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not endure any considerable dry period or any cultivation of the sur-face of the ground, in the same manner as that adopted in caring fordeciduous shrubs and the deeper-rooted evergreens. Rhododendrons, Fertilizer For. Rhododendrons and otherericaceous plants should not be fertilized with manure until wellestablished. In the late fall after the rhododendrons have beenestablished one year they may be fertilized by the application of a two-inch layer of well-rotted stable manure over the top of the mulch.This should be repeated each year. Chemical fertilizers are seldomor never used on ericaceous plants. Bone meal should never beused as its bone phosphate of lime is sure to react upon the soil acidityso essential to the successful culture of rhododendrons and allied plants.The use of bone meal has been known to be fatal to these plants.Epsom salt has been recommended as a fertilizer for rhododendrons,but this is probably a mistake and in any event a doubtful procedurebecause of the chemical nature of this material. As epsom salt ismagnesium sulphate and has been used in England to top-dress cloveras a substitute for lime, it probably would react in the soil similar tolime and would be injurious to all ericaceous plants. |
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