One of my favourite things about writing this column is meeting other gardeners. At the grocery store, the pool, the gym - it is a pleasure to meet other Squamish gardeners and to hear their gardening questions. If we don't ask questions how do we learn?
I've had a question about my own garden for quite some time. I tried looking through reference books, researching my query online, and talking to other master gardeners and "gardeners in the know" all to no avail.
While drawing at the kitchen table and listening to CBC radio last week, I heard the introduction of Brian Minter and knew my question would be answered. For those of you who don't know Brian Minter, he is a nursery owner and gardener extraordinaire who regularly appears on CBC radio and takes questions from listeners.
My question was related to my beautiful Stewartia tree, which features prominently in my front bed. The Stewartia is an amazing tree that really has something to offer in all four seasons, but its large white camellia-like blossoms in June are really the crowning glory.
I've had the tree three years, and each year I was treated to the blossoms at the end of June - a time when not a lot of other trees produce flowers. Last year I enlarged the bed that encloses the tree to plant more plants (what else is new?). Like all good gardeners I wanted to amend the soil to feed and support all the new plants I was investing in, so I top-dressed my bed with Seasoil, an amazing combination of organic matter and soil booster made locally that I highly recommend.
I amended my soil in April and immediately afterward the Stewartia tree put on an incredible amount of new growth, to the point that it was flopping over with greenery. Unfortunately my poor tree did not bloom that year. So my question to Brian was "Do I prune now to encourage more blooms, or wait until after the tree passed its bloom period and do a small restorative prune at that time?"
I know a lot of you have specimen trees planted in your perennial beds so this question is relevant to all of us. After congratulating me for an excellent selection of tree (thank you Brian) and trying to do the right thing by feeding my soil, his simple advice was that there is often too much of a good thing. Flower bearing trees do not need much fertilization and in fact prefer being slightly "stressed" (i.e. under fed), which will then encourage the tree to bloom more. I was killing my tree with kindness.
Keep his wise word in mind as you go forth and amend you soil and feed your plants this spring.
