Should you Fertilise Australian Native Plants? Australian Native Plant Myths 2
Following on from our first Australian Native Plant Myths article a few weeks back, we are here to talk about another common myth about native plants: you shouldn’t fertilise them or they simply don’t need any.
So do they need fertiliser?
The short answer is yes, but also no!
Ideally, choosing locally-grown species specifically for your microclimate and soil type in most instances will negate the need for any fertilising. But that isn’t to say you shouldn’t or that as a rule native plants don’t need it.
All plants need nutrients, which for the most part they take in through their roots from the soil below. A good healthy soil will support ample vegetative growth, flower set and fruit/seed set and won’t need any special attention other than ensuring that new organic matter is being cycled into the system via mulch, compost or some other means. However certain soil types, like sandy soils, have very low organic matter which results in less nutrient availability. Growing appropriate species for sandy soils is one easy way to get around this fact, and there is certainly plenty of species to choose from. But sometimes in the garden you might want an out-of-area native or something that generally grows in different soil types, which is certainly possible. In this case you may need to build the soil around those plants and, early on, you might wish to give a bit of fertiliser through compost or another organic fertiliser to give the plants a boost while building soil structure.
When you don’t need to fertilise
As a general rule I’d say that not fertilising is the goal for any garden, ideally. You don’t need to fertilise your plants at all if you have good soil health and a functioning system which is continuously cycling nutrients into the soil. Components which contribute to good soil health and system include your native soil, use of mulch at planting, allowing leaf litter and other debris to accumulate naturally on the soil surface and, in some instances, applications of compost or top soil at the planting stage to boost soil structure.
When to fertilise
There are a few times when a fertiliser application might be desirable or even necessary. Firstly, the potentially necessary: if you are a container gardener then you will at some stage need to refresh your potting mix as it runs out of fertility, and a quick and easy way to do this is with a fertiliser application. Although you will need to eventually re-pot with new media, fertiliser can extend times between repotting. Secondly, in a nursery situation, if you are growing at a commercial capacity. While not strictly necessary, you may want to consider using a slow release fertiliser for your plants to speed up growth and ensure they are healthy starts. Finally, when it may be desirable to fertilise your native plants: if you are wanting to boost the flowering of your plants or if they are low in a key nutrient. A fertiliser application may help to boost these plants up while you work on building healthier soils that are balanced for your plants. The same goes for fruiting plants; If you are growing some of our numerous edible natives you may want to give them a boost in the nutrients necessary for ample flower and fruit. Though, again, building healthy soils geared towards your plants needs is the best practice here, lowering your inputs and energy needed to get the desired effects.
So in the end should you or should you not fertilise your Australian native plants? You certainly should if it is necessary, but ideally you would be doing this only in certain situations with the goal to build the soil structure and the natural fertility your plants need to thrive with minimal input from you.
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