A natural and organic fertilizer 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 fertilize your plants twice a year, in late fall and early spring. Use only half of the recommended fertilizer 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 fertilizing it. This will enable you to calculate the appropriate fertilizer dosage. For every inch of your tree, use one pound of fertilizer.
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 fertilizer, 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 fertilize than trees. Similar to trees, the size of the shrub determines how much fertilizer is necessary. For every foot of branch diameter, one cup of fertilizer 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 fertilized, 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 fertilizer 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 fertilizer in new garden beds to get the soil ready for new plants. Use 10 pounds of fertilizer 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 fertilized? The Garden Answer’s Laura demonstrates how to fertilize with Tree-tone.
Can Holly-tone be applied on hydrangeas?
Espoma’s Holly-tone is an all-natural, organic fertilizer 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 fertilize your plants twice a year, in late fall and early spring. Use only half of the recommended fertilizer dosage when you apply it in the late fall. Holly-tone is a natural organic product that has been utilized by professionals for many years. Additionally, it contains Bio-tone, which improves the organic fertilizer biologically for better plant growth.
Applying Holly-tone: Be cautious to read the bag’s back before fertilizing 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 fertilizing it. This will enable you to calculate the appropriate fertilizer dosage. For every inch of your tree, use one pound of fertilizer.
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 fertilizer, 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 fertilize because no digging is necessary. Similar to trees, the size of the shrub determines how much fertilizer is necessary. For every foot of branch diameter, one cup of fertilizer 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, fertilizing established garden beds is the easiest. It all comes down to the size of the garden beds you have. Use 5 pounds of fertilizer 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 fertilizer in new garden beds to get the soil ready for new plants. Use ten pounds of fertilizer 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.
What plants are treated with Holly-tone?
Holly-tone is a fertilizer made specifically for plants that love to grow on soil that is acidic. Azalea, dogwood, rhododendron, ferns, hemlock, holly, hydrangea, juniper, arborvitae, magnolia, Japanese Andromeda (pieris), pachysandra, vinca, and many other evergreens are some examples of plants that thrive in acidic environments.
Dig a hole for new plantings that is roughly twice as wide as the root ball. Don’t add too much compost, humus, or sphagnum peat; current guidelines advise using primarily native soil for backfilling.
Add one cup of Holly-tone and combine well. Holly-tone is a slow-release organic fertilizer that has Bio-tone bacteria added to it, making it extremely safe to use.
Acid-loving plants that are established should be fed twice a year in the spring and late fall. Sprinkle holly-tone everywhere you would season food with salt and pepper. It is best to remove the mulch from the area that needs to be fed, feed it, and then add mulch back on top of that after the plant food has been applied.
For every foot of branch spread on shrubs like hollies, azaleas, and rhododendrons, 1 cup of Holly-tone is used. Whenever the spread is three feet or more, double the amount. Trees like hollies, hemlocks, and junipers use 1 lb* of Holly-tone per inch of trunk diameter in the spring. For diameters 3 inches and larger, multiply the amount by three. Late in the fall, plants should receive a modest feeding. Use only half of the amounts advised for the spring.
My plants: Will Holly-tone harm them?
For every 100 square feet of fresh garden bed, Espoma advises using 10 pounds of the herb. The optimum periods to plant azaleas are in the spring and fall, which are also the recommended times for application, as with other trees and plants. If used at the prescribed amounts during planting, Holly-tone won’t burn new plant roots because it’s natural and slow-releasing.
Avoid applying alternative fertilizers that are less organic and more quickly acting while using Holly-tone. Additionally, you shouldn’t plant with them because root burn could result.
What kind of fertilizer promotes hydrangea blooming?
When purchasing fertilizer, check the labels to see how much nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium are present (K). A general-purpose, balanced fertilizer such a 10-10-10 N-P-K or 12-4-8 N-P-K is typically best for hydrangeas. Consider using a fertilizer with additional phosphorus if you want your hydrangea blossoms to be bigger and more numerous.
Since phosphorus is the middle element, fertilizer with the formula 10-20-10 will do. Choose a slow-release granular fertilizer with the designation “bloom boost” if you’re looking into it because it might also include more phosphorus.
Holly-tone: Does it turn hydrangeas blue?
- As an easier method of managing soil pH, think about container gardening for hydrangeas. Some of the more recent hydrangea types have big flowers on small, container-friendly plants.
- Hydrangeas grow healthier and have more vibrant colors when they are properly fed. Espoma Holly-tone, which contains sulfur to reduce pH, is a great option for blue hydrangeas. Espoma Plant-tone is the best fertilizer for pink hydrangeas because it doesn’t include any extra sulfur.
