It’s not too late to fertilize fruit trees
Q: Is it too late to fertilize my nectarine tree with buds starting to form? Fertilizer instructions advise to apply it in early February before buds
A: Italian cypress care is easy to explain, because it is just one type of plant. Hibiscus is more complicated, because it depends on which hibiscus. There are numerous kinds with very different requirements when compared to Italian cypress.
Italian cypress is a Mediterranean plant. It comes from a climate that is cool to cold and wet in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Think of countries with land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
Following this lead, water it only occasionally during the summer. When watering it, give it lots at one time. Then withhold water until the next irrigation. Water it less often than fruit trees but more often than cactus.
Put four to six drip emitters on this plant and water for one to two hours. The length of time depends on how fast the water is applied, but water long enough so the soil is wet to a depth of 18 to 24 inches all around the base of the plant. How often might be once a week, perhaps twice but not more often than this if watering deeply.
Apply fertilizers in late winter or early spring just before new growth. After strong winds or if the plant becomes dusty, rinse the foliage with water to wash off the dust and help prevent infestations from spider mites.
If its new growth is “loppy,” reduce the amount of fertilizer applied and how often the tree is watered but not the amount of applied water.
Hibiscus care is very different. The name “hibiscus” refers to a much wider range of plants than Italian cypress. Some varieties require less care than others. Some are winter tender, while others are cold hardy.
Hibiscus are less tolerant of desert soils than Italian cypress and benefit from frequent applications of water. The different types of hibiscus are watered and fertilized similarly. The different types of hibiscus vary in their tolerance to winter and summer weather. Some freeze every winter, and others do not.
Water hibiscus more frequently than Italian cypress, because they are less tolerant of dry soils. They will require water at least three times a week during mid-summer.
Apply fertilizer just before new growth in the spring. They benefit from frequent applications of fertilizer but applied in smaller amounts. The reason for this is because of their flowering.
Hibiscus benefit from soil improvement at the time of planting and growing them in soils with the surface covered in a layer of wood mulch that decomposes easily. Fertilize these plants at least four times during the growing season.
If they are winter tender, do not apply fertilizer high in nitrogen after Aug. 1. If this is a special hibiscus, consider using a liquid fertilizer applied to the leaves every six to eight weeks. Hibiscus do MORRIS,