[Yorky]

When spring feeding with bonemeal for trees & shrubs and sulphate of potash for fruit trees and shrubs, I have the following questions:

When there is weed suppressant matting and bark mulch/stone chippings on top, is it alright to sprinkle the food on top of this and let it work its way down to the soil or should the covering be pulled back,food administered and then recovered?

The instructions give a spreading rate per metre but how does this translate into per tree/shrub? Is just a handful per tree/shrub alright as a rule of thumb?

[cooler]

Hello Yorky. I believe bonemeal is best if worked into the top few inches of soil to allow it to rot and feed the plant over a long time. Otherwise it will be just licked up by a passing dog if left on the surface.
Sulphate of potash could be just shook on the surface of of your weed suppressant mat, but again I would prefer to work it into the soils surface.

[Sb]

Also realise where your trees and shrubs roots are that will take in this fertiliser. They will be just below or a slight bit inside the dripline.



Its no good just creating a mound of fertiliser at the base of the stem.

By the way where are you sourcing your bonemeal, as i am finding it hard to get.?

[Yorky]

Thanks for the replies, folks. I got a small box of bonemeal in B&Q. I've just been speaking to the gardener and he said that I shouldn't feed the Beech hedge(planted last November) until the buds open which will be around June - would you concur?

[GPI]

As bone meal breaks down or decomposes slowly, there should be no problem with applying it now.
It will then release phosphorus gradually to strengthen the hedges roots.