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Butterfly Garden

Do I need organic plant food in my new butterfly garden?

8 years ago

not sure what to use.

Featured Answer

docmom_gw

8 years ago

In case you don't plan to, I would strongly recommend mulching around your plants. That nice black dirt is just begging for weed seeds to sprout there and the moisture from your soil will evaporate if left uncovered. Mulch will also keep the roots cooler in your hot Texas weather. It is beautiful. Good luck.

Martha

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Comments (12)

Jacob Berg
8 years ago
Do you really need plant food in there? It looks pretty good from now.
Sandra Matula
Original Author
8 years ago
I was told to fertalize by a landscaper friend. I didn't ask any questions like I should have.
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Jean - I hope you meant the 25th (the Wake Forest market is only on Saturdays). Lets aim for Saturday Sept 1st. This next weekend is a big grilling festival at the market and I need to haul as many sellable plants as possible to make up for the lackluster sales these past couple of hot and dry marketdays. I will also go through all my various stashes of plants to find more goodies by Fall Swap. And next spring I should have even more after sowing seeds all winter. I have Rue. But the caterpillars on it are eating it down to the nub so I doubt I will get seeds. I plan on finding some seed somewhere and growing a bunch of it, so at some point I will have some available. I do have some parsley potted up and some Agastache (Hyssop). If you find any of the annual butterfly weed (Asclepias currasavica)(sp?), I have been able to over winter the roots and got bigger plants the next spring. I simply dig them up after first frost and pot them up and store them out of the way. They are easy from seed also. Pentas are a great nectar plant and they are easy from cuttings but they won't overwinter outside. Good luck
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jane__ny
8 years ago
I use Plant Tone (Espomia) which is organic. Mostly dried cow manure and added micro-nutrients. You could probably use Miracle Grow as it is chemical and I don't think is dangerous to insects. Just don't use any weed killer or insecticides.

http://www.espoma.com/product/plant-tone/

Jane
Sandra Matula thanked jane__ny
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
8 years ago
What did you plant? I am building a huge flower bed and will be planting north of Houston.

It will be a mixed bed for butterflies and hummingbirds. So far I have penta, bower vine, sapphire shower trees, milkweed, fennel, a couple of passion vines, and a pipevine. There are 2 good-sized citrus trees in the yard for the GSTs.

K
Sandra Matula
Original Author
8 years ago
I've got milkweed, dill, hibiscus, plumbago, Mexican heather, snapdragons, impatiens, hydrangea, lantana and purple cone flower. I'm new at this so any advice is welcome! What is GST? Giant swallowtail?
kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
8 years ago
YEP Giant Swallowtail.

I have lantana out front...but may put one out back. Also lots of purple coneflower. Was thinking of planting zinnias too.

K
Nell
8 years ago
I think it is better to not fertilize. That only brings weeds. It is a gorgeous garden BTW!
Sandra Matula thanked Nell
Sandra Matula
Original Author
8 years ago
Mulching this evening. Thanks!
Tom
8 years ago
I second Jane's suggestion for organic fertilizer and I also use Espoma. I use Flower-tone, however. Mulching is also an excellent suggestion. The advantages to organics like Espoma is that they usually don't burn the plant, they provide valuable micro-nutrients and really encourage growth and flowering. They break down slowly, so they feed the plants a little at a time for a good long period.
Sandra Matula thanked Tom
Sandra Matula
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank yall so much. This is a newly found passion I've found. My garden is facing the street so it's important to have it looking neat and beautiful but I want it healthy for the butterflies! Filmed our first Monarch this morning with my 3 yr old son. Love it!
jane__ny
8 years ago
To deal with weeds, I save any cardboard boxes and lay them down over the weeds and between the plants. Then I put wood chips on top of that. The cardboard smothers the weeds and grass and keeps them out. The woodchips make it all look nice. I put the Planttone down before the cardboard.

Works well in my hot, humid climate (Florida).

Jane
Sandra Matula thanked jane__ny

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