.
>
>Seems some gardeners swear by fertilizing plants and maybe theirs are
>marvelous to behold, but I really think that if you prepare the soil
>well and do a modicum of mulching, your plants won't really 'need'
>anything else to prosper (well, adequate moisture, drainage and
>light).  In nature they only get decayed leaves and plant
>debris....old Ma Nature doesn't dispense 10-10-10 by Scotts :-)
>IMHO, soil with good 'texture', full of active microbes and other
>soil critters (good organic content) and good drainage (for plants
>that want it) are more important to a plant than commercial
>fertilizer of any sort.
>
>If yours was small when purchased, it could also have been young.
>These guys take a *very* long time to reach mature size....give it
>another year or so and then worry about it.
>
>Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
>mtalt@clark.net
>Editor:  Gardening in Shade
>-----------------------------------------------
Marge
You are exactly right.  there is way to much push to fertlize.  Of
course---it is what fertlizer companies sell!  I can agree with those that
stress the need in pot culture.  but in the ground, all I see from excess
fertlizer are a host of plants with problems.  Using to much , sepecially
nitrogen, causes soft growth, that is easly damaged by insects, wind and
weather.  In many plants like hosta, it can actually age the plant, and
cause problems associated with plants that need rejuvination, way before
necessary.  As an added bonus, you will stimulate weed growth all over the
area, and cause the plant to deteriorate early in the season.  At Eagle Bay
Gardens, we never have fertlized in our show gardens, just use lots of
humus, and good soil, making sure beds are at the proper elevation.
Ran Lydell>
>
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