Feeding Your Plants in April
April is a good month to start feeding plants in the garden to wake them up and give them a good start to the year.
Another way of adding more nutrients into the soil and improving the soil structure is top dressing. This is adding some fresh compost or manure onto the surface of the soil to gradually wash down into existing soil. You should be mindful to not pile up the soil close to the stems as this can cause damage to them.
Throughout the year there are many plant feeds to choose from and it can be quite daunting if you are a first-time gardener. Breaking them down into kinds of feed can be helpful…
Liquid Feeds
Liquid feeds, either ready to use (just pour straight on) or concentrate (ones you dilute into water), are an effective feed to use for quicker results. These travel into the soil quickly and are picked up by the roots of the plants fast. The downside is as they go into the soil quickly, they also don’t hang around for as long, so these feeds will need to be applied on a regular basis. They are especially good for plants that need a “pick me up”, plants which are in flower and faster growing plants like bedding.
Slow-Release Fertilisers
Easy feeds to use are the slow-release fertilisers which will feed the plants gradually over several months. They are usually in pelleted forms or the little multi-coloured balls. These can be sprinkled on top of the soil and lightly forked in. It is useful to water in the pelleted feeds if the weather is dry. They are a good option for feeding established plants in the spring and often don’t need applying again until the summer. They take a while to break down and enter the soil gradually feeding in the process so some of these fertilisers can feed your plants for up to 6months. (driventheatre.com) If you are a dog owner, it is worth considering whether these feeds have a particular pungent smell, as dogs might be tempted to have a dig around the area and damage the plants – a couple of feeds with no particular smell to them are Growmore and Miracle-Gro slow-release fertiliser.
Specialist Feeds
There is a selection of feeds available for certain plants, for example houseplants feeds, including cacti and citrus feeds. For outdoor plants there are specialist feeds for Clematis, Acers, Hydrangeas and Roses but also Acid loving plants like Azaleas, Camellias and Rhododendrons. They have been designed to give your plants the right nutrients for their needs to give the best results.
Guide written by Ginette – Plant Information
Our team are always on hand to answer your gardening queries and to help you select the best feeds for your plants.
Our most popular feeds can be viewed and purchased on our webshop. Our comprehensive range of feeds are available to purchase instore, or over the telephone for local delivery.