Fertilizing

Really depends on what the plants are and what you are trying to achieve. I'm a bit of a maverick when it come to applying fertilisers, so I expect everyone will disagree with me, but I tend not to use fertilisers if I can get away with it. I do use it on hanging baskets and other container plants beginning a few weeks after they've been planted and are growing well (because composts already contain a certain level of fertiliser which the plants use up within a few weeks). THe reason I don't use fertilisers in the open garden is that they tend to make plants grow larger and therefore weaker. Plants that have to work harder to get their food tend to be a lot tougher and are less susceptable to disease, pests such as slugs and they are more tolerant of drought.

What sort of fertiliser to you have in mind? Chemical? Manure? And what sort of plants - shrubs? Perennials? Annual bedding? In pots or in the garden?