Last Chance for Fertilizer Before Fall

by | Jun 4, 2018 | Organic Gardening, Spring, Weather & Seasons | 0 comments

Like me, you’ve no doubt noticed that the daytime highs in the Southwest are moving into triple digits a little early this year. A quick scan of my herb garden reveals my plants noticed it too. Several annuals (cilantro and catnip, in particular) are setting seed and getting ready to die before the worst of the summer heat gets here.

Now is the time for one last application of fertilizer before summer. Why do I say this? Because I need to remember the high heat means all my plants will stop significant growing, and for a good reason. New leaves appearing during high heat and high stress times are less likely to be healthy. A wise plant – and a wise gardener – recognizes that. Fertilizer stimulates growth. You don’t want to do that in mid-summer when the plant is already stressed and is struggling to keep healthy what leaves it already has.

 

There are many fine fertilizers on the market that you can safely use on your herb garden. Quick Tip: A granular, slow-release fertilizer will do the most good.

 

So if you have plans for another application of fertilizer, get out there and do it now. Which fertilizer? For herbs I generally recommend a balanced fertilizer, one where the N-P-K numbers on the front label are close together. A 10-12-10 fertilizer would be just fine for example. If you’re unsure of the N-P-K numbers, ask your nursery staff. They’ll be glad to help.

P.S. This is also a good time to get down some mulch if you haven’t already done so. Mulch provides protection from drying winds and acts as a very, very slow release fertilizer. It also reduces weed problems, something we all struggle with.

 

Mulch is one of the best things you can do for your garden beds. Not only is it a slow-release fertilizer but it helps hold in moisture in the soil during the hot summers.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

[wd_hustle id="5" type="embedded"/]

Top 10 Posts

Late Summer Blooming Garlic Chives

Late Summer Blooming Garlic Chives

If you enjoy cooking Asian foods, you’ll enjoy having a ready supply of garlic chives. Garlic chives are the big brother of the more commonly grown onion chives. They grow about twice as tall and have a more assertive garlic flavor. Onion chives have small cylindrical...

Get Your Garden Tools Ready for Spring

Get Your Garden Tools Ready for Spring

Many of us are still dealing with frigid weather. Spring can seem a long way off but a month from now things will be different. But before the weather warms you can get ahead of the game and get your garden tools ready for the season.

Rotisserie Chicken Soup

Rotisserie Chicken Soup

The majority of my at-home dinners are from scratch – or nearly so. But we all have those days when ToDo list overwhelms the time available and you have to punt. That’s when a rotisserie chicken can save the day.

Is It Spring Yet?

Is It Spring Yet?

As I write this post, my Fort Worth home has an inch of snow on the ground from a storm that passed through two days ago. Texans are feeling downright edgy being cooped up from all that white stuff that has no business this far south.  But slowly the days will warm and  we will be on our way to the first signs of spring. Get ready with these gardening tips.

New Ideas For Your 2022 Garden

New Ideas For Your 2022 Garden

Happy New Year! Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, may the coming year bring you many joyful moments. Of course I hope some of those happy times take place in and around gardens. To help you make this come true I’ve collected a few ideas to get you out of your comfort zone and into something new.

Caring For a Rosemary Holiday Bush

Caring For a Rosemary Holiday Bush

Beautiful though they are, most rosemary holiday bushes often don’t last beyond the holiday season. Rosemary is an outdoor shrub, not an indoor tropical houseplant. The techniques homeowners use to successfully grow philodendrons and ferns indoors will kill rosemary. Here’s what to do.

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part II

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part II

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is my second helping of bogus garden hacks from an article I found online. The offending article was on one of those sites that claim to give the reader the “real facts” hitherto hidden from the average reader.

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part I

Bogus Gardening Advice, Part I

My beloved husband is always on the lookout for garden articles on the Internet that I might find interesting. Most of his discoveries are worthwhile. Recently however he forwarded a link to a page that had my blood boiling within minutes.

Making a Rosemary Garland

Making a Rosemary Garland

With the cooling fall weather, herb gardeners are busy harvesting and prepping the garden for winter. This includes some trimming of the shrubs that may have exceeded their allotted space.

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Here in Texas the pecan tree is a native so nearly everyone has a source nearby for pecans. I the spirit of the Lone Star State here are some classic scones with cinnamon and pecan to add a flavor kick.

About Ann McCormick

I Believe

Books I Like

Verified by MonsterInsights