Don’t fertilize landscape and garden plants — yet

First, it’s too dry to fertilize, at least in my portion of the Miami Valley. We haven’t had any good rain showers in our area for at least two weeks, closer to three.

Fertilizers are high in salt content. Adding fertilizer to a plant with problems only leads to more problems. Roots start to dry out and die. Identify the problem before doing anything, and then assess if something is truly needed.

We are heading toward fall, and many plants are looking rough, particularly those that are susceptible to leaf scorch from dry soils. If these plants are deciduous or perennials, there is nothing to worry about, as long as the root system is healthy.

Don’t fertilize perennials in the late summer or fall. The best time to do this is early spring, in April and May. Fertilizing now will push growth at a time when you want them to store sugars for overwintering and next season.

Don’t fertilize trees and shrubs. Wait until late October, after the leaves have dropped and plants are dormant. The nutrients are absorbed by the plant and stored for the next season.

Annuals and vegetables? Why bother, unless you are trying to extend the growing season for your vegetables? Otherwise, many are going to be pulled after a frost or freeze.

Do fertilize your lawn. Research shows that a thick lawn and the mower set on a high (3-4″) setting helps to prevent weeds from growing. Research also shows that two fall fertilizations are effective in thickening up the lawn.

Fertilize in early September and again eight weeks later. These two applications are great for your lawn. Purchase enough fertilizer to use both times. I find that most stores have sold out of their lawn and garden products, and they’re not available for the second application.

The second application should be made around eight weeks later. Yes, this is the end of October or early November, but again, these two combined are recommended.

If you are seeding your lawn, you can use a starter fertilizer at the time of planting. Of course, this is if it’s indicated as “needed” on a soil test.

You can also fertilize your spring bulbs at planting time (and again after they bloom in the spring), again, if it’s indicated on a soil test.

There are various types of fertilizers in terms of application method (e.g., liquid, granular), and all are labeled for specific plant groups. Lawn, tree, shrub, annual vegetables, and flowers have different nutrient needs.

As always, follow label directions and use it on the recommended species of plant.