Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Use Tone Fertilizers
How to Use Tone Fertilizers. Tone fertilizer is a family of natural products created by The Espoma Company, including the common Holly-Tone, Rose-Tone and Tomato-Tone versions. They mix a combination of macronutrients and micronutrients in varying levels to suit the specific needs of plants they were created to support. In addition to nitrogen,...
Tone fertilizer is a family of natural products created by The Espoma Company, including the common Holly-Tone, Rose-Tone and Tomato-Tone versions. They mix a combination of macronutrients and micronutrients in varying levels to suit the specific needs of plants they were created to support. In addition to nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous, they all contain 11 to 12 micronutrients and trace elements from natural organic sources such as kelp and crabmeal. Additionally, they contain inorganics such as sulfate of potash. Tones are preferred over synthetic fertilizers by some because they are animal friendly and don't run the risk of burning plant tissues or leaving a buildup of mineral salts in the soil.
Things You'll Need
Tone fertilizer of choice
1-cup measuring cup
Teaspoon measure
Shovel
Feed trees with the appropriate Tone fertilizer, using 3 cups (1 lb.) of fertilizer for every 1 inch in width of the trunk diameter. Triple this amount for trees with a trunk diameter greater than 3 inches.
Fertilize shrubs with 1 cup of the appropriate Tone product for every 1 foot of branch, spreading it at the shrub canopy. Double this to 2 cups per 1 foot if the shrub is larger than 3 feet in diameter.
Provide not-yet-planted garden beds with 10 lbs. Tone fertilizer for every 100 square feet of soil surface, tilling it into the top 4 inches of soil. Cut this rate in half to 5 lbs. per 100 square feet for established beds.
Prepare potted plants by mixing 1 part Tone fertilizer to 30 parts potting medium before planting. Apply 1 tsp. Tone fertilizer for every 4 inches of container diameter on established container plants.
Shovel out the the top 1 to 6 inches of surface soil, being careful not dig up or cut shallow roots, and mix in a Tone granular fertilizer. Water the application area deeply and thoroughly immediately after fertilizing. This will help keep the fertilizer in place and begin distributing the nutrients to the root zone.
Tips & Warnings
Apply the Tone fertilizer away from the trunk, main stems or stalks to prevent over-concentration, and extend the application area to beyond the outer drip line of the plant, shrub or tree.
The dosing amount and placement of a natural Tone fertilizer recommended for a given plant should never be considered interchangeable with the application of synthetic fertilizers, as this can lead to plant damage or death.
