I went through the FAQ links about fertilizing, but don't actually find any recommendations on when it's OK to feed. I picked up some 9 month Dynamite the other day - is it OK to use it now, since my plants haven't had any food? The new cuttings (Brad's White) are putting out leaves reliably now - should they have something to last over the winter, or do they go completely dormant? Should I wait until spring?
When to fertilize?
Kathleen, you're in the same zone that I am, and that is a great fertilizer to use, but I would wait until you do your repotting in the spring. I fertilize spring to fall, but I stop for the winter. The plants can't use the fertilizer anyway when they are dormant. When it doesn't drop below 40, my trees keep their leaves, but growth slows down greatly. I have a lot of heat sources surrounding my plumies in the back which creates a nice microclimate for them. However, last winter it was unusally cold, and most of mine did drop their leaves and go dormant. We are due for another cold, dry winter so it is probably a good idea to wait.
Thanks, Clare. I thought so, but wanted to be sure. Keep learning new things at DG all the time, so it pays to ask!
Hi Clare,
So at what point in the fall (month??) do you stop fertilizing? I've been super religious about my every two week cycle and have had much better results than last year, but I've been wondering when to stop?
I'm in San Bernardino...
Sure, Kathleen! It's good to ask because plumies are so vulnerable in winter, and fertilizing when they are vulnerable can be a bad thing.
Amarantha, that's great that you are ferilizing regularly. You should see some amazing results next year because of it. I stop when the nights start to drop below 50 roughly. I think the last time I fertilized was around the first of September, and now I won't again until next spring.
Great, thanks, Clare! I figured it was about time to stop..