Should I Fertilize?

If you have the optimal 5% organic matter in your soil, you probably do not need to add additional fertilizer to a landscape. A soil report will indicate if your soil is deficient in any nutrients. Intensive gardening, like growing vegetables, may require additional fertilizer. 

Not all fertilizers are the same. A plant cannot tell if a fertilizer comes from a manufactured or natural source. However, natural or organic fertilizers, even though they are slower to react, provide benefits to the soil life – manufactured fertilizers do not.

Be careful not to overdo it. Over-fertilization can actually cause certain nutrients to become “tied up” and unavailable to plants. It can cause salty or even toxic conditions – both of which can harm plants. Even compost used as an amendment can become toxic if it is overused.