Fall Feeding Tips for Your Garden: Using Espoma Products to Prep for a Healthy Spring

As the vibrant colors of fall begin to transform Ohio’s landscape, it’s the perfect time to give your lawn, trees, and shrubs the nutrients they need to thrive through the cold months and emerge healthy in the spring. At Strader’s Garden Centers, we recommend using Espoma’s organic fertilizers, including Fall Lawn Fertilizer, Plant-tone, Tree-tone, and Holly-tone, to ensure your plants get the right nutrients at the right time. In this article, we’ll guide you on how and when to use these products, tailored to Ohio’s unique growing conditions.

Why Fall Feeding is Crucial

Fall is an essential time for feeding your plants because it’s when they store energy in their roots to survive winter and grow vigorously when warmer temperatures return. Applying fertilizer now will strengthen your plants’ roots, ensuring they are ready to endure the cold and have a head start come spring.

Espoma Fall Lawn Fertilizer

If you want to keep your lawn green and healthy through the winter, Espoma Fall Lawn Fertilizer is necessary. This organic fertilizer is designed to promote deep root growth, which is crucial for lawns to survive the winter months and recover quickly in spring.

How to Use:

• When to Apply: Late September to early November is the ideal lawn window. Try to apply when temperatures are cooler, but before the ground freezes.
• Application: Apply evenly over your lawn using a spreader. Water the lawn afterward to help the fertilizer absorb into the soil.
• Benefits: Helps grass store energy in its roots, leading to early greening and healthier growth in the spring.

Plant-tone

Espoma’s Plant-tone is a versatile, all-purpose organic fertilizer that’s perfect for nourishing your perennials, annuals, and vegetable gardens as you prepare them for the winter. It’s packed with essential nutrients that promote overall plant health.

How to Use:

• When to Apply: Early fall is ideal for feeding perennials, shrubs, and trees. For annuals, apply as soon as they start to wind down after their summer bloom.
• Application: Simply sprinkle Plant-tone around the base of your plants and work it gently into the soil. For perennials, use about 1 cup per plant. For annuals and vegetables, use about 1 tablespoon per plant.
• Benefits: Encourages strong root development and provides a steady supply of nutrients to help your plants through winter.

Tree-tone

Your trees and shrubs also benefit from a fall feeding. Espoma Tree-tone is specifically formulated to promote strong root growth in trees and larger shrubs, ensuring they are well-prepared for Ohio’s winter conditions.

How to Use:

• When to Apply: Early to mid-fall is the best time to apply Tree-tone in Ohio. You want to feed your trees and shrubs before the ground freezes.
• Application: For new trees, mix Tree-tone into the planting hole. For established trees, sprinkle Tree-tone evenly around the drip line (the area directly under the outer circumference of the branches). For shrubs, apply Tree-tone around the base. Use about 1 cup of fertilizer per foot of branch spread.
• Benefits: Helps develop strong roots, which will allow your trees and shrubs to survive winter stress and burst into healthy growth in spring.

Holly-tone

For evergreens, hollies, azaleas, and other acid-loving plants, Espoma’s Holly-tone is the ideal choice. Holly-tone is formulated with just the right balance of nutrients for these plants, ensuring they receive the proper nourishment as they go dormant for the winter.

How to Use:

• When to Apply: Like with Tree-tone, apply Holly-tone in early fall before the first hard frost.
• Application: For new plants, mix Holly-tone into the soil at the time of planting. For established acid-loving plants, sprinkle Holly-tone around the drip line and lightly rake it into the soil. Water thoroughly after application.
• Benefits: Encourages strong root growth and helps your acid-loving plants retain their vibrant color through the winter.

Tips for a Successful Fall Feeding

1. Watering: After applying any of these Espoma products, water your plants to help the nutrients soak into the soil and reach the roots.
2. Timing: Ohio’s growing season can vary slightly depending on where you are in the state. In general, you want to complete your fall fertilizing before the ground freezes, which typically happens in mid to late November.
3. Mulching: Consider adding a layer of mulch around trees and shrubs after fertilizing to help retain moisture and protect roots from extreme temperature changes.
4. Soil Testing: If you’re unsure about the health of your soil, consider doing a soil test. This will help you understand the specific needs of your plants and adjust your fertilizing schedule as needed.

Proper fall feeding is the key to ensuring a lush, healthy garden next year. By using Espoma’s organic fertilizers—Fall Lawn Fertilizer, Plant-tone, Tree-tone, and Holly-tone—you’ll be giving your plants exactly what they need to build strong roots and thrive in Ohio’s climate. Stop by Strader’s Garden Centers to pick up your Espoma products and get expert advice tailored to your specific garden needs!