I generally do not add fertilizer to any of my plants.
Sometimes I use those time release fertilizers and throw some on plants in the spring, but I use that fertilizer in the greenhouse mostly for potted plants. I bought a 5 or 10 pound bag last year and still have some left.
in the past years I have purchased a couple of truckloads (18 yards x 2) of leaf compost. I used this as mulch and for planting new plants. Yes, if you have 18 yards of compost dumped on your driveway it takes a while to distribute:)
When I trim shrubs I usually cut in small lengths and let them lay where they fall. I used to burn my ornamental grass, but any nearby shrubs suffer (like dead).
Last year I was looking for composted cow manure, but could not find any. I wanted to use it for new plantings. I live the country, so un-composted cow manure is plentiful, but it has this unpleasant fragrance. However, my farmer neighbor purchased about 60 yards of turkey manure for his field. I have to admit that I prefer cow manure.
I probably have an acre of grass that has never been fertilized in 20 years. However, I sometimes spot kill weeds.
At any rate, I remember buying a bag of Milorganite. Probably 10 years or so ago. It worked just fine.
