Fertilizing perennials (for dummies!)

Should I be fertilizing my perennials? If so, how? And with what? (I'd like to keep it organic.)

Here's the story...

When we moved into our house last year we had an already-built raised (bermed) bed up against the south and east foundations. The previous owner (who just flipped the property and never lived here) put in some barberry bushes, a wiegela, a few hostas, and some mulch. I don't know much about the soil except that it's definitely clay but isn't on the super-heavy side.

Last year I planted a garden full of perennials. I didn't fertilize them, but I did add some (commercially bought) compost as I planted them. Same thing with the few newbies I've already planted this year. Last year my new plants flowered fairly well, but should I be giving them a light once-over with fertilizer this year? I bought some fish-based, spray-on fertilizer today (a 4-2-2) and thought I would use it every 6 weeks or so. Should I give it a try?

I always give mine just a little fertilizer early which helps them to flower profusely. After that, all I do is keep them deadheaded and they always do great. BTW, mine are in clay based soil too. If you keep them mulched, that will break down and turn into great organic fertilizer for them too.

I would suggest that you use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote.

Paul

Thanks for the tips, NatureLover and paulgrow!

Osmocote isn't organic, is it? Is there such a thing as a slow-release organic fertilizer?

I'm pretty sure Osmocote does not have an organic product. Dynamite makes an organic slow release product, I haven't seen the actual product to make sure it's got the OMRI seal on it but their website makes it sound like it's organic. I'm not sure how widely available it is though if you're looking for something to buy locally vs online.

If your soil is on the clay side, I would add as much organic matter as possible, either horse manure or more bought compost, but if using the bought compost, add a handful of blood/fish and bone meal, you also buy this ready mixed for you and the packet/container will tell you how much to use, as a general rule, I add a handful around each plant in spring as the shoots are coming through the ground, then gently fork this into the soil being careful not to lift the plants roots as you go, this feed is organic, another good source of food is dried pelleted chicken manure, added the same as the dried blood mix, spray feeds are a really quick fix for foliage, but then when you water or it rains, the effect is lost, the plants can only take so much feed in at a time so the others I have suggested will feed over the whole season and enrich your soil, other sources of good plant feed is seaweed, so anything that contains this into the mix is full of nutrition too. with your type of soil you want to work on breaking up the clay bed as well as adding feed to the plants, so any organic matter will help this and help the plants reach the other feeds you add also. good luck. WeeNel.

ecrane - Thanks! I'll check out Dynamite. :)

WeeNel - Just what I needed to know! I'll get the hang of chemical-free gardening yet. Thanks for the advice!

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