I have two hawthorn. It is the beginning of May and they haven't begun blossoming yet, which is normal I think. But should I begin fertilizing them now and stop only when they blossom or should I wait until blossoming is finished before fertilizing?

adding fertiliser is nothing to do with flowering. I will not be adding any fertiliser to any trees before mid to late May depending if they are in full leaf and hardened off. There is no need to do so

m5eaygeoff wrote: adding fertiliser is nothing to do with flowering. I will not be adding any fertiliser to any trees before mid to late May depending if they are in full leaf and hardened off. There is no need to do so

I have been led to believe that fertilizing while in bloom is not a good idea. Is that not true?

Firtilizer with to much Nitrogen can effect flowering of the plants, as it is growing lots of leaves and smaller flowers and fruits. A balanced firtilizer would be ok, before it flowers, while it flowers, and fruiting. If you want bigger fruits, then add more K at the fruiting stage.

Also depents on what you want, do you want to flowers, fruits, or do you want good growth for tickening trunk or branches, or are you in refining stage, that would require less firtilzier for getting smaller leaves/flowers/fruits?

m5eaygeoff wrote: adding fertiliser is nothing to do with flowering. I will not be adding any fertiliser to any trees before mid to late May depending if they are in full leaf and hardened off. There is no need to do so

Note that for every single statement like this you should add mentally "in this climate". I have been fertilizing since the end of March when every tree was leafed out and there was a lot of new growth. Different climates, different schedules.

Rorror wrote: Firtilizer with to much Nitrogen can effect flowering of the plants, as it is growing lots of leaves and smaller flowers and fruits. A balanced firtilizer would be ok, before it flowers, while it flowers, and fruiting. If you want bigger fruits, then add more K at the fruiting stage.

Also depents on what you want, do you want to flowers, fruits, or do you want good growth for tickening trunk or branches, or are you in refining stage, that would require less firtilzier for getting smaller leaves/flowers/fruits?

Well, every source I've ever read states that it should be fed during the growing season but NOT during flowering. So the question is if fertilizing during flowering is not good then is feeding prior to flowering good or only after the blossoms have run the course? It seems like a simple question but I haven't found the answer.

Oyster Sauce wrote:
I have been led to believe that fertilizing while in bloom is not a good idea. Is that not true?

That's true for Satuki Azalea's, because if you do it can cause deformation of the flowers. It's that could be also a problem by other species, I have never heard and I have never seen at my own trees.

marco buijsman wrote: That's true for Satuki Azalea's, because if you do it can cause deformation of the flowers. It's that could be also a problem by other species, I have never heard and I have never seen at my own trees.

So, you don't think it makes much difference? I mean I probably shouldn't worry about it.

Oyster Sauce wrote:

marco buijsman wrote: That's true for Satuki Azalea's, because if you do it can cause deformation of the flowers. It's that could be also a problem by other species, I have never heard and I have never seen at my own trees.

So, you don't think it makes much difference? I mean I probably shouldn't worry about it.

yes you're right..

marco buijsman wrote:

Oyster Sauce wrote:

marco buijsman wrote: That's true for Satuki Azalea's, because if you do it can cause deformation of the flowers. It's that could be also a problem by other species, I have never heard and I have never seen at my own trees.

So, you don't think it makes much difference? I mean I probably shouldn't worry about it.

yes you're right..

Thank you.