Without knowing the other planting and care conditions going on, I'd say it is a huge leap to consider that your application of fertilizer is the culprit. Unless you applied vast quantities of it, there is nothing in it that would overtly cause root rot.

Generally, poor drainage is the overriding factor in developing root rots, pathogenic sources somewhat secondary. And there is no shock to a plant's system from converting to an organic fertilizing program from a synthetic-based one - the plants don't care how the nutrients originate, only that they are present in the quantities necessary.

I am a bit confused about your comments regarding the heuchera "tubers" - heucheras are not a tuberous plant; they grow from a fleshy or semi-woody root system much like the vast majority of other perennials. If the roots are dead or missing, the plants are dead as well. Dead is dead - freezing them until fall will only result in a frozen, dead plant (where do these nurseries get these ideas???).

The quickness of death makes me think shock... specially for the maples. You need to be slow in getting your nursery plants adjusted to home life. If you cut the roots for some reason, then the plants need way more time to adjust.
Rotting roots indicate too much water... maybe not enough drainage?

I have too beds for heuchera one with much less drainage then the one that I lost all the heuchera. It had to be the heat as the last order came late. I should have keep them in total shade this time of year, but once I noticed the decline I did throw up the shade cloth but no cigar. As for the maples I never got a chance to remove them from there original pots, I only watered them once when they came in ant that was with the liquid fertilizer I mentioned. Does anyone know what to do with these fine heuchera tubers that were dieing outside.[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a170/mudiver/HeucheraTubers-1.jpg[/IMG]

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:147052}}

Did you plant them in serious clay soil? Sounds like wet feet to me.

Yes it sound like a wet problems but you should have seen my soil mix, I used Perma till, small aquarium gravel a ton of medium grade sand to the point that I thought I had to much drainage. We had a cool spell and of of the near dead perked up but as soon as it got back up to 85 dead, dead as hell.

It doesn't matter what you planted in, if the hole that you dug was in clay. (not saying it was, just pointing this out)

If you dig a hole in clay that doesn't drain, then fill the hole with amendments and plant in it- the clay sides of the hole act like a pot that hold the water in. It can be worse than planting directly into clay, as the fill material is usually more porous and therefore allows more water in.

I dunno if that's exactly what happened here- just pointing out that it's not uncommon. In soil like that you're stuck with planting in it and adding organic amendments to the top, or larger-scale amendment of the soil by tilling in lots of sand etc.

Oh- or you can make larger raised beds on the clay... forgot to add that

OK End of Story, Fish Emulsion applied in the heat of summer can create a toxic ammonia effect that may damage your plants, that's for one. Plants coming from a cooler climate to a much warmer climate can suffer heat stress,when you add these two up you have dead plants. Heuchera do not have tubers they are rhizomes.I had to go to the top for these answers, I prefer not to say what the top means but let just say you would say oh, OK.

Thanks for your help, you all have been very kind in helping me figure this problem. I hope my research will benefit someone else as well.

Think you may have broadsided seedlings with rich nutrients and also may have overlooked media porosity pertaining to pot culture...

I'm not sure what a J.Maple or a heuchera is but are they native to the Richmond (VA???) area? One of the first rules of successful gardening is to pick plants well adapted to your area. Since it was hard to find them, maybe they do not "belong" in your soil. This is akin to trying to grow cactus in the Washington State coastal rain forest, trying to grow bermuda grass in deep shade, or trying to grow Venus fly traps in Texas (alkaline soil and alkaline water).

Most heucheras (coral bells) are hybrids of common US species and are well-adapted to a range of locations and growing conditions - certainly not inappropriate to a Virginia garden. The same with a Japanese maple, perhaps one of the most currently popular and widely planted trees in the country. Selecting native plants is not always the answer to gardening problems - many native species are not always well-adapted to a cultivated garden and they too have their preferences for soil, light and drainage conditions just like more highly hybridized or exotic ornamentals.

Planting new plants in the heat of summer is always a challenge for establishment and potential planting shock and if compounded with suspect soil conditions, it is often a disaster waiting to happen. For future reference, understanding your specific soil conditions and the specific needs of the plants is an excellent place to start, allow newly shipped or received plants to acclimate a bit before planting (preferrably in cooler weather) and leave any fertilizing until after establishment, typically the next growing season. Water and attention is all they need.