are they going to remain in pots???

have they broken dormancy ???

how long have they been in the pots ???

what makes you think they need fertilizer???

will they be going in the ground at some time ????

why did they need cold protection.. are they not zone appropriate????

more info please

ken

They have been in pots since I got them in the fall. Some are not cold-hardy for my zone, e.g. Cedrus deodara 'Prostrate Beauty' and Cryptomeria japonica. I protected the 3 Cedrus in the garden with straw, and they overwintered nicely.

I did not want the roots of the containerized plants to freeze, so placed them in an insulated but unheated garage for about 2-1/2 months. Most will remain in pots. The mix I used is 5 parts bark fines and 1 part each pumice and good potting soil.

Looks like the Cryptomeria has broken dormancy, but what are the signs?

Seems to me that some fertilizer would be good, as they begin to put out new growth.

I disagree (or even appear to!) with Ken at my peril, but I often fertilize shrubs when they have been in containers and I am putting them in soil that is not particularly compost-rich and the time of year is right (budbreak, basically). I would not generally fertilize shrubs on trees on a regular basis, but a bit of a 'goose' sometimes really helps, especially, as it happens here, with Cedrus deodara cultivars. They put out new growth twice a year here, and sometimes just seem to have a hard time keeping up!
Good luck,
Sara

You need to feed plants in pot when they're hungry.
They will get hungry when they're growing.
Soon this will start to happen, so get their food ready... :0)

I'll recomment Osmocote, because it will come free regulairy during the growing season.

Yes, Edwin, Osmocote is what I use!
Sara

FF .. exactly what are you disagreeing with.. all i asked for was more info ... i hadnt yet gotten to the point of my usual fertilizer rant ... lol ...

the great wizard asked: Looks like the Cryptomeria has broken dormancy, but what are the signs?

well.. the signs are bud elongation.. it is not hard to see on pine.. but i do understand on some of the others.. its hard to tell.. its usually a color change ... on the newer growth ...

in my zone.. with the vagaries of mother nature.. i would NEVER fert anything.. especially zone pushers .... until the threat of frost/freeze is near gone ... bit a vegas with that comment..

if you ... as FF says ... 'goose' it into lush vegetative growth.. and then it gets hit with frost/freeze.. you are "inclined plane wrapped around a shaft" 'ed

i do not.. like FF .. live in a zone where a winter coat is a wind breaker... i can not tell you how many potted plants i killed.. fertilizing too early .... nor.. like joy.. do i have 100 of every type.. where if i mess up one or two.. its part of CODB ... ost plants are doing the early work on STORED ENERGY ... and adding fert is going to change genetics ....

you can always fert in early summer.. what the heck is the hurry???

besides.. osmacote isnt going to do anything.. until it warms enough to release ... which can become problematic in a black pot in early spring .... the whole point of your protecting them.. was to get them dormant.. and keep them dormant for winter.. and now you want to go contrary to that process.. and 'goose' them early.. whats that all about ...

and the other issue is that osmacote comes in a variety of formulas.. my first batch.. unfortunately was a 9 month type.. who knew my growing season is only 5 months.. and late lush growth kills things in MI .... this is not a bigboxstore.. buy whatever they have use.. find EXACTLY what you need .... for your domain ...

then you said: Seems to me that some fertilizer would be good, as they begin to put out new growth.

==>> well of course it would be.. all i ask.. is WHATS THE HURRY ????

solve one issue.. spring weather.. you can always feed them when that settles down ...

ken

ps: the other way to find out if they are out of dormancy.. is to tip them out of the pot.. if the root tips are white.. then the roots are starting to do their work.. and bud growth wont be far behind ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Good points all, Ken! Our last 'official' frost date is April 15 here so I don't do anything to a woody plant until after that (and we had frost one April 23 a few years back). You need to know your climate/microclimate and act accordingly. My thoughts were about the yes/no of using fertilizer - the OP (or anyone else) needs to understand the vagaries of his/her particular climate.
And I was anticipating your rant!
Sara
ps gotta go put on my windbreaker and go outside!

Thanks to all for the useful info and feedback -- much appreciated!

I was not running to add fertilizer, but wanting advice, which I got, in spades!

Last official frost date here is May 15, but it would take mid-to-low 20's to freeze things. Nevertheless, the containerized conifers will go back in the garage on Thursday, which is when the next cold wave hits.

Yes, definitely begin to fertilize. I actually give my conifers and maples a dilute 1/8 strength dose every few weeks throughout Winter. I recommend that you pre-water the containers in advance (at least several hours, if not the day before) so that there are no dry pockets in the mix, then apply the fertilizer solution. A few minutes after that, come back through and do a light post-watering.

I use a combination of Osmocote and Foliage Pro to provide some overlap for when I'm late on the Foliage Pro. Osmocote gets added to the mix when the mix is made, and also sprinkled fresh a couple times per season (if it's 4-month slow-release). As the Osmocote is used up, I simply increase the Foliage Pro or else add more Osmocote.

During the main growing season, I fertilize full strength every 2 - 3 weeks.

Tender new growth is always going to be tender, but there's also some thought now that when plants have all the essential nutrients, they're actually more tolerant to cold.

Josh

I was not running to add fertilizer, but wanting advice, which I got, in spades!

==>> you mean.. you hadnt already added 4 giant handfuls to a one gallon pot BEFORE asking about it.. stunning.. lol ...

mind you.. in your zone.. i am probably just talking a week or two..

but my replies try to be a bit more shotgun.. so if some nut from MI sees this.. they will.... hopefully.. not equate CA,AZ,NC with a MI climate.. and go whipping fertilizer around.. until say.. may??? .. and then say: i read somewhere that fert in march is good .... yeah.. good luck with that in the great white north ....

knowledge is power.. and you are becoming a great powerful wizard ... lol

ken

With that sort of mix, you should be fertilizing any time the temperature is above 45-50 *F. The regimen Josh suggests is good. At lower temperatures, the roots are not actively absorbing nutrients, but it may be helpful to fertilize at a low dose so that all essential nutrients will be present when needed..

Pine bark-based mixes are very nutrient deficient, and will also tie up what little nutrients are present. If the "one part good potting soil" contains CRF, then you don't need to worry about fertilizing over the winter, or until your temperature reach that 45-50 F.

Alex

Thanks, Alex.

My advice is, indeed, tailored to Merlinus' situation - container grown material, bark-based mix, and plants not exposed to extreme outdoor temperatures.

At full strength, Foliage Pro is 114 ppm, so I doubt an 1/8 strength dose would hurt anything but the pocket-book if one were to fertilize over the Winter (in other words, it would just be a waste of money if the plant can't utilize the nutrients). This assumes regular watering/rain, of course, which would prevent the accumulation of salts in the container mix (the only possible downside from the plant's perspective).

Josh

Temps here dropping to 17 degrees Saturday night. Time to move the containerized conifers back into the garage!

Fertilizer spikes all the way!

+oM

PS......I do kid.

Whoa...Tom, you nearly gave me a heart attack! ;-)

Josh