Flower care

Fertilizer Before adding any fertilizer or organic matter have the soil tested to determine its nutrient level. Unless your soil is very fertile, or you have incorporated a well composted manure before planting, the plants will need supplemental nutrition. A complete fertilizer should be used, for example 8-8-8 or 10- 10-10, at a rate of 7 to 10 kilograms per 100 square metres. It should be incorporated into the soil during the preliminary bed preparations. This can be done each time before planting annuals and perennials. Established perennials also need some fertilizer. It can be applied as a side dress in early spring when plants are actively growing and after harvest to promote root and leaf growth. Good post-harvest growth provides plants with an improved overwintering ability and also acts to improve next year’s harvest. Whether fertilizer is applied in spring or after harvest, it’s important to keep the fertilizer away from the stems and leaves to minimize the chances of burning tender growth. If you have a trickle irrigation system you can use liquid feeding through the irrigation system. Again, a complete fertilizer should be used at a concentration of about 200 to 300 ppm nitrogen, with weekly feedings.