Grower’s Corner - Spring Fertilizing

Spring has Sprung! As happens every year, cash flow can get very tight and uncomfortable until the payments from our sales start coming in. I was always all ears to hear any ideas that could help minimize that pain. A familiar jingle from a well-known insurance company came to mind the other day. “Only pay for what you need”. This jingle has a significant application when it comes to your spring fertilizer needs. Many growers perk up their mid to late-spring sales crop with a good shot of fertilizer. Selecting the right fertilizer blend for the job can make a big difference in what you spend. I would recommend matching the short-term fertilizer in the spring with the needs of your trees and shrubs. What do they need the most, besides getting sold? That’s right, Nitrogen! I would shy away from the higher-priced balanced fertilizer like a 19-5-10 and move to nitrogen-focused, lower-cost fertilizer like a 19-2-3 or a 17-2-2 that usually costs $5 - $8.00 a bag and will do a great job for you. If you would like to throw around some ideas that might help your cash flow, give me a call. I would love to talk with you and come up with some potential options for you to ease the cash flow pinch.

- Danny Dudoich, Grower Specialist