Give your new plants a boost by using starter fertilizer when you plant!
WAIT! Before you put the new plant you just purchased in the ground, think about getting a starter fertilizer to use.
Starter fertilizers help your plant, well, get started! They’re jam-packed with all the necessary nutrients that plants need PLUS beneficial bacteria and fungi that really help your plant get established.
Tried & Trusted
Our favorite starter fertilizer is Bio-Tone Starter Plus from Espoma – it’s awesome! We use this EVERY TIME we plant, have used it in our home gardens for years, and it’s still one of our favorite products!
We love the saying that “a garden is only as good as it’s soil“. If the soil that you plant in is sub-par, then your plant will not have the necessary nutrients to grow big roots. Bio-Tone is full of beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae, which are both cornerstones of healthy soil! Microbes, are beneficial bacteria and protozoa (all things that you can’t see with the naked eye) that break down organic matter to make nutrients available to the plants. While, mycorrhizae are fungi “roots” that have a symbiotic relationship with plants, meaning that the plant and fungi both help each other. Plants typically uptake nutrients through only the very tip of roots, so each root alone only has one point of entry for nutrients and water. Mycorrhizae attach along the whole length of the roots, creating multiple entryways for each one. This creates more opportunities for the plant roots to uptake water and nutrients, which will help the plant grow faster. They activate after planting to bring nutrients and water to the plant’s roots in exchange for carbohydrates.
Why we LOVE Bio-Tone!
- No sludges/fillers
- Common fillers normally include sand & chip-lime
- Sludge is what the fertilizer industry calls wastewater treatment byproducts.
- Completely organic fertilizers….
- Slower to break down in the soil slower, thus feeding your plants for a longer time.
- Add organic matter to the soil
- Reduces transplant loss
- Promotes bigger blooms
- More foliar growth
- Helps roots grow big and strong
- Roots are the plant’s lifeline. What’s above ground cannot look good until the roots are happy and healthy.
How to Use Starter Fertilizer
- Dig a hole (as normal) for your plant to sit in.
- Place starter fertilizer directly in hole or mix with the soil you plan to fill the hole back with. To figure out how much to use, just check the bag! Every fertilizer has specified rates.
- Place the root ball directly on top of Bio-Tone. The roots MUST touch Bio-Tone for it to work properly. The mycorrhizae need contact with the roots to be able to bring them nutrients and water in exchange for carbohydrates. Only works if it comes directly in contact with the roots.
Fungi will die if sunlight hits them for too long, so do not topdress with this stuff.
Use on any and all plants (vegetables, fruit, ornamentals, shrubs, trees, houseplants)!
Itching to plant something new? Check out all the awesome SALES we have going on & make sure to pick-up some Bio-Tone to get those new plants off to the right start!