Fertilizing:
Organic Fertilizers derived from plant, animal or mineral resources, and combined with organic matter, are ideal for enhancing soil fertility and stimulating plant growth in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Organic fertilizers add nutrients to the soil for uptake by plants and for use by the myriad of microorganisms that inhabit healthy, productive soil. Learn more about the benefits of using Natural and Organic Fertilizers in your garden!
It’s a great time to fertilize your berries! If you have strawberries, you can apply either Acid Mix 4-3-6 or Rose and Flower 4-8-4 to help encourage healthy, green growth. Another application in late spring will see the plants through blooming and fruit set. Acid Mix is also a great choice for your blueberries and raspberries.
Planting:
It’s spring- let’s get ready for planting! We recommend a soil thermometer to help you know when you can start planting warmer weather veggies directly in the ground. Right now you can start your tomatoes indoors by seed. Check out more info on Growing Tomatoes. There are plenty of things you can start outdoor by seed right now as well. For more information on what to plant when, check out our handy month to month guide that we offer in our garden department.
Prevention:
After your apples and pears have had their full bloom, place codling moth traps in your trees. These traps don’t offer good control, but rather are a good way to indicate their presence. We offer natural methods, such as kaolin clay as a way to treat the problem. Slugs and snails will continue to covet your fresh tender plant starts- keep them at bay by handpicking, setting up traps, using copper barriers, or applying Sluggo.
Soil Health:
Now is the perfect time to prep and enrich your soil with organic material and other amendments. Test your soil’s nutrient levels, and add amendments as needed. Building and nurturing healthy soil not only means adding organic materials and nutrients to help plants grow, but it is supporting the life teeming under the surface- a world of microorganisms, critters that break down dead plants, animals, and minerals to provide food for your plants, and beneficial bacteria. Check out tips on how to Build and Nurture Healthy Soil to grow your best garden.
Natural Lawn Care:
If you have a lawn, mid-April is a great time to apply a fertilizer like our Bio-Turf to add phosphorus and potassium. It’s also an excellent time for dethatching your lawn. The optimum time is when the turf is starting vigorous spring growth, usually around Mid-April. Turf dethatched in the Spring recovers faster, and is less prone to weed encroachment than other times of the year. Check out our Lawn Care info for more helpful tips!
FUN FACT:
Did you know that our fertilizer boxes are compostable? We utilize a 100% recycled (82% post-consumer) paperboard box printed with vegetable-based inks. We encourage everyone to recycle. When empty, use this box as a biodegradable paper mulch, shred and add to your compost pile, or simply combine with your other paper packaging for recycling.
