Hi everyone

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I reclaimed my garden this spring. Some of the plants were beyond recovery, and I had a lot of weeks to contend with, but I managed to carve out a nice area (I expanded to get rid of some lawn), and I think it will be really nice. I have a couple of rhododendrons (one over 5' x 5' that I just bought from a neighbour and transplanted), several perrenials, two small cedars, ground cover, etc... I think the choices were okay for an East-facing area (part sun). The soil looks rich enough, and maybe a little dense. I may have to mix in some sand or something next year - I will see if it looks like drainage is an issue.

Now I am wondering what (if anything) I should do in terms of fertilizing to assure that the garden does well this year and more importantly is well esablished for years to come. I have heard conflicting reports, as in

theory one: dont fertilize the first year, especially large plants like the rhodo, just let it recover from the shock it is in

theory two: fertilize everthing with a balanced fertilizer now and treat with bone meal in the Fall.

theory three: fertilize everything with manure now to assure needed bacteria are there

theory four: don't do anything before you test PH and NPK and only adjust as necessary

What makes the most sense? Are there other tips or resources you recommend for me?

Thanks all,

Dave