In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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January 29, 2008

Wait to fertilize

Q: With all this wonderful rain, is it a good time to put out fertilizers? I am mainly thinking about my azaleas, roses, shrubs. I think I'm just itching to do something, my green thumb is going into withdrawal!! Please advise.

A: This time of year is the most agonizing time for a gardener. It feels like winter is never going to end and spring is just around the corner, all at the same time.

I'm going through gardening withdrawal, too. In fact, I'm paying so much attention to the few houseplants I have that I'm sure I'm overwatering them. They'll be glad when I'm working outside!

While there are things you can be doing in the garden, fertilizing isn't one of them. The soil is too cold now, so most plants, including roses and azaleas, aren’t actively growing. Wait until the soil warms up to at least 50 degrees, and that’s usually late Februay.

You can, however, fertilize things like calendulas, pansies, snapdragons, and other flowers that are actively growing now. There's plenty of pruning to be done. There are paths to renew, beds to mulch, compost to turn, weeds to pull...the list goes on and on.

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