As I have tried to make clear previously, I don't dispute that high P levels are relatively more toxic to Proteaceae than to other plant families, but I do believe that many rainforest grevilleas are less susceptible than WA species. Again its a relative thing, and I have certainly found one that isn't. A landscape supplier dumped a truckload of potting mix in my garden, close to some trees but about 6 metres from a G. baileyana. Some months afterwards it died, and on digging up the mix it was full of proteoid roots! Retrospectively, I have realised I have had a much higher proteaceae failure rate since using that mix, so I must find out what's in it. The seller told me it was fine for natives - you'd think that at my age I'd know better than to trust a salesperson, but my problem is I can remember back when most of them were trustworthy. Tony

plants are not children ...try not to kill the plants with too much love ... they do not .. usually need to be fed ... unless perhaps.. they have been in the same pot for years and years ... and even then.. you would be better off repotting ... than simply drowning it with fert ... but yours is in the ground ... sounds like it might be a water issue.. if new growth is browning ... but we have no clue where you are.. ambient weather since winter.. rtc ... that info.. and a pic might help us.. help you ... as well as posting in a palm forum ... if it is stressed due to a water or root issue.. it is stressed ... food/fert is not really a reaction to such ... ken

......needs to be amended to remove the cross-post to the New to Gardening FAQ. Posting to any FAQ forum prevents any responses from showing up. They are reference forums, not discussion forums, which is why they are separated from all the other gardening forums.

I would suggest bulk mushroom compost. This is sold locally by the cubic yard for $40 a cubic yard. Delivery costs me about the same price, $40 for 8 to 10 yards, or whatever your sources truck will hold. One yard will cover 324 square feet of lawn assuming you spread it an inch thick which is what I've had experience with. I wouldn't recommend applying this until just as your lawn starts greening up unless you want a black lawn all winter. You can reseed or over seed before spreading this. You also could optionally aerate the lawn before spreading. It will take about a week for your existing grass to grow thru the MC and it also takes about a week for the quickest germinating grass seed to sprout. This is called top dressing. It will amend your soil and supply fertilizer for several years. I wouldn't have them drive the truck into your lawn as your trying to improve it. I use a wheelbarrow and .a spade to load it and I either spade it out of the wheelbarrow or dump the wheelbarrow and rake to the desired depth. I use a wider 24 or 30 inch aluminum rake to spread it with, but a standard width iron rake will work. I wouldn't apply any fertilizer till at least the fall; and I'd go easy on any application in the fall and for at least two years. What would happen is that you won't be able to keep up with the mowing. I'm sure you wouldn't want to mow several times a week. Any leftover MC can be used as mulch in flower or vegetable gardens.