Gardening As soil temperature and light diminish in late summer, plants will stop their growth cycles and begin to harden cell walls in advance of freezing temperatures. In other words, garden plants can get along fine without the support of fertilizers. They may not produce enough blooms to suit us, but they will thrive as long as appropriate light and moisture are available. But still, there is the lure of stimulating thicker green turf grass and more rose blossoms with fertilizer applications. This can be safely done by understanding when to apply supplemental nutrients and in what concentration. The best timing for fertilizer application is different for various categories of garden plants. They’re not all on the same growth schedule and you may notice that some woody plants – such as honeysuckle and forsythia, and hardy perennials – such as daylilies and foxgloves will show green shoots in early spring when nights are still slightly below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Turfgrass lawns wait for above-freezing nights and daytime temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) before extending blade growth. Applying fertilizer before they’re ready to grow creates a problem for plants. They aren’t yet prepared to use nutrients before the seasonal cues indicate safe and appropriate conditions for growth. Roots may be burned and growth can be stunted. A stunted plant is in a period of shock, when its normal biological process has been interrupted and growth is retarded. This can be easily avoided by putting aside the calendar and letting the plant demonstrate when it’s ready for growth. Let swelling buds on woody trees and shrubs eventually crack open, extending new twigs and the first two sets of leaves before offering fertilizer feeding. Those new leaves are the factories that use fertilizer to produce nourishing food for all of their seasonal needs. Also, with roses and herbaceous perennials, allow the first two sets of green leaves to be extended before applying supplemental feeding. Commercial fertilizer products have directions on their packaging regarding how much to apply, and it’s important to not exceed that amount. The three main plant foods – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – correspond to the three numbers on the front of every plant food product. These foods influence strong green growth (nitrogen), formation of buds and roots (phosphorus) and strong cellar walls (potassium). They work best when used together, although not necessarily in equal amounts. Fertilizers can be ‘balanced’, meaning equal amounts of each element (such as 10-10-10); or they can be staggered to emphasize one category over the other two (such as 5-15-5). Most effective is when at least a small amount of each fertilizer element is included to get the best growth result. Apricot Red Admiral and Vibernum Cornus Mas Berries Canadian Violet Mourning Cloak and Vibernum CSANews | SPRING 2026 | 51
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