You Asked, We Trialed 2025 FEATURE TRIALS
Each year our staff selects issues of interest to our customers and trial garden visitors for our annual feature trials. The 2025 feature trials were designed to address several questions and growers and gardeners have posed to our trial garden staff: How much fertilizer do you use? Are water storing polymer granules effective for gardeners who aren’t able to consistently water their plants? Feature Trial: Fertilizer Trial
The most common question trial garden visitors ask us is why our plants appear healthier and more vibrant than those they grow at home. As growers and home gardeners know, consistent and well-balanced feeding produces more uniform high-quality plants. But what specifically does “consistent and well-balanced” mean? We first set out to quantify the impact of different feed strategies in our 2024 Fertilizer Trial. We learned so much, and it also led us to part 2 -- the 2025 Fertilizer Trial! This year’s trial compared plant growth and performance using several types of controlled-release fertilizer treatments and liquid feed options, with the goal of further identifying how different fertilizer strategies can help growers and gardeners achieve strong, resilient plants that maintain their quality well into the season. Trial Layout We selected sixteen varieties for this trial based on their known fertilizer requirements, ranging from those that require high fertilizer input for strong performance to those that need significantly less. For each variety, three pots were placed into five different fertilizer treatments, which varied by fertilizer type and irrigation method.
Application Method
Treatment
Fertilizer Type Product & Rate
Irrigation
17-5-17, 300 ppm N (June–Aug), 150 ppm (after) 17-5-17, same as above 17-6-12 (Harrell’s), 5–6 month, 7 lbs/ cu yd 17-6-12 (Harrell’s), 3–4 month, 5 lbs/ cu yd
1
Liquid Feed
Daily
Fertilizer in water
Clear water on non- feed days
2
Liquid Feed
Once Weekly
Controlled Release Fertilizer
3
Mixed Media
Clear water
Controlled Release Fertilizer
4
Mixed Media
Clear water
5
Control
None
———
Clear water only
28 mast young plants 1.800.541.3910
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