For most regions of the United States, gardening is a very seasonal activity. Depending on the levels of moisture, temperature, and amount of sunlight, you will need to plant different things to suit each season.
Whether it is overwintering, leaf removal, or tree trimming, there are a lot of different methods of landscape maintenance that are time-dependent, and fertilizing your garden is certainly a time-dependent process.
To avoid the cost and mess of fertilizing at the wrong time, always be sure to treat your garden at the right time. So, when should you fertilize your garden?
What to Know About Fertilizing a Garden
Before You Fertilize
Before you even think about fertilizing, it is important to have a “lay of the land” for your land. Not all landscapes are the same, so not all fertilizers will work for your property. Even if you execute your fertilizing project at the right time, you’ll be left with a malnourished flowerbed and bags of useless fertilizer if you don’t choose the right one for your specific needs.
Before you fertilize, a soil test from your local landscape services provider can quickly identify any deficiencies and help you to determine the specific needs for your soil. Choosing the right fertilizing is the first step to optimizing the impact on your garden.
Before You Plant
Typically, gardening begins in the spring. For most zones in the US, the temperatures, sunlight, and moisture align in the spring months to optimize conditions for garden. Before you plant annual flowers and vegetables, it is common to use a general-purpose fertilizer. Depending on what plants you are working with, the depth at which you incorporate the fertilizer into the soil can vary.
Generally, most landscaping professionals agree that plants will need the most nutrients (which can come from fertilizer) when they are growing the most rapidly. Setting up your plants for success is dependent on knowing what you want to plant and understanding its nutritional needs.
Mid-Season
As any gardener knows, planting a garden is a process. For the advanced gardener, their job is never truly over. These green thumbs will sustain their gardens year round and adapt their landscape to every new season.
Even if you aren’t the most experienced gardener, fertilizing your soil usually shouldn’t be a one-and-done process.
For some long-season crops like corn, fertilizer is applied in the beginning at the time of seeding, as well as in early summer, right before the most rapid growth occurs. While you may fertilize directly before you plant, it is also important to time your fertilizing right around the time of the most growth for your plants.
Contact The Parke Company Today
If you want to get the most out of your garden, fertilizing is a great step, but you may not be able to reap all of the benefits if you don’t do it the right way.
You don’t need to be an expert landscape designer for a beautiful garden, you just need to hire the right landscaping company to meet your specific needs.
The experienced professionals at The Parke Company are ready to develop a landscaping plan that works for your property and your budget. Don’t leave your garden’s health up to chance, give us a call (615-350-6033) or contact us online today to see how The Parke Company difference can work for you.