i am of the position.. that shrubs NEVER need fertilization..

why do you think they need such.. they are not children ???

that said.. i NEVER fert prior to last freeze..

and am loathe to do so before last frost ...

whats the hurry??? if you force them to leaf out early.. they will be more prone to frost/freeze ...

telling us where you are.. might help decide when is best..

ken

Ken is right. Shrubs are not children; they're shrubs. And unless they live in the understory of a forest with lots of the native upper layer of soil, they probably need to be fertilized. Urban or suburban soils can be quite barren.

But, I'm not so sure about fertilizing at this time of year nor in the midst of a drought. If you get a lot of new growth this spring it could be stressful.

Well, I think you've been given the two extreme answers, but I think the truth lies somewhere in between. I would never say that shrubs never need fertilizer, because there are certainly situations where they do need it and there are even more frequently times when they can benefit from it. However, I would equally never consider claiming that they need fertilizer unless they are in a forest setting, because that simply isn't close to being true. And, it's probably very rarely true in cases where the lawn, in which the shrubs are growing, are being fertilized.

What I would say is that to determine what nutrients are missing from your soil, you need to have a soil test done, evaluate current growth, and/or both. Fertilizing, without knowing what nutrients are needed, is definitely not a smart thing, IMO. Trees and shrubs, improperly fertilized, are more susceptible to pests, disease, and poor form. If you have to err, err on the side of less or no fertilizer. Consider a yearly or bi-yearly addition of a light layer of organic mulch as a good and safe way to add some or all of the needed nutrients.

Very good response from Byron. I tend to overreact to black or white statements with my own black or white statements, lol. I gotta watch that.