When is a good time to add bone meal to the soil?
A. Bone meal has been a popular soil additive for many years. I’m not a huge fan. It is primarily phosphorous and calcium, two minerals abundant in most garden soils. It does not stimulate root growth as claimed. In fact, adding too much phosphorous can hinder the growth of plants, and several bulb growers tell me they find an increase in rodent problems when bone meal is used at bulb planting. So, start with a soil test and find out what, if any, type of fertilizer is needed. Consider using activated compost such as Purple Cow, worm casting and organic fertilizers. Building the soil ecology is the best thing you can do for your plants. Q.I have a very large deck and plant many pots of flowers each year. What plants can I focus on to attract hummingbirds? A. You have lots of beautiful choices for your containers. I placed a “SH” next to those that are shade tolerant. A few of the hummingbird plants that provide vertical interest are cannas, Verbena bonariensis, dahlia, salvia, pentas,
