How to Fertilize Frugally

The method of application depends on the type of fertilizer. Sprinkle granules around the base of plants, scratch into the soil, and water thoroughly to dissolve. Shovel a layer of compost or manure over the soil at the base of the plants, and scratch in with a hoe. This method is called side-dressing.

You can apply some fertilizers, including compost and manure, in liquid solution. Apply liquid fertilizers either to the soil or leaves. This is called foliar feeding. Plants can absorb nutrients in solution through their leaves as well as their roots. In fact, they absorb them more quickly this way. Apply these products through a sprayer or dissolve in a watering can and apply by hand. The second option is cheaper, but takes longer.

Is it possible, you may ask, to apply compost or manure as a liquid? The answer is, yes, if you brew a batch of fabulous, free ''tea." Scoop some compost or manure into a bagtry using an old pillowcase, old pantyhose, gunnysack, flour sack, or any bag made of porous fabric. Tie off the top and set in a 5-gallon bucket. Use larger containers if you need more fertilizer. Fill the bucket with water to the top of the bag and let it sit for a day or two. Nutrients from the compost or manure leach into the water, which you then use to water your garden or to foliar feed.

For lawns, a spreader broadcasts fertilizer evenly over the surface of the grass, liquid fertilizer applicators that attach to your hose are also available. Either one is a fair investment. Fertilize woody landscape plants by broadcasting the product throughout the lawn and just outside the drip line. If landscape plants are growing through the lawn, however, punch holes with a soil probe or soil auger attached to an electric drill, and put the fertilizer into the holes. This prevents burning the grass with an overdose of nitrogen. Make the holes 1 to 2 inches across and about 8 inches deep, spaced about 2 feet apart. Avoid placing them close to tree trunks as this process could damage roots.

Organic or Synthetic Fertilizers

A common misconception is that synthetic fertilizers are better than organic. Another misunderstanding is that organic is better than synthetic. You can make political or environmental arguments for synthetic or organic fertilizer, but the plants can't tell the difference as long as the nutrients are available. However, don't forget the many benefits of adding humus to your soil, which only organic amendments can supply. Brand labels mean nothing to plants. It's the fertilizer analysis that countsthe list of three, sometimes four, numbers listed on the bag. They stand for the percentage of nitrogen (designated by the international chemical symbol N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and when present, sulfur (S), in the product, in that order. As mentioned in Chapter 1, these are the major elements plants need (except sulfur, which is a secondary element). Trace elements are also necessary, but manufacturers may or may not list them on labels. Organic fertilizers are much more likely to include these than manufacturers of chemical formulas.

Plants can only use nutrients that have been reduced to the molecular form. Chemical fertilizers work so fast because they have already been processed into the molecular form, whereas organic fertilizers must first be broken down by soil microbes. This activity depends on soil temperature. Below 70°F, soil microorganisms work slower, which makes the nutrients in organic fertilizer unavailable to plants in cold soils. Organic fertilizers release nutrients over a period of time, unlike synthetic fertilizers which make the nutrients available at time of application.

Chemical fertilizers dissolve fairly quickly in water, which makes them easily accessible to plants. Their labels instruct to water thoroughly after application. Unfortunately, this ready solubility also means that chemical fertilizers, unlike slow-release organics, leach more quickly from the soil.

For the best results with the least expense, strategically combine the two types of fertilizer. In the spring, while the soil is still cool, apply chemical fertilizer to lawn, flower borders, and vegetable gardens. Once the soil is warm, switch to compost or another low-cost organic source. Organic fertilizers are not necessarily more costly than synthetics. This is commonly misstated, because the measurable amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in synthetic fertilizers costs less per pound than those in many commercially prepared organic fertilizers. But those aren't the only sources of organic fertilizer. Once you know, roughly, the fertilizer analysis of organic compounds, which varies with different sources, you can mix your own fertilizers balanced for your particular needs, at a fraction of the cost.

This is where ingenuity and the willingness to scrounge for something pays off. I never buy fertilizer, and you don't have to either. So long as you supply the plants' nutrient requirements, it just doesn't matter to them where the nutrients come from, whether it is an organic or synthetic source.

Feeding Plants on a Budget

The most common mistake gardeners make is thinking more is better. If a bag of fertilizer says to apply a cup for every 10 feet of row, then two cups must make plants really grow. That is not the case. Manufacturer's instructions are not arbitrary numbers that somebody guessed at. Manufacturers base their instructions on the ability of plant roots to absorb nutrients in a set amount of time. This rate varies with the type, age, and health of the plant, as well as the soil type and texture.

Never Amend Backfill

Not only is it cheaper to use the original soil to backfill a planting hole, it is better for the plant. By digging a hole and filling it with amendments or foreign soil, you create an artificial environment with a dramatic interface between it and the surrounding native soil. The result is water does not flow freely between the two media, and plant roots become entrapped in the planting hole, much like they would in a container. At first, the plant will look normal, in fact, most plants will appear to thrive. After a while, the plant becomes virtually potbound and dies, leaving the conscientious backfiller to wonder why.

Transplanting Bare-Root Stock

Some of the best bargains in woody plants are bare-root plants. The selection is phenomenal, and it includes roses, grapes, blueberry bushes, canefruit, and many shrubs and trees.

Late winter is the best time to buy and plant. It is also the best time to dig up and move young plants that you have propagated yourself.

Plant bare-root plants as soon as you get them home, or dig them up, to prevent life-threatening dehydration. Bare-root plants are totally unprotected. If you cannot plant them immediately, place the plants in a bucket of water for no more than a few hours.

