THE NEED TO FEED
 
So you've bought the gorgeous floriferous hanging baskets and annuals from the garden centre and hung them on your front porch or planted them in your garden. Now all you have to do is just sit back and enjoy........right? Wrong! Feeding annual plants is a vital part of keeping them continually blooming and looking great right through the season. Have you ever driven by those people's houses in September and thought "Why does their hanging basket still look so nice when I had to compost mine over a month ago?" Well the answer my gardening friend is simple, regular feeding. Here at the garden centre we have hanging baskets available all through the summer and we feed them lightly with every watering. Now you don't have to be that vigilant but a small effort on your part can go a long way to keeping your spring investment looking great!
 
There are several methods for feeding available that fits every lifestyle. Here is an outline of some we have available here at Gemmell's:
 
TIME RELEASE  
  

This pelletized fertilizer is a one-shot deal. Mixing it in your containers before you plant or poking holes with a pencil into already planted baskets or containers and pouring some in will slowly feed your plants all summer long.  One application lasts about 6 months, now what can be easier than that? This is a perfect choice for those of you 'on the go' or with bad memories who keep forgetting to fertilize (like me!). Here at Gemmell's we highly recommend this type of slow release feeding used in combination with water soluble.
 
WATER SOLUBLE   This is the fertilizer that most of us have had experience with......blue crystals with the little measuring scoop that you pour into your watering can or hose end sprayer and just add water. The great thing about this type of feeding is that it is available to the plant immediately so you get results faster. As previously mentioned, the time release combined with the water soluble is how we get such huge flowering baskets here at the garden centre. The frequency of fertilizing with water soluble is entirely dependent on your lifestyle. Once a week at a half rate is usually what Liz recommends but you can feed every two weeks or once a month if that is what fits in with your summer plans.  Although many gardeners are keen on Miracle Grow, which is a good product and well marketed, we at Gemmell's prefer the Nitrite 20-20-20 All Purpose with micro nutrients. Regardless of what brand you choose the main goal is to keep feeding your plants.
 
GRANULAR    This is another great choice in fertilizer. We carry the Nitrite line of these types of fertilizers here at Gemmell's again because the micronutrients are included in the make up. Granular is another easy choice for feeding. Just mix in the recommended amount around the base of the plant and water in. The nutrients are available immediately and continue to feed for a few weeks. There is a huge line of these fertilizers for every gardener's specific need, including; Perennial Food, Trees, Shrubs and Evergreens, Roses, Tomato, Garden Special.
 
STAKES    These are generally used for trees, shrubs, evergreens or fruit trees and are pounded into the ground around the drip line of the trees to slowly break down and feed. The number of stakes used is determined by the caliper of the tree. The rule of thumb is 3 spikes for every 2 inches (5 cm) diameter of the tree trunk measured at chest height. A little trick is to use an old broom handle to pound a hole 12" into the ground. Then insert the fertilizer  stake into the bottom of the hole. You can then fill the hole up with sand or some top soil. This prevents the grass from using up all the fertilizer.
 
NATURAL    For those gardeners who wish to feed only organically there is natural based fertilizers available. Muskie is a fish emulsion which is processed from fresh water fish waste and is one of the most popular choices. Though numbers are not as high as 5-1-1, it is a totally natural choice. There is also a natural based Tomato Food available here and of course, the old school favourites, Blood and Bone meal which are great choices when first planting trees and shrubs but are not available to the roots immediately; they begin to break down mid to late summer. Manures are another great eco-choice for feeding naturally.
 
LAWNS    Now more than ever feeding your lawn regularly is a vital maintenance practice. The recent ban of pesticides such as Grub Out and Killex, have left many home owners' lawns vulnerable to attack by weeds and pests. We cannot stress enough the importance of regular feeding, deep watering and over seeding to build a strong and healthy lawn. Feeding your lawn three times a year is the general rule of thumb - spring, summer and fall. Now is a great time to apply the summer fertilizer. Here at Gemmell's we carry a great natural based summer fertilizer which is a progressive release that promotes continued growth all summer long. We also carry another all purpose lawn fertilizer that is completely pesticide free.
 
Whatever you choose, the most important thing to remember is to continue to feed all plants, annuals, vegetables, trees, roses and lawns as they are living organisms that benefit greatly and become less susceptible to disease and pests when they are strong and being fed regulary. Just think how long you would last if no one fed you!