Fertilizing Flower Bulbs and Roots in the Fall!
Fertilizing your dormant bulbs, roots and rhizomes (like Iris, Lilies, Peonies & Daffodils) is actually super easy!
Clean up the beds.
Every Fall, I start with clearing debris and cleaning up beds. That means pulling out all weeds and rogue grasses, brushing back wood chips and fallen leaves from the Iris and Peonies, and cutting back any dead remaining foliage.
Here’s an example of how I clean up a dormant peony:
2. Fertilize with a low Nitrogen Fertilizer
After the area is clean, I go in with my favorite fall fertilizer, Bulb Tone by Espoma, and sprinkle it all around the plants.
You can be as precise as you like with this, but this particular fertilizer is very mild (3-5-3) and hard to burn your plants with. I am more precise when I fertilize the Iris and do not spread the fertilizer directly onto the rhizomes, but around them in a loose circle. About 1-2 tsp per plant.
3. Re-mulch Exposed Soil
Once you are done fertilizing, you’ll want to cover up exposed soil with leaves or wood chips. If you are putting down leaves, rake them in a pile and run them through your lawn mower for finer particles. Be sure to keep a berth between your cut back peonies, your iris and your mulch. Neither of these plants enjoy mulch touching their tops, which can lead to rot and disease.
If you have questions, comment below.
In the next post, we’ll cover how to boost your soil with local microbes to break down that mulch you are spreading over your beds.
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