rockm

"One side benefit of organic fertilizer is it tends to push the pH down, but if you're in an area with atmospheric pollutants (like acid rain) it might not help!"

I don't get what you mean. PH levels on the acidic side are on the low end of the scale. If you're in an area that tends to get acid rain and you're using an organic fertilizer than also lowers pH, your soil may wind up being more than slightly acidic.

For what it's worth, I use a combination of "organic" and "chemical" fertilizers. I apply Bio gold nuggets and feed full strength miracle grow and Peters (alternating prepared ferts fills in micro nutrient gaps) every couple of weeks from mid-April or so up until July. I wait for the end of August to start again with the prepared chemical stuff, leaving the bio gold on through the hottest part of the summer. Most of the trees slow down significantly during this period and don't require the same levels of fertilizer they do in the Spring. I pick up again with the prepared ferts again as fall approaches, using a slightly modified mix that is a little lower in N with greater levels of P and K to set the plants up for dormancy.

Advertisement