The Best Fertilizer for Lindera Benzoin

Amendments for pH

• Lindera benzoin grows best in acidic to slightly acidic soil, with a pH between 4.5 and 6.5. A soil test kit or pH meter will let you know how acidic your soil is before planting. If you need to lower an alkaline (high-pH) soil, use ground sulfur. For every 1 point for which you need to lower the pH in a 100-square-foot area, work 1 pound of ground sulfur into the top 10 to 12 inches of soil. Ideally, you'll amend for pH the autumn before a spring planting, because pH levels change slowly after the soil has been amended. If your property is naturally alkaline, use a soil meter every two or three years after planting Lindera benzoin. You may need to work additional sulfur into the ground near the bush's root zone every few years. (Ref. 5, pp. 462-464)

Nutrients at Planting

• Because spice bush is known for surviving even in poor soils, it's unlikely you'll want to perform an extensive soil test to determine what nutrients are in the soil. If you know your property to be severely deficient in a specific nutrients, however, this is a good time to work those amendments into the top 10 to 12 inches of soil prior to planting. For example, 3 pounds of blood meal provides nitrogen for a 100-square-foot area that is low in nitrogen, while the same amount of bone meal delivers needed phosphorus. For low potassium, work 10 pounds of greensand into the soil. (Ref. 5, pp. 229-233)

First Year Schedule

• Unless your soil is low in nutrients, don't amend the garden soil when setting Lindera benzoin in place. Shrub roots can become so "spoiled" by enriched soil that they don't spread out to seek additional nutrients. Instead, wait at least six weeks before feeding Lindera benzoin. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of 10-10-10 fertilizer around the base of your spicebush, then water the area lightly.

Maintenance Schedule

• Like most landscape bushes, Lindera benzoin only needs feeding every one to two years. Early spring before the shrub leafs out is an ideal time to fertilize. Feeding Lindera benzoin too late into the growing season can stimulate rapid, fragile growth that damages easily when the temperatures plummet. For general enrichment, use about 3 pounds of compost or aged manure. Alternatively, apply 1/2 to 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer to the growing area.

Method

• If you've mulched around your Lindera benzoin, temporally rake away the mulch material. Sprinkle your chosen fertilizer on the ground, starting from a few inches from the base of the shrub to just under the outer branches. Lightly watering the area will help the nutrients sink into the soil before the wind has a chance to blow the dry fertilizer away. After feeding and watering your spicebush, rake mulch back into place.