The 4-1-1 on old fertilizers

By Don Davis
Published: March 11, 2008

Plants in the yard and old bags of fertilizer were on the minds of gardeners calling the Extension Office recently. Here are a few of their questions.

Q. I have some old, opened bags of fertilizer left from last year or the year before. They are 10-10-10, Hollytone, Milorganite and a major brand of starter fertilizer. Which of these should not be used right now? The fertilizer bags are cluttering our garage, and my wife will be pleased if I dispose of them.
— J.N., Lynchburg
A. All of the fertilizer you mentioned can be used in one way or another, and March is an ideal time to fertilize many of the plants in your yard. The 10-10-10 could be spread on the ground where you are going to plant cabbages, pansies and other cold hardy plants. Hollies and all the other ornamental plants in your yard will benefit from a dose of Hollytone. Milorganite is a slow release organic fertilizer made from Milwaukee sewage sludge, and it has an odor offensive to deer. The starter fertilizer you mentioned is a high-phosphate product useful when sowing grass seed and starting new gardens.

Q. Can I plant my amaryllis outdoors and expect it to survive? I moved here from Natchez and down there, amaryllis grows like a weed. Will Siberian iris survive winter up here? — J.A., Lynchburg
A. The hybrid amaryllis grown as a houseplant does not over-winter in our area unless it is in a very protected spot, in an extremely warm micro-climate. For this plant to grow outdoors as a hardy perennial bulb, you have to live in Virginia Beach or elsewhere in southeastern Virginia. Other kinds of amaryllis are perfectly hardy in Lynchburg. They are Ackerman’s hardy amaryllis and hardy amaryllis (Hippeastrum x johnsonii). These two hybrids have been popular in southern gardens for years. Your Siberian irises will be perfectly cold hardy here in Lynchburg. They survive winter as far north as Canada.

Q. I read about the lady’s question on deodar cedar in your column the other day and I have a question, too. We had two very large deodar cedars, and one of them died. The other tree has small green cones on its branches that do not fall to the ground as they age. These cones seem to disappear. — J.F., Halifax
A. The cones you describe are probably the staminate, or male, cones. They start out green and then turn reddish brown. Male cones
normally collect on the ground under the tree, and I can’t explain why
yours do not.

Speaking of gardening …
The Hill City Master Gardener Association maintains a Speakers Bureau with seventeen speakers who can present programs on over 60 different gardening subjects. For further information on scheduling speakers for your club or organization, please contact Master Gardener Joe Pond at 384-7868 or by e-mail at . A complete list of speakers, available topics, and contact information will be provided.