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| Novice gardener here, in Zone 9b. I have planted perennial gardens mostly lavenders, sages, coneflower, herbs etc. We have clay soil which I added Amend to (gypsum mixture to improve drainage) and some compost before planting.
I don't know whether I need to fertilize my garden ever and if so, when - with what fertilizer, and how will I know it is time? Thanks for any advice. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Sun, Oct 21, 12 at 0:09
| Perennials generally need very little fertilizer. Some, like lavender and sage, really never need it. In fact, they tend to resent it. This makes sense because these plants are native to areas where nutrients are scarce -- so they just aren't used to having nutrient-rich soil. All you really need to do is top-dress with a couple inches of compost in Spring. Finished compost is great because it provides nutrients for your plants but also because it creates a healthy soil structure with beneficial microbes that aerate the soil, thus making them optimal for your perennial root systems. This is particularly important with compacted clay soils. You could also sprinkle slow-release Osmocote or similar fertilizer (according to package directions) in Spring to be sure you have the macro- and micro- nutrients covered -- but this is really optional and often unnecessary insurance. Often, you can harm perennials more by over-fertilizing (especially with water-soluble fertilizers like Miracle-Gro) than doing nothing. |
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| I liked all of mistacott's reply until he mentioned adding a time release fertilizer, which he also said was not needed. Building your soil over time as he mentioned, is far more important than adding a shot of synthetic fertilizer. Al |
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| As per mistacott's reply, compost. If you have concerns about your plants' health, get a soil test done to see if you need something or the pH needs tweaking. You can check with your county extension agent to find out who in your area does soil tests. |
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| Great - so it sounds like what I've already been doing is correct. I added some compost and Amend made for clay soils to improve drainage (mostly gypsum) before planting this summer. When i started the gardens had been neglected for many years and the soil was as hard as cement and even weeds couldn't grow in it it was just barren expect the ivy along one bed, I had to dig down with a turning fork and water, repeat over and over and then work in the amend stuff. Most of the plants are doing great, I lost 2 - one echinachea which I think became infected with something (it looked great and then suddenly over one weekend died) and a lavender that had badly compacted roots from the nursery and never really flourished. I also added a thin layer of shredded redwood for appearance and weed reduction, I think it helped keep the soil from drying out too much between waterings, since clay can become super hard if that happens. It's so rewarding to see the transformation that the gardens have made to the appearance of our townhouse, I don't want to mess it up now! Now my main concern is whether I improved the drainage enough because this week we already had a lot of rain, I hope they don't get root rot! |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Oct 24, 12 at 16:42
| Amend made for clay soils to improve drainage (mostly gypsum) before planting this summer. ==>>> is not really going to make much of a difference in the long run ... except make you 'feel' like you are doing something.. and cost money ... if you have bad clay soil.. there are ways to deal with it.. and it isnt bags of miracles ken |
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| Agree about the compost, I will top dress the gardens with compost every year, and will usually throw some lime on them too when liming the lawn. Peonies, Lilacs, and many other plants like a little lime. I do not use any petroleum based fertilizers in the gardens at all (however I do use a diluted liquid fert in containers). The exception is bulbs - when transplanting bulbs, Irises, Daylilies and a few others I usually sprinkle a little organic bulb fertlizer ("Bulbs Alive" from Gardens alive) in the planting hole. |
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| Ken, I already used the Amend stuff. It definitely helped break up the soil, I didn't expect it to be a "bag of miracles" and wasn't planning to add more of it anyway. What are your suggestions for improving the soil drainage, then? We just had a week of fairly heavy rain and it actually looks pretty good - not too saturated. |
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- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Sat, Oct 27, 12 at 13:44
| Gypsum is excellent as a drainage-enhancer in Eastern U.S. clay soils. It isn't a permanent solution though. (See This Link) As I and others stated above, compost is the long-term solution because over time it helps to aerate your clay soil, which improves drainage. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Compost
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| I will definitely continue to add compost each year. Does anyone bring in earthworms to help break up soil? I read about "jumpers" recommended for clay soils. |
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- Posted by mistascott 7A VA (My Page) on Sat, Nov 3, 12 at 0:58
| "Build it and they will come." Build a healthy soil with plenty of organic matter and earthworms will populate it. Earthworms aren't going to aerate dry compacted clay no matter how many you bury. They will high-tail it somewhere else. They want to be in soils with plenty of organic matter. I have no experience with Jumpers but my intuition tells me that if you build healthy soil, everything else will fall into place. |
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