I use a light scatter of 12 month Osmocote on occasion, but for the most part if your soil is decent, they don't need it. A good, well-drained soil with a fair amount of organic matter is fine by itself. This said, others may fertilize regularly, it's all in what yu feel like doing.

George

I agree. I never fertilize any of my hellebores (except those growing in containers) or for that matter, much of anything else in my garden. But I do mulch pretty regularly with compost, so the organic matter and nutrient content of my soils is constantly being replenished. If given the choice, I would always go with an organic source of nutrients - well-aged chicken manure should be fine.

I put one shovel full of compost around the base of my hellebores every spring and one shovel full every fall. I do the same with ferns. They all thrive.