What are you growing in? A container? Raised bed or in-ground bed?
Knowing your growing conditions is everything when trying to answer how often to fertilize your plants. (You didn't think I'd give you a definitive answer just yet, did you?) As with so much else in gardening this answer is contingent on a bunch of other conditions. When I try to answer this question, I have to know your growing conditions. The very first one is: What are you growing in?
What is a foliar feed?
A foliar feed is when you apply the liquid fertilizer mixed with water per their instructions directly to the leaves of a plant instead of into the ground. I use this sprayer for my weekly feedings.
Fertilizer Schedule: Growing in a Pot
- I fertilize weekly with a fish and seaweed fertilizer that my friend Gina would call mermaid juice. It gives the plants a big nitrogen boost and they love it. I pour it into the soil as well as do a foliar feed.
- Other options for weekly feeding are : DIY Compost Tea, DIY comfrey tea or DIY chive tea.
- I am trying Malibu Biodynamic Compost Tea Bags out this year for ease of use when it comes to making Compost Tea.
- Monthly dosing of Dr Earths Rose & Flower fertilizer.
Fertilizer Schedule: Growing in a Raised Container Bed
- I amend the soil with 2" of compost with every new planting, adding Dr Earths Rose & Flower fertilizer when I plant plugs.
- Once the flower plant has sprouted, I do a foliar feed with fish and seaweed fertilizer or a compost tea. I also water the soil with it.
Fertilizer Schedule: Growing in an In-ground Planting Bed
- What is your soil like? Is it clay? Sandy? Loamy? Each one of these soils has different feeding needs. If you have sandy soil, then you won't have nutrients stay in your soil for very long and I know some flower farmers feed their plants twice a week with a foliar feed. I have clay soil which isn't that great with drainage but keeps in the nutrients really well. I still feed my dahlias once a week with a foliar feed during the growing season.
- Have you sent your soil out to be tested? If you don't know what your Nitrogen, Potassium or Phosphorus levels (NPK) are, it's hard to know how to amend the soil and see what's missing. I did the LeMotte N-P-K test kit to figure out my levels. It also tests the pH.
- I add a 2" layer of compost between each successive planting.
- I still do the weekly foliar feed on my in-ground beds especially the dahlias. They are hungry plants like tomatoes.