- To prevent hydrangeas from wilting, water them regularly, especially during the hottest portion of the summer. Mulch helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool.
- Blue hydrangeas can be very difficult to grow because lime from adjacent concrete patios or pathways can influence their hue. When deciding where to plant, keep this in mind.
- Warning: not all plants enjoy acidic soil. Pay attention to what is growing close to your hydrangeas.
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 fertilize spring-flowering evergreens like azaleas and rhododendrons is when the first signs of bloom color 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.
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.
When should you fertilize hydrangeas?
In order to give your hydrangeas an early-season boost, you should typically fertilize them in the spring right before they start to leaf out. During July’s growing season, fertilize them a second time. Two applications of the fast-release fertilizers are necessary in the summer.
How should plant-tone be applied?
Potted plants: For every cubic foot of soil, add 2 cups of Plant-tone.
How to use:
- Garden beds: Work into the soil completely, at least 4 inches deep.
- Add additional soil to the planting hole to accommodate new plants.
- For established plants, scatter on the ground near the drip line.
- Always drink water after using.
Holly-tone has an end date.
Yes. After each treatment, give your plants a good soak in water. It is preferable to fertilize lawns right before it starts to rain.
I applied your lotion and soon after I observed a fuzzy, white mold. Does it harm my plants and what is it?
Our plant-based foods are a blend of organic and natural ingredients. It is possible for a mold-like growth to appear on the soil surface when these materials degrade under specific circumstances. The growth is unharmful and shows that the organic materials are starting to release nutrients. If this growth bothers you, just turn it over with a shovel or fork.
Some of your “tone” plant food was eaten by my dog. Is there anything dangerous or damaging here?
We purposefully avoid using any substances in our plant foods that the US EPA deems dangerous or toxic. We use a lot of natural components to make animal feeds as well. There are typically no issues if a pet consumes some of the substance. But occasionally, your pet might experience stomach pain that lasts for a few hours. Make sure the pet has access to plenty of fresh water and a place to relieve itself during this period. Additionally, there is a rare chance that an allergic reaction can occur, in which case the dog’s eyes and ears may enlarge. You should speak with your veterinarian if you suspect an allergy.
I frequently prefer to buy larger sizes of the things I use and keep them in order to save money. Does the shelf life of Espoma goods exclude me from doing this?
Complex natural and organic mixtures make up Espoma products. The materials should maintain their potency eternally as long as they are kept dry. Unused products should be kept in their original containers and kept away from children and pets in a cold, dry environment.
We purposefully avoid handling any substances that the US EPA has classified as harmful or hazardous. Although one can use our products in settings where kids and pets play, one should always be on the lookout for potential allergic reactions. If so, wash off any debris from the person or animal and keep them a safe distance away. In case of need, seek medical or veterinary advice.
The optimum time to apply the items is before adding mulch. You have two choices if you have already mulched. Then you can re-mulch after applying the plant food and removing the mulch. If this is not what you want, you can apply directly to the mulch, but the application rate will need to be doubled. This is necessary because the mulch is rotting and the nutrients from the plant food application will be consumed during this process. The higher rate is necessary to guarantee that your plants receive the food.
The leaf of plants shouldn’t be permitted to retain plant nourishment. If this happens, use water to wash the debris off the foliage and into the ground, or sweep it away with a broom.
The shelf life of the fertilizer components is virtually indefinite when stored dry. It is preferable to use Bio-tone microorganisms before the date printed on the bag. The nutritious value of the substance may be reduced if it gets wet while being stored, and clumps may form. This substance can still be used on your garden. Break apart the plant food clumps with a tool, then let it air dry as much as you can. As you would the unaffected product, apply this one.
When planting fresh plants, mix the product into the soil or backfill the hole with it. To do this, follow the detailed directions on the box. It is advisable to scatter the material under the plant’s drip line (diameter of branch spread) on the soil surface of existing shrubs and small trees so that it covers the entire soil surface. Place the plant food at least three trunks away from the main trunk. In order to get the plant food into the root zone and below grade for larger trees, it should be poured into holes. To do this, holes are drilled under the tree and filled with plant food. The proper bags come with detailed instructions for doing this. Since this can damage shallow root systems, we do not advise cultivating plant food into the soil surrounding already-existing plants.
We always advise customers to adhere to the suggested application rates listed on each bag. However, there is a significant margin of error because the tones are all combinations of organic and natural components. This is because these substances have a gradual release and little sodium. If you believe you have applied too much, give the plants a good soak.