Do not use liquid fertilizers on woody ornamentals. Organic mulch breaks down over time and can add organic matter to our sandy soils to reduce the need for supplemental fertilizer and help maintain healthy roots. It should be maintained at a two to three inch depth. Recycle nutrients Leaving grass clippings on the lawn does not contribute to thatch and recycles the nutrients in the decaying clippings. Fallen leaves and plant prunings make excellent mulch, which in turn decays and provide small amounts of nutrients.
Compost improves sandy soils and provides slowly released nutrients.
It should be added to the entire planting zone when renewing garden beds, but not to individual planting holes. Other pertinent information Fertilizer bags can be notoriously user-unfriendly. Often you will need to read the fine print on the back of the bag or label to find out all the contents, their form and amounts. It is important to calibrate you fertilizer spreader and the Extension Service has a bulletin that can help you do this. Sometimes, information on fertilizer settings can also be found on the fertilizer bag but might result in application of excessive fertilizer since, after all, manufacturers are motivated to sell fertilizer.