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	Spring 1996	Click below to receive the print version!

Home Site Map Guided Tour Website News What's New? Corporate Products Workshops Newsletter Ongoing Projects Trough Gardens Water Gardens Alpine Perennials Hardy Cactus Warranty Affiliations Awards Reviews DIY Greenhouse IPM Composting Reviews Horticulture Links USDA Zones Weather Reports FAQs Register Me Consulting Service Advertising Employment Visitors John's Journal Contact Us	Fertilizing Evergreens & Conifers The urge to dose every plant with fertilizer as soon as a few warm days come should be restrained. Late, freak frosts will kill new growth and possibly the plant itself. Our last frost date is April 20th in this USDA Zone 6b. Wait until the end of April. In the case of all evergreens and conifers, it's best to fertilize at the end of April, and a second time in the fall, on first of August and only use acidic Holly- Tone. fertilizer, granular, time-released, evenly-balanced fertilizer. Unlike Mir- Acid. which is a high-nitrogen, constantly-applied fertilizer, Holly-Tone shows results gradually and doesn't dose the plant with too much, all-at-once. Mir-Acid requires repeated applications, "jump-starting" and "crashing" the plant constantly. Holly-Tone is much gentler with a more even feed. Yews are classified as evergreens also, but won't respond to either fertilizer very well. They're better left un-fed; somehow they take care of themselves and prosper. By waiting until the end of April, and feeding all Hollies, Pieris japonica, Pines, Blue and Norway Spruce, Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, Azaleas, Dogwoods, Cherries and other conifers with Holly-Tone, you'll have a much richer and lusher garden until the Fall feeding time arrives. Fertilizing Gardens There are indeed many ways to fertilize gardens; one plant at a time or whole groups or the whole garden as it requires it. And of course, there are different fertilizers for the three applications. Why not make it easy on yourself this year and do the whole darned garden and let each plant decide its own uptake requirements of nutrients? Try using Osmocote., a timed-release, balanced solid fertilizer that resides inside of little plastic pellets (the size of BB's) with holes, and in the event of a rainfall or watering, releases an appropriate amount of fertilizer. It's either broadcast throughout the entire garden, or a 4oz cup is dumped at the base of each plant for an 8-month feed. We use it here at the Garden Center & Nursery and on the many landscape jobs we do each year. It's balanced, comes in several formulations and is available for both indoor and outdoor plants. We use it in our hanging baskets so that every time they're watered, they're fed. Try it, if you already don't. Year 'Round Container Herb Gardens Remember the herbs you potted-up last Fall before frost and kept on your sunny kitchen windowsill and used snippets of all Winter? Oh, you didn't? Well then, now is the very best time to start a container herb garden that can live outside until frost and then provide color and fragrance during the Winter. We've got 50-60 varieties of herbs for the Spring, some in limited quantities, and almost all suitable to container gardening. INTERESTING INFORMATION IN THE NEXT ISSUE: Summer 1996: 'Beat The Heat With Drought-Resistant Plants' 'Planning For The Fall Garden' 'Mulch Well and Water Less' 'Summer Days Discount Coupon' 'Milk Jug Watering' 'Newly-Released Plants Issue' 'Under Stress: Plants That Can Take It' 'Hardy Cactus Garden Update' 'Year 'Round Container Herb Gardens' 'CATV The Weather Channel - Smart Viewing' and the 1996 Workshops & Seminars Schedule - Updated Spring - Summer - Fall Hours: (April - November) Mon - Sat, 8:00am - 8:00pm Sunday, Noon - 5:30pm	In This Issue: Page1: First Garden Center & Nursery on The World Wide Web! Page2: Getting The Garden Ready Early Season Bloomers Page3: Alpine Trough Gardens Little Gems. Page4: Wildflowers - Do It Now Garden Center Is Available For Meetings & Tours Healthy Ponds. Page5: Healthy Ponds..continued Page6: Healthy Ponds..continued Page7: CATV The Weather Channel - Smart Viewing 1996 Workshops & Seminars Schedule Page8: 1996 Workshops & Seminars Schedule...continued Page9: 1996 Workshops & Seminars Schedule...continued Page10: Water Gardens - New Products Update Clear Ponds. Page11: Clear Ponds...continued Page12: Fertilizing Evergreens & Conifers Fertilizing Gardens Year 'Round Container Herb Gardens INTERESTING INFORMATION IN THE NEXT ISSUE: Spring - Summer - Fall Hours: