Fertilizer basics

Pick up a box or bag of fertilizer and you'll notice three numbers. Like, 10-10-10 or 15-30-15. Those numbers represent the ratio of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) that are in that bag or box of fertilizer. So, in a bag of 10-10-10 you have an even ratio of 10% Nitrogen, 10% Phosphorous, and 10% Potassium. Are you scratching your head thinking that doesn't add up to 100%? The rest of the bag can consist of micronutrients which are also great for the plants and some fillers.

How do you know which ratio to choose? Get to know each element and what it does for your plants and that will help you determine which fertilizer is right for you.

• Nitrogen is essential for plant growth. It promotes new growth of leaves and stems.
• Phosphorous promotes healthy root growth and stimulates flowering.
• Potassium is important for the plants overall health.

When you first plant annuals, trees, shrubs or perennials we recommend that you add E.B Stone Sure Start in the soil. The ratio of NPK in Sure Start is 4-6-2. This ratio gives overall nutrition with a concentration of Potassium so that your new plants can build a strong root system. 

An all-purpose plant food would contain a balanced ratio like 10-10-10 or E.B. Stone's All-Purpose Plant Food which is 5-5-5. Fertilizers that promote flowering tend to have higher numbers like Green Light's Super Bloom which has a ratio of 12-55-6.

Fertilizers come in granular or powdered forms, liquids and slow-reased pellets. Liquids and granular forms feed instantly. Slow-release fertilizers are coated and will release a small amount of the fertlizer each time it is watered.

What should you fertilize now?

Fertilize flower beds.

Fertilize houseplants that are outdoors for the summer. And, fertilize your indoor houseplants once a month.

Continue to fertilize Bermuda lawns.

Fertilize summer vegetables.

Fertilize container gardens.

Keep in mind with all the rain we've been having some fertilizers and essential nutrients can get washed away more quickly, especially in potted plants.

**If you have more questions about fertilizing, or want to know the best fertilizer for a specific type of plant, stop by and talk to one of our certified plant professionals! We're here to help take the guesswork out of gardening!

Read our June Lawn & Garden tips >

Take a look at our June Gardening Calendar >

Cultural Information
Get a bold pop of white, pink, lavender, purple or red in your summer landscape with crape myrtles. These easy-care trees thrive in our southern heat and humidity and bloom for 2-3 months. In the winter they add interest to the landscape as their smooth, outer bark exfoliates to expose under bark of brown, russet, tan and grey.

Depending on the variety, crape myrtle can mature to be anywhere from 2 feet to 30 feet tall. Crape myrtles can be pruned so they stay your desired size or you can let them grow freely – your choice! If you don’t mind pruning yearly, crape myrtles are great as the main focus in smaller gardens

Planting
1. Dig a hole at least twice the width of the root ball.
2. Using Pike Planting Mix combine one part natural soil and one part planting mix.
3. Place a small handful of E.B. Stone Sure Start in the bottom of the hole and incorporate into the soil.
4. Make sure the top of the original root ball is one inch above ground level.
5. Firmly tap soil and water thoroughly to remove any air pockets.

Fertilizing
For optimum growth and bloom, crape myrtles like regular feedings during the spring and summer months. Feed March through September with 100% organic E.B. Stone Ultra Bloom.

Watering
Soil should be moist to the touch, but not soggy. Once crape myrtles are established, which takes a year or two, they tolerate more arid conditions.

Care
If you opt to prune your crape myrtle to keep it a desired size you’ll want to prune it in late January or February while the tree is dormant. In the summer you can prune off spent blooms to encourage repeat blooming.

Learn more in our

Get more planting tips with our Monthly Lawn & Garden tips

 Shade Project

This shade garden is full of textures and colors, beautiful flowers and striking foliage.

The garden is approximately 12 feet by 8 feet.

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Get inspired with other ideas in the Playing in the Dirt Blog >

View Inspiration Magazine for more ideas >

 Partial Sun

The combination of flower and foliage color is what makes the plants in this spring/summer container garden work together in harmony. The purple in the angelonia flowers is repeated in both the rex begonia and setcreasea. The neon green alternanthera offsets the purple color repetition just enough to make everything pop.

This gorgeous container works in areas that receive direct morning sun or areas with filtered sun all day. Do not place in areas that receive direct sun in the afternoon.

Project Shopping List

1 – Glazed Pot 14 Inches
1 – Pike Potting & Container Soil 2 cu. ft. bag
1 – E.B. Stone Sure Start
1 – Angelonia
1 – Sunpatiens
2 – Rex Begonia
2 – Alternanthera
1 – Setcreasea
1 – Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

Plant Recipe

A – Angelonia
B – Sunpatiens
C – Rex Begonia
D – Alternanthera
E – Setcreasea
F – Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

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Get inspired with other ideas in the Playing in the Dirt Blog >

View Inspiration Magazine for more ideas >

Who taught you to garden? For me, it was my Dad. My Dad has always gardened and his Dad gardened. When the weather is nice, my Dad comes home from work changes clothes and heads outside where he stays until he can no longer see his hand in front of his face. He plants a vegetable garden and multiple flower beds each year. He also loves to propagate and grow plants to share.

When I am in my own garden I don't dig a hole without thinking of my Dad. The way I water plants in after they have been planted using the handle of the shovel to tamp down the soil, I learned from my Dad. He taught me the value of good soil and how to work it.

Each year when I was a child, Dad tilled a row at the back of his garden just for me. While he planted his garden, I planted zinnia seeds, dahlias and vinca. I learned patience waiting for those little seeds to germinate.

Many years have passed since then. Last year I made the trip home to south Alabama for a visit. As always, one of the first things we did when I arrived was to take a tour around outside. My Dad showed me all his latest plantings and what he had blooming. He had beautiful beds planted out front with coleus and caladiums. He showed me containers planted with asparagus ferns on the front porch. We walked around back, to his vegetable garden, and as we approached I saw in the distance, (just like when I was a child) in the back of his garden was a row tilled and waiting... just for me.

I am thankful to my Dad for all the time he spent with me in the garden and I am grateful that he passed along his love of gardening (and his green thumb) to me. 

Father's day is this Sunday, if your dad taught you to garden, thank him for that. Thank him for the time he spent with you there. And, dads of young children spend time with them in your garden. There are so many teachable moments that happen there. Teach them the value of growing your own fruits and vegetables and to appreciate nature.  And, you'll make memories with them, that will last a lifetime.

Happy Father's Day!

~Melodie McDanal

GGIA Certified Plant Professional and Horticulturist

Pictured: Melodie as a child in the garden, and her Dad in his garden in 2012.

Did your Dad teach you to garden? Share your story with us on our facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/PikeNurseries

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Knowing what needs to be pruned and when is a question we are asked from gardeners all the time. It can be confusing and even scary when you think about it. You wonder am I pruning at the wrong time; am I going to keep my plant from blooming? There's a simple rule that we like to follow, and, while there are exceptions, this rule is applicable to most flowering shrubs. It's a simple way to remember what needs to be pruned and when. It's the May rule.

On any shrub that blooms before May, wait until after it blooms to prune it. If it blooms in May or later, prune in late winter or early spring. 

Shrubs that bloom early in the spring are blooming on old growth. Their flower buds were set last season. Shrubs that bloom later bloom on new wood, so it's okay to prune them early in the year. 

Hydrangeas are a bit tricky. Some bloom on old wood and some bloom on new wood. So, its important to know which type you have. Mophead and Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood. Prune them after they bloom, if needed. Hydrangea paniculata (like Tardiva) and arborescens (like Annabelle's) bloom on new wood and would need to be pruned in late winter.

What to prune now

So, now is the time to prune azaleas, spirea, beautybush, forsythia, pieris, viburnum, rhododendron, quince, mountain laurel, kerria, Indian hawthorn, and all the other early spring bloomers that you haven't pruned yet.

Get more June tips for your Lawn & Garden>

View our June Gardening Calendar>

Saturday June 22 at 10 am

To prune or not to prune—the choice is yours. During this free class our plant experts will teach you all about crape myrtles. Join us for tips on selecting, planting, and caring for these low maintenance trees. 

Saturday June 29 at 10 am

Join us for this free class to learn how to care for hydrangeas. Our plant experts will teach you everything you need to know from picking the right hydrangea for your garden to planting and pruning. 

Saturday July 13 at 10am

Get the most out of your roses. Whether you have a rose garden or you’re just considering planting one, join us for this free class for tips on deadheading, fertilizing, and watering. We will also discuss common pests and problems and offer solutions. 

Saturday July 27 at 10 am

Creating a terrarium is fun and easy. During this class we’ll teach you how to build and care for a terrarium. After the class you’ll have the chance to create your own with the help of one of our knowledgeable associates. We will provide Pike Potting & Container Soil and E.B. Stone Sure Start, so you will only have to pay for your container, plants, and other materials you choose.

*Guide to Terrariums is a free class, but those who choose to make their own terrarium have to pay for the materials. Pike Nurseries will provide the soil.