Stink For The Sweets:flower Garden Fertilizers

By Author: Danny Ang
Total Articles: 78
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Flowers are like Mother Nature's surprise party- the wildflowers pop up in unexpected places to dazzle us with color and if we are lucky, sweet scents. And then there are the ones that we plant and tend to like they were our own children. We till the soil, making it the perfect medium for our seeds or seedlings. We mulch, we water, we weed. We fret about any temperature variation that might harm our little angels, we chase off bad bugs and introduce beneficial ones. Is it worth it? From the first plant that opens its brightly colored petals to the last to die off, yes, oh my yes, it is worth it. To be able to walk out of the door and bury your face in the sweet scent of summer itself is something next to perfect. But how do you grow your flower garden for the most color, the biggest bloom, the most dazzling display possible?

Before you plant even the first flower, you must make sure your soil is in good shape. Work your soil to a soft, fine mix and then add the proper nutrients to replenish what was used in the garden the previous season. Realize that you will still be feeding your flower garden a few more times ...
... through the season. Just as you need a variety of nutrients to remain healthy, your plants and flowers do as well. Most people have a basic knowledge of which vitamins help with which part of their body, and they should have the same basic knowledge about their flowers. The three most common nutrients in commercial or organic fertilizers are: nitrogen (for the health of green shoots), phosphorus,(for strong root systems and building cell walls) and potassium ( for flowers and fruits). Of course, you can buy a fertilizer which will be labeled for the plants you want to grow, but you could also learn to mix your own, which is cheaper and safer in the long run.

If you keep compost, (and you should), you can give each plant a small drink of special tea to give them nutrients galore. Start with one to two cups of dry compost material and then add it to a gallon of warm water. Let the mixture sit for a few hours or overnight, and then pour around the base of the flowers. Do not overfeed or over-water and only use this mixture a few times a season.

Another good fertilizer which is completely free can be found right inside of your house if you keep fish as pets. Whenever you clean the aquarium, save the water, including the water that you used to rinse off the gravel. Use this fishy water in your garden and you will be rewarded with blooms aplenty.

If you do not compost on a regular basis you can still make an occasional, healthy fertilizer treat for your flower garden from food scraps. Save banana peels and egg shells for a day or so. Toss them into the blender with just a little bit of water and puree. The egg shells will provide calcium and phosphorus and the banana peels have just as much potassium as the fruit they once covered. Pour this mixture near the roots of your plants and they will "grow crazy" over it.
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