Specialty Gardening: Xeriscape fertilizer, 1 by LaWolf8

LaWolf8 wrote:
My gardening background is extensive and researched CA natives and dry plantings, they don't want fertilizer, you'll kill them with kindness or encourage pathogens. Compost has too many nutrients, the plants will grow fast and die early. find an acceptable wood type mulch that is aged and lay it on thick between plants, it will settle over winter. It has a bit of nitrogen so it won't rob the plants, that's when leaves turn yellow with a few green veins.

Our area doesn't have thick rich leaf matter like back east where I grew up. Mediterranean climates are dry, rocky shallow soils and well draining for the most part. Mulch conserves water and the worms will surface and slowly mix the organic and mineral with their castings and fertilize plus aerate.

I have read books on this and it's better to go slow, let the plants get their roots out naturally. The rule with natives is first year they sleep (getting roots out). 2nd year they creep, 3rd they leap. Always find the mature size height and width, plant accordingly over planting I found is a mistake. I always look for smaller varieties because they mature nicely and don't need as much maintenance.

Well, that's more than two bits of advice for one night