Espoma’s Holly-tone is an all-natural, organic fertiliser that can be used on other plants as well. Any acid-loving plant, including blueberries, camellias, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas, and others, can benefit from its application.
You should fertilise your plants twice a year, in late fall and early spring. Use only half of the recommended fertiliser dosage when you apply it in the late fall. Holly-tone is a natural organic product that has been utilised by professionals for many years. Additionally, it contains Bio-tone, which improves the organic fertiliser biologically for better plant growth.
Applying Holly-tone: Be cautious to read the bag’s back before fertilising trees, shrubs, and other plants that love acid. To give each sort of plant the best chance to grow, it provides instructions.
Trees: Measure the diameter of the tree trunk before fertilising it. This will enable you to calculate the appropriate fertiliser dosage. For every inch of your tree, use one pound of fertiliser.
As seen in the video by Laura, who uses a drill and hole auger to make the holes, drill holes every 23 feet all the way around the tree’s drip line. In essence, the tree’s canopy ends at the drip line. Fill each hole with fertiliser, backfill it, and add water.
Note: Espoma’s Organic Plant-tone should be used in their place because arborvitae and boxwood are not acid-loving evergreens.
Compared to trees, shrubs are a little easier to fertilise because no digging is necessary. Similar to trees, the size of the shrub determines how much fertiliser is necessary. For every foot of branch diameter, one cup of fertiliser should be used. It should be dispersed all around the plant’s drip line, worked into the soil, and well watered.
Garden Beds: Of the three, fertilising established garden beds is the easiest. It all comes down to the size of the garden beds you have. Use 5 pounds of fertiliser per 100 square feet of your garden bed. Then, water it in after dispersing it as evenly as you can around the plants.
Use twice as much fertiliser in new garden beds to get the soil ready for new plants. Use ten pounds of fertiliser for a garden bed that is 100 square feet in size. To prepare the soil ready for the new plants, sprinkle it on top of the soil and work it into the top 4 inches.
Pots: Use one teaspoon for every three inches of the diameter of your pot for growing plants like blueberries in containers. Sprinkle it inside the pot’s inner rim, then fill it with water.
Can Holly-tone be used excessively?
Can I apply too much Holly-tone around my Douglas firs and arborvitae? Might too much of it kill them? I frequently err on the side of caution by maybe not putting down enough because I never really know how much to put down. Is it better to remove the mulch and apply the fertiliser directly to the soil, or may I apply the fertiliser on top of the mulch?
A: Holly-tone is an organic fertiliser that comes in granule form, therefore it would take an absurd quantity to kill any plant with it. A surplus would have more of a cumulatively negative impact, either changing the colour of the tree or making it more enticing to insects.
The probability of just wasting time and money by using more fertiliser than is necessary is higher. One of those Penn State soil test kits, which cost around $10 at most garden centres, is the only foolproof way to find out exactly what a plant needs. The outcomes will show you precisely how much and what kind of fertiliser, if any, is required. The majority of mature trees really don’t require any more fertiliser, especially if you’re also fertilising the neighbouring lawn.
According to conventional recommendations, 5 to 10 pounds of the grains should be distributed over each 100 square feet of bed space when using goods like Holly-tone. Each 10-by-10-foot section would thus receive one 5-pound bag, for instance. (At that rate, you’ll go through a lot of small bags.)
For trees, it is advised to spread around 3 cups of Holly-tone around the dripline for every inch of trunk diameter. In other words, if your tree trunk is 3 inches in diameter, you should place 9 cups of Holly-tone under it.
The fertiliser should be raked into the top several inches of soil for the best benefits. But to remove the mulch, apply the product, scratch it in, and then reinstall the mulch is far too much bother for any reasonable gardener.
Once there is no longer any risk of a freeze, the majority of people, including me, just scatter fertiliser over the beds. Ideal timing is right before a heavy downpour. The same is true just before laying down a new layer of mulch for the season. Even better than digging all the way down to the soil is raking the fertiliser into the mulch.
The biggest issue is spreading fertiliser over a mulch-compacted bed and then having a significant amount of it washed away by a severe downpour. On flat beds as opposed to sloped ones, and on beds where the mulch is at least slightly loose or roughed up rather than compacted down like a driveway, that is much less likely to occur.
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What is the Holly-tone ratio?
Mix 10 lbs. of Holly-tone per 100 square feet (or 1 cup per 3 square feet of area) and In (or 1/4 cup per plant) directly into the top four to five inches of soil when preparing a new bed.
What dosage of fertiliser do hydrangeas require?
Fertilizing hydrangeas once or twice in the summer is optimal for their growth. Despite the fact that some experts advise using specialised fertiliser blends to achieve the best results, hydrangeas thrive when given a more casual approach.
It is possible to use organic matter or chemical fertilisers successfully. This would be a fantastic first line of defence because putting manure and/or compost organically around the roots yields outstanding effects and also improves the soil’s quality. For optimal impact, organic soil improvements can also be paired with a dose of chemical fertiliser.
The simplest method, if chemical fertilisers are employed, is probably to apply a slow-release, balanced fertiliser once a year. The market is flooded with slow-release fertilisers. If you can locate a fertiliser made for trees and shrubs, it would be effective on hydrangeas. In order for the fertiliser to release efficiently when Osmocote is applied, the granules MUST BE covered with soil.
Slow-release fertilisation is by no means the only method for hydrangeas, though. If used twice over the summer, a less expensive fast-releasing fertiliser such a 10-10-10 will perform just as well. A soil sample should be taken and the fertiliser and trace elements should be matched to your soil’s requirements if you want a fertilising regimen that is personalised to your particular circumstances.
