Notes on Herbs

Garlic Chives - divide or transplant in spring or fall

The care of garlic chives is pretty straightforward. Water as needed. Although the plants are drought tolerant, they do enjoy moist soil. Other care of garlic chives instructs fertilizing them at the start of the growing season with a slow release fertilizer.

After a long term freeze, garlic chives will often die back only to return again come springtime.
Garlic chives not only have a multitude of culinary uses, but are said to be beneficial to the digestive system, stimulate appetite, promote blood circulation, and have diuretic properties.
Clip the stems either all the way to the ground or with two inches remaining to allow the herb to grow anew.

Garlic

While the plants are green and growing, fertilize them. You will want to stop fertilizing them after they begin to “bulb-up.” If you feed your garlic too late, your garlic won’t go dormant.

The easiest way to know when to harvest garlic is simply to look at the leaves. When the leaves are 1/3 brown, you will need to start testing the bulbs to see if they are the proper size. This is easy to do. Simply loosen the dirt above one or two garlic bulbs and get an idea of their size while still keeping them in the ground. If they look large enough, then you’re ready to make your garden garlic harvest. If they are still too small, then your garlic will need to grow a bit more.

You don’t want to wait too long though. Once the leaves get to be 1/2 – 2/3 brown, you should harvest the garlic regardless of size. Putting off harvesting garlic until after the leaves are completely brown will only result in a inedible bulb. Your garden garlic harvest will normally happen some time in July or August.  Remember, dig, don't pull.

Lilacs

The bushes are hardy and require little attention, including fertilizer, except in nutrient poor regions. For those plants, rejuvenation pruning might be a better answer but you can also apply lilac plant fertilizer in spring for added health. Knowing when to feed a lilac will promote better blooms and avoid heavy foliage.

When to Feed a Lilac

Plant food helps promote better leafy growth, healthy roots and better nutrient and water uptake, as well as better blooming and production.
The ratio in fertilizer refers to NPK, which are the macronutrients a plant needs for optimum health. They are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Plants with a high first number are formulated to enhance leafy growth, while phosphorus and potassium spur root health and flower and fruit production.

Fertilizing lilacs with anything but a balanced fertilizer can create excessive foliage or heavy blooms. The best lilac plant fertilizer is a closely balanced fertilizer applied when active growth is just beginning. Since lilacs are deciduous, this is in spring just as the canes begin to awaken.

How to Fertilize Lilac Shrubs

Bone meal is a great fertilizer for lilac bushes. This is because it makes soil more alkaline. It is a natural plant food easy for the lilac to intake.
Fertilizing lilacs isn’t strictly necessary except after the first and second years of planting. They may be fertilized at planting with a superphosphate and limestone to sweeten the soil and avoid excess acidity.
As long as the soil is the proper balance and there is plenty of organic matter, you can forgo traditional fertilizer mixes. Only bushes planted in poor soil will really benefit from annual feeding. Use a 5-10-10 ratio when you do feed the plants. Spread 1 cup granular food evenly around the root zone of the plant and water into the soil.

General Lilac Care

For old, poorly cared for plants that have become tangled masses of suckers, prune the bushes after bloom to rejuvenate them.


http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/lilac/lilac-plant-fertilizer.htm