If a plant is struggling due to a disease or root problems, the fertilizer will only add stress to it's life. Never fertilize a plant with a chemical fertilizer if the plant looks sick or wilted. If over-fertilization is severe, the plant may just wilt and die. When roots are burned, the first sign is often scorched looking leaves. ![]() It is much, much better to err on the side of too little fertilizer than too much. "Fertilizer burn" can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the fine hair-like roots and damage or even death of the Kalmia latifolia Minuet. Over-fertilization can be much more detrimental than under-fertilization. The amount of chemical fertilizer used per plant will vary with the size of the plant and it's root system. If you are looking for a fertilizing routine tailored to your specific conditions, a soil sample should be taken and the fertilizer and trace elements matched to the needs of your soil. A less expensive fast release fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 will work just as well if applied twice during the early spring and very early summer. However, slow-release is certainly not the only way to fertilizer Kalmia Latifolias such as Kalmia latifolia Minuet. If you can find a fertilizer formulated for shrubs and trees, this fertilizer would work well on Kalmia Latifolias. There are many slow-release fertilizers on the market. If chemical fertilizers are used on your Kalmia latifolia Minuet, applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer once a year is probably the simplest solution. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully with Kalmia-Latifolias. Fertilize Kalmia latifolia Minuet again 6 to 8 weeks later to encourage extra flowers or faster growth of young shrubs. Flowers bloom late May into June.Azalea's such as Kalmia latifolia Minuet grow best if they are fertilized lightly in the spring once frost has passed with a well-balanced, extended-release, fertilizer such as Espoma Holly-tone. Flowers open white with a broad, maroon-red band circling the inside of each flower cup near the rim. It features ornamentally attractive light pink flower buds. ![]() 'Minuet' is a dwarf shrub that typically matures to only 3' tall and as wide. Genus name honors Pehr Kalm (1715-1779), Finnish pupil of Linnaeus, who was sent by the Swedish government in 1748 to report on the natural resources of North America. Linnaeus named the genus herein after Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1716-1779) who explored plant life in parts of eastern North America from 1747 to 1751. Mountain laurel has acquired a number of different common names over time including ivy bush, spoonwood, calico bush and American laurel. ![]() Kalmia latifolia is the state flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. All parts of this plant are toxic if ingested. Elliptic, alternate, leathery, glossy evergreen leaves (to 5” long) are dark green above and yellow green beneath and reminiscent to the leaves of rhododendrons. If not deadheaded, flowers give way to non-showy brown fruits (3/16” dehiscent capsules) that persist into winter. Each flower (to 1” across) is cup shaped with five sides and ranges in color from rose to white with purple markings inside. Flowers appear in terminal clusters (corymbs to 6” across), typically covering the shrub in late May-June for several weeks with an often exceptional bloom. Notwithstanding its usual shrub habit, mountain laurel will rarely grow as a small tree (particularly on slopes in the Appalachian Mountains) to as much as 30’ tall. It typically grows as a dense rounded shrub to 5-15’ tall, opening up and developing gnarly branches with age. It is noted for its excellent spring flowers and quality year round foliage. Kalmia latifolia, commonly called mountain laurel, is a gnarled, multi-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree that is native to Eastern North America (New England south to the southern Indiana, Louisiana and the Florida panhandle) where it is found in a variety of habitats including open rocky or sandy woods, cool meadows, balds, mountain slopes and woodland margins.
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