Fertilize no later than August. Hydrangeas start preparing for dormancy in the fall. By fertilising now, you can encourage sensitive new growth that won’t be able to weather the winter. A late May application and another in July might be appropriate in the South. Northerner regions might want to fertilise just once in June or July.
The size and root system of the plant will determine how much chemical fertiliser is utilised per plant. If growing hydrangeas in a container, use less fertiliser. More harm can result from overfertilization than from underfertilization. When too much fertiliser is used, it can cause “fertiliser burn,” which damages or even kills the hydrangea by drying out the roots. To be on the safe side, use less fertiliser than you think is necessary. The first indicator of damaged roots is frequently leaves that seem charred. In severe cases of overfertilization, the plant may simply wilt and die.
Knowing that a very small plant will require between 1/8 and 1/4 cup of fertiliser when it is planted in the ground may be useful if you are new to growing plants. Apply a fertiliser with caution that won’t burn the roots when fertilising hydrangeas in pots (such as a slow release or a liquid fertilizer). Two to three cups should be distributed around the drip line of the branches of a very large shrub planted in the ground (not next to the trunk). Please read the fertilizer’s instructions carefully before using it because this is only a very rough estimate.
For both plants in pots and plants in the ground, liquid fertiliser should be applied once a month if it is being utilised.
If a plant appears sick or wilted, never fertilise it with a chemical fertiliser. A plant will only experience more stress if the cause of its difficulties is a disease or a root issue. Prior to putting in fertiliser, try to solve the issue.
Which fertiliser is ideal for hydrangeas?
When purchasing fertiliser, check the labels to see how much nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium are present (K). A general-purpose, balanced fertiliser such a 10-10-10 N-P-K or 12-4-8 N-P-K is typically best for hydrangeas. Consider using a fertiliser with additional phosphorus if you want your hydrangea blossoms to be bigger and more numerous.
Since phosphorus is the middle element, fertiliser with the formula 10-20-10 will do. Choose a slow-release granular fertiliser with the designation “bloom boost” if you’re looking into it because it might also include more phosphorus.
How often should Holly-tone be applied?
A natural and organic fertiliser that isn’t just for hollies is called Holly-tone. Any acid-loving plant, including blueberries, camellias, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas, and others, can benefit from its application.
You should fertilise your plants twice a year, in late fall and early spring. Use only half of the recommended fertiliser dosage when you apply it in the late fall.
Applying Holly-tone:
Be sure to read the back of the package before applying Holly-tone to your acid-loving trees, shrubs, and plants. To offer each variety of plant the best chance to develop, it includes instructions.
Trees:
Determine the diameter of the tree trunk before fertilising it. This will enable you to calculate the appropriate fertiliser dosage. For every inch of your tree, use one pound of fertiliser.
As shown in the video by Laura, who is using a drill and hole auger to make the holes, drill holes every two to three feet around the tree’s drip line. In essence, the tree’s canopy ends at the drip line. Fill each hole with fertiliser, backfill it, and add water.
Note: Plant-tone should be used in their place because arborvitae and boxwood are not acid-loving evergreens.
Shrubs:
Since there is no need for digging, shrubs are a little easier to fertilise than trees. Similar to trees, the size of the shrub determines how much fertiliser is necessary. For every foot of branch diameter, one cup of fertiliser should be used. It should be dispersed all around the plant’s drip line, worked into the soil, and well watered.
Planting beds:
The three can be fertilised, but established garden beds require the least work. It all comes down to the size of the garden beds you have. Use 5 pounds of fertiliser per 100 square feet of your garden bed. Then, water it in after dispersing it as evenly as you can around the plants.
Use twice as much fertiliser in new garden beds to get the soil ready for new plants. Use 10 pounds of fertiliser for a garden bed that is 100 square feet in size. To prepare the soil ready for the new plants, sprinkle it on top of the soil and work it into the top 4 inches.
Containers:
Use one teaspoon for every three inches of the diameter of your pot if you are growing plants in pots, such as blueberries. Sprinkle it inside the pot’s inner rim, then fill it with water.
Have trees that don’t like acid ready to be fertilised? The Garden Answer’s Laura demonstrates how to fertilise with Tree-tone.
When should Holly-tone be applied?
Evergreens Arborvitae and Boxwood don’t require acidic soils. For them, Plant-tone is advised.
Use when:
- Feed at half as much in the late Fall as you would in the spring.
- The optimal time to fertilise spring-flowering evergreens like azaleas and rhododendrons is when the first signs of bloom colour appear.
- Early spring and late spring feedings of berry harvests are recommended (45-60 days apart).
- Fertilizer must never be applied to frozen soil.
Amount to use:
each inch of trunk diameter, one pound. For diameters 3 inches or bigger, double the amount by three. Shrubs:
Per foot of drip line diameter, one cup. If the drip line diameter is three feet or greater, double the amount. Beds:
To prepare a new bed, combine 10 pounds of material per 100 square feet, then work it into the top four or five inches of soil. 5 pounds. should be fed per 100 square feet to established beds.
Container-grown plants in pots:
New Plants: Add 2 cups of Holly-tone per cubic foot of soil when preparing new soil for plants (1.5 tbsp. per quart.)
For established plants, add 1 teaspoon of Holly-tone to the soil along the pot’s outer edge for every 3 pot diameters. Thoroughly water.
How to use:
For bushes:
Around the drip line, sprinkle the necessary quantity, and thoroughly water. If the area is mulched, you can either double the rate on top of the mulch or temporarily remove the mulch and feed the area.
To trees:
Around the drip line, create three holes that are 3 wide, 12–18 inches deep, and Pour the Holly-tone evenly into the holes after dividing it. Fill the holes completely with soil and water.