I read somewhere that slow release ferts come in two kinds...one releases with the temps and one with the amount of moisture. ==>>> you heard wrong ... as far as i know.. and i dont claim to be 'up' on the technology think sucking on a jelly bean ... you add moisture .. and the warmth ... once the two start attacking it.. there is a release ... the MOST IMPORTANT thing in using a POTTING fertilizer.. on mother earth ... is the duration of the dump ... there are 3 .. 4 .. 6.. and 9 month dumps... [a bunch anyway] in z5 .. obviously.. a 9 month dump .. is going to be a problem.. because you will be fert'ing.. late in the season.. and the hosta will not properly harden off ... and can rot in winter.. or the following spring so start.. by getting ONLY a 3 or 4 month dump ... in z5 and since it needs something like 78 degrees or something [???] .. its of little use to put it on early ... but you have to consider such .. in counting your 3 or 4 months ... FWIW ... its an engineered product for the greenhouse biz ... and i truly do NOT understand using it in mother earth.. considering the cost ... IMHO.. you would be better off.. going to the mill store.. and buying 50# of 12-12-12 .. for 17$ .. and putting it on.. and then getting something like 6-24-24 and putting it on in july ... again ... under $20 .. and using the remainder of the saved money on MORE HOSTA ... you all should know ... there is NOT an easy way for anything .... ken ps: and then there is the whole issue of fert'ing ONLY AROUND YOUR HOSTA ... and how your trees are going to react... if its a maple.. all you will be doing is calling its roots to where you put the fert near the hosta ... consider general broadcasting over the whole bed ....

Nil - I can only see Nutricote 18-6-8, which is very high nitrogen. Which one are you using?

I would use a starter fertilizer if you overseeded the entire lawn. About 4-5 weeks later, hit it with a regular slow release fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Like Dchall mentioned, use fast release nitrogen in early winter after top growth stopped. (Aka winterizing application). Gle- you should have scalped the lawn prior to overseeding. This will help the new seedlings develop, as the existing turf will be "stunted" for a bit, allowing the amount of time before the first mow to be just a little longer. But the bottom line: you can mow anytime, but preferably you would wait until the new grass is at least 3 inches in height. You will want to give the lawn a day or so to dry out before mowing, too. When mowing, be careful when turning the mower otherwise it might rip out the young grass. Where possible, use a push mower when mowing new grass... a riding mower or tractor might be a little too heavy l.

I grow mine in 100% volcanic cinder and use your typical bloom booster (15-30-15) liquid fertilizer at full-strength once every couple of weeks - I'd use if more often, but it takes too much time. I keep mine outside until the temps are going in to the high 30s at night. Mine stay outside from April till the end of Oct or even longer if I can get away with it here in the Pittsburgh area. They seem to really enjoy the cool nights coupled with warm days of spring and summer and I'm sure rain water is better than what comes out of the tap. best of luck :o) Dan