The best all-around fertilizers have at least these two criteria: 1) they are balanced (NPK ratio: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), and 2) they are slow-release, which reduces the likelihood of burning plants from excess nitrogen.

Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food is one fertilizer that fits both of those criteria:
http://www.scotts.com/smg/goprod/osmocote-outdoor-indoor-plant-food/prod70362/

Carol in Jacksonville

Here is a link that might be useful: Learn about Fertilizer

This post was edited by love_the_yard on Sun, Jun 30, 13 at 16:34

Lesco 13-3-13......use it most everything every spring.......blooming foliage lesco 8-10-10. You'll get a thousand opinions, so experiment, but in fertilizer, you usually get what ya pay for.

I agree with Carol for most plants. Time released fertilizers are very good in Florida because most of our soil is so sandy. When you start talking trees I suggest Milorganite if they are oaks or pines or even camellias, but palms, citrus and other trees do best with specific fertilizers.

I use Espoma products for most of my flowers or bushes. Espoma is all natuaral, organic fertilizer. It doesn't burn and it seems to encourage the growth of the good bacteria.

yep, Tom.
I use Espoma too. My local feed store now has an all organic fertilizer in 50lbs and I can't get the Espoma in 50s. One of my palms has a bad deficiency because of all purpose fertilizer.
The problem with the all organic is that we now have a dog and she won't leave it alone :-o

If you use an organic fertilizer, be sure to bury it in the soil, particularly with potted plants. The morning after I fertilize with organics I find that animals have dug up the fertilizer, leaving mounds of soil around the trunks. The labels on the organics don't mention that animals find it edible.

I want to thank everyone who took time to answer my question and for giving me valuable advice.

Thanks,
S

Read the label........chicken this and chicken that.....= rats, ect.......:(. Lesco, time release.....read the label......tons of minor nutrients.....just my take......:)