There are so many products on display at the garden centers, and so much advice being given, that no wonder many home gardeners are confused not to say bemused when it comes to feeding their plants. The purpose of this article is to show you that the decision you end up making on what to use in the garden, can really be quite simple.

Broadly speaking there should be two aims to reach for. One is to provide nutriment in the form of minerals like nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential to plant growth.and development. The other, less obvious but no less important, possibly more important, is to improve the habitat in which the plant grows -- namely the soil. Nutriment can either be provided directly in the form of chemical fertilizer, or indirectly in the form of composted organic matter, which while breaking down, releases the essential elements in mineral form. Soil improvement can only be achieved by the consistent adding of organic matter to the soil, while over time, the persistent use of chemical fertilizers is liable to adversely affect the health of the soil. "Feed the soil not the plant", as many horticulturalists are now saying. But why?

* The more organic matter or humus in the soil, the better the air/moisture balance in the plant root zone * Humus balances the soil pH. Alkaline conditions, typical of many dry climate soils, make certain essential nutriments, like iron, unavailable to the plants * The more humus, the greater the quantity and variety of organisms, particularly earthworms in the soil. This creates a better biotic balance, thereby reducing pest and disease infestations

There are many more reasons for adding organic matter in the form of compost or humus, consistently .

Go to www.dryclimategardening.com for more information. So if someone has persuaded you to buy a fertilizer pump (whereby liquid fertilizer can be applied via the drip irrigation system), remember that the need to compost still exists. In fact you should be composting at least once a year, preferably twice. At the same time you can add slow-release fertilizer, which can be applied twice and with some products even just once a year. There's generally speaking little need therefore, to stoop down spooning fertilizer on each and every plant. If you throw down a decent amount of compost (say 5 liters per meter sq. for existing plants and mix in with that either slow-release chemical or preferably organic fertilizer) you'll be doing a pretty good job.

What I've said here does not apply to lawns though. For the feeding and treatment of lawns in the spring or autumn, read next weeks article from www.dryclimategardening.com