Early spring is such an exciting time in the garden. The snow is melting, the soil is warming, and bulbs and perennials are slowly making an appearance. Each spring I treat my garden to a great organic feast. I figure it must be hungry after that long nap, and I know it will take a ton of energy for the plants to wake up, grow, and bloom! By starting early I am ensuring that each and every one of my plants will get all the nitrogen, potassium, potash and trace elements required to grow properly. By using organic products I am helping to keep my soil natural, healthy and all my worms happy!

Each spring I start off with the same routine, feed, feed, & mulch, all at once! I feed and mulch using special organic blends that are plant specific. You can either mix your own blends or purchase convenient ready-made blends. Either way your garden will benefit and perform beautifully.

Some great granular organic materials that are gaining popularity are: canola seed, cotton seed, alfalfa, bone & blood meal, rock phosphate, kelp meal and green sand. In addition to these I also use mushroom compost, chicken manure, and home made leaf mould to make up different blends. Then I simply add a 2" top dress to each perennial, shrub, and tree. The mulch not only feeds my garden, it also keeps the weed seeds from germinating, soil from compacting, and water from evaporating! I apply these blends in early March and again in mid June.

Some of Sheena's favourite blends include:

Rose feed/mulch
    3 cups Alfalfa Meal
    3 cups Mushroom compost
    1-cup bone meal

Lilac, and other sweet soil lover feed/mulch
    1-cup bone meal
    3 cups lime
    3 cups mushroom compost

Azaleas and Rhodo feed/mulch
    1/2-cup rock phosphate
    1/2-cup green sand
    1/2-cup cottonseed
    1/8-cup Epsom salts
    1/2 cup used coffee grinds
    20 shovels fish compost

Perennial feed/mulch
    1/2-cup bone meal
    1/2 cup green sand
    1/2-cup rock phosphate
    1 wheelbarrow of leaf mould

Fruit tree feed/mulch
    5 shovels leaf mould
    5 shovels garden compost
    5 shovels peat moss
    1-cup bone meal
    1/4-cup rock phosphate
    1/4-cup alfalfa
    1/4-cup green sand

What's what? With all the organic products available its hard to know what is what. Here are a few products that you can add to your organic fertilizer cupboard!

Alfalfa Meal:(2 - .5 - 2) An excellent source of available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Recommended for lawns and as a compost booster.

Blood Meal: (13-0-0) a fast acting source of nitrogen. Great at planting time and in the compost pile.

Bone Meal: (3 - 15 - 0) long lasting form of phosphorus. Used at planting time.

Cottonseed Meal: (6-2-1) A slow release, long lasting fertilizer that contains all primary plant nutrients. An excellent all purpose annual fertilizer for lawns, trees, and shrubs. Excellent for acid loving shrubs.

Epsom salts: An excellent supply of sulphur and magnesium. Helps correct the yellowing and stunting of plants.

Greensand: (0-0-3) A long lasting source of potassium and other minerals. Blend into soil during bed preparation.

Guano: Dried bat droppings. High in nitrogen and phosphate.

Kelp Meal: (1-.01-2) A great source of potash, calcium and phosphorus.

Lime: A natural product offering magnesium and calcium. Used on lawns to reduce acidity.

Oyster Shells: Long lasting form of calcium. Will also increase the ph of naturally acidic soils, causing the spoil to become more alkaline.

Peat Moss: An organic soil conditioner used to loosen soils, add organic matter, and improve moisture retention.

Rock Phosphate: (0-3-0) a long lasting source of phosphorus. Beneficial when added to the compost.