Time To Return To Fertilizing Routine

There was no Garden Checklist in today's Fresno Bee. Elinor Teague's article from February 11, 2010, is below.


Our short, eight-week winter is over and our early spring (much earlier than in other climate zones) has begun.

Cold winter temperatures send most plants into dormancy, but by mid-January our temperatures have warmed enough to end dormancy. By mid-February, the sap has risen in trees and bushes and new growth is apparent.

Regular, consistent fertilization is key to maintaining plants' health and productivity. The first feedings, given in February, are essential for a good start to the next season for deciduous trees and bushes and spring-blooming annuals and perennials.

Just remember not to be heavy-handed with any fertilization at this time of year. A lighter application in February will provide enough nutrients without forcing tender new growth that might be damaged by a late frost.

Let's start with houseplants. They too are dormant or semi-dormant in winter, even though they are protected from the cold. It's the lesser amount of available light during winter that triggers dormancy in houseplants.

Feed all houseplants once this month with a houseplant fertilizer at half the amount recommended on the label. In March, begin a biweekly feeding schedule for flowering plants using a plant food with a higher middle number, such as 8-14-6. Foliage plants can be fed monthly with a balanced fertilizer, such as a 7-7-7 formulation.

Cool-season lawns such as fescue and perennial rye also are dormant during the coldest months.

Feed them from February until early June with a high-nitrogen lawn food that also contains trace minerals such as iron, manganese and zink.

Deciduous fruit and nut trees should be given one-third of the needed annual amount as they begin to flower in February. Non-deciduous citrus and avocado trees are fed in late spring.

Flowering groundcovers such as lantana, vinca and verbena can be sheared back in February and then fed lightly with a rose and flower-type fertilizer.

Mediterranean culinary herbs including rosemary, sage and oregano can also be sheared back now and lightly fertilized.

Don't be in a hurry to prune back or fertilize the tropical plants in your garden that may have suffered the most damage during our freezes this year.

They take longer to show new growth than other types of plants and will need fertilization later in the season.