Check the plant carefully at both ends. Trim any damaged or spindly roots and cut back the top-growth in proportion to the roots. This seems to be a hard step for most gardeners, but the roots establish the life-blood of the plant and they must get top priority.

Prepare the soil the same as for container plants to transplant. Position the bare-root plant at the proper depth, again usually the same depth at which it grew previously. Build a cone of soil in the bottom of the hole and arrange the roots around it. Backfill, and water well.

Transplanting Container or Root-Ball Plants

Container plants, similar to bedding plants, have their roots established in a growing medium. Unlike spring bedding plants though, it is best to transplant container plants when doRmant.

Perennials. Grow them in containers or special beds in the garden. Transplant at any time, but spring and fall are preferable. Top-growth is slower at these times, yet roots are still developing. At this stage the plant has the greatest chance of establishing roots before going dormant for the winter. The fun part about planting perennials is planning where you will plant them. Try arranging extensive borders using just the plants you propagate yourself (or sneak in a few store-bought plants if you must).

Make sure you plant perennials at the proper depth. Transplant most perennials at the same level they grew in the container or the field, usually with the crown at soil level. Perennials that tend to rot at the base grow better if planted higher. Plants that require dampness near the crown, such as Solomon's Seal and hostas should be planted lower.

Prepare a perennial bed by tilling and amending the soil at least a few days before planting. Ideally, this is a job for the previous fall. This gives the soil time to settle and mellow. If adding to an existing planting, begin by digging a hole about twice as big around as the roots of the plant and a few inches deeper. As for bedding plants, you can sprinkle in a little fertilizer or compost in the bottom and cover with soil. Water the potted plant and gently slide it from the container without breaking any roots. Carefully loosen some of the root soil. Tease any roots that have begun to grow in circles free of the root ball. Set in place and remove; refill the hole if necessary to adjust the planting depth. Backfill with soil from the hole and water well. As with bedding plants, pay perennials a little special attention until the roots are established.

Vines or climbers. Transplant vines or climbers from containers the same way as perennials. It is usually best to transplant in the spring to give the plant a chance to establish.

Install a trellis when planting climbers, or place the new plant near an existing support, such as a fence or tree. Supports, while necessary for climbers, pose a few challenges. Supports shelter the growing plant from essential rain or sprinkler water. If you use another plant as a support, the two will compete for water and nutrients. Plant climbers at least 1 foot from a support to reduce water deflection and allow for adequate air circulation. But plant them nearer tree trunks, however, since competing feeder roots spread out near the drip line rather than near the trunk.

Plant climbers grafted to a rootstock, such as wisteria and climbing roses, with the graft union below the soil level. This protects the union from extreme temperatures, and prompts the climber to send out its own roots. Also, clematis develops more buds if set about 2 inches deeper than it originally grew.

Shrubs and Trees. These are sold in containers or with the roots wrapped in burlap. The method for transplanting shrubs and trees is similar to the method used for other container plants, but on a larger scale. For roots wrapped in burlap, treat as you would a container plant, unless the soil crumbles. In that case don't worry, just proceed as for a bare-root plant. (See next section.)

Place the plant in the ground. Without burying the plant any deeper, backfill about halfway and water well. Finish filling the hole, water again, and gently firm the soil down. Shovel a ring of soil around the drip line. This forms a water-retaining well that pools water and funnels it to the plant's roots. Remove the well before hard frost or during heavy rains.

Trees require an additional Step. Many trees suffer root damage due to the effects of wind-rock. Winds rattle the tree, shaking it clear down to its unestablished roots. The motion tears tiny feeder roots, creates air pockets, and may prevent the tree from thriving. Place stakes or guy wires to keep the trunk in place while the roots gain strength. Don't make the common mistake of tying the tree down tightly. Tree roots need a little natural stress in order to grow strong. Make sure there is a little give in the tension of wires, or use a section of old rubber hose to tie the tree in place.

Transplanting Bedding Plants

Bedding plants and other small plants are easy to establish in the garden. They are already growing and have an active root system. Plant them in the spring as soon as it is warm enough for the species. But don't rush out with a new flat of plants, and stick them in the ground. First you must harden them off. Most bedding plants are grown under greenhouse conditions and are not yet ready to take on the real world. Here are four critical steps to success.

Hardening off. Toughen bedding plants first to stretch your plant dollars. Hardening off is a physical toughening of plant tissues. It takes only a few days and pays off in the survival rate and vigor of transplants. Whether bringing home plants from the garden center or preparing your homegrown transplants, this is a crucial step. Begin by placing the plants outside for about thirty minutes in a protected site, near a south wall for instance. Even a gentle breeze can seem like a howling gale to pampered plants. The next day increase the plants' time and exposure to the elements. Continue this routine for about a week.

Site preparation. While the plants are hardening off, prepare the site by removing all weeds, turning and amending the soil, and dusting with diazinon or diatomaceous earth to kill soil-dwelling bugs. Transplanting. Transplant on an overcast day or in the late afternoon. Use a garden trowel to dig holes for the transplants 1 to 2 inches deeper than the roots of the plants. Sprinkle a little fertilizer or 1 inch of compost at the bottom of each hole. Refill the hole so that the transplant rests at the same depth it grew in the container. Gently loosen the transplant's roots, and place in the hole. Pat into place, and water. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) makes a cheap fertilizer substitute for tomato transplants.

Coddle transplants. Coddle the transplants for a few days even though they have been hardened off. They will suffer less shock and will grow more quickly. Water frequently, but don't drown them. If the weather is windy, give them a wind break by placing a board or bale of straw between them and the prevailing wind. If it gets too hot or sunny, rig a shade cloth over them. A good start will result in more robust and productive plants when they mature.