When to Use Fertilome Fertilizer in Florida

Plant Food Plethora

• Fertilome’s array of fertilizers includes formulations for bedding, container and acid-loving plants and flowering vines including bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp), an oft-seen Florida mainstay in USDA zones 9 to 11. Other products feed lawns, trees or vegetables but you don't need to customize for every plant. Many do fine with an all-purpose water-soluble food such as a 20-20-20 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These elements are always listed in the same order on packaging. A non-chemical alternative, Fertilome fish emulsion is mixed at a ratio of 5 to 6 teaspoons per gallon of water.

Know When to Grow

• Planting dates and fertilizing times throughout Florida blanket the calendar. For example, tomatoes (Solanaceae lycopersicum) may be planted from February to August in northern Florida, from January to March and September in central Florida and August through March in the southernmost areas. Choose zone-appropriate plants and fertilize to strengthen roots, develop leaves, encourage flowering and boost fruit and vegetable production.

Feeding Schedules

• Florida fertilizing times normally run from March 1 to about a month before colder weather kicks in. Extremes of 10 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit can bite Florida’s upper reaches, from near the panhandle to just above Orlando. Time the final feeding for August throughout USDA zone 8 and August or September in USDA zone 9a. In slightly warmer USDA zones 9b to 10b, where extremes run 25 to 35 F, stop feeding in September or October. Let observed growth be your guide in USDA zone 11, including the mainland near and below Miami and the 11b-zoned Florida Keys. Possible lows of 40 to 45 F are rare but possible, especially during November to January, the state's coldest season.

Dilution Solutions

• The general application rate for Fertilome water-soluble fertilizers is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Foliar sprays, soil drenching or both may be recommended. Sprinkle pellet products around perimeters of trees and landscape plants. Follow label instructions for specific plants because quantities vary. Fertilome Fruit, Citrus & Pecan Tree Food, for instance, calls for applying ¾-pound for apple trees (Malus spp) hardy in Florida USDA zones 7 to 10, to 3 pounds for nut trees. Wait until lawns are greening to feed, leaving a 10-foot no-fertilizer zone between treated areas and bodies of water. Use timed-release fertilizer at the annual rate of no more than 1 pound per 1,000 feet.