Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Creeping Gaultheria (Gaultheria nummularioides)— schedule & NPK

Also called Creeping Gaultheria, Coin-leaved Gaultheria.

More about creeping gaultheria

About Creeping Gaultheria

Gaultheria nummularioides · also called Creeping Gaultheria, Coin-leaved Gaultheria · flowering

Gaultheria nummularioides is a prostrate, carpet-forming evergreen shrub native to the Himalayas, southern China (Yunnan, Tibet), and into Southeast Asia at elevations of 1,700–3,000 m, where it roots as it spreads across rocky, shaded slopes. It demands cool conditions, consistent moisture, and lime-free, humus-rich soil; it is only marginally frost-hardy and in the UK requires a sheltered, south- or west-facing microclimate with good drainage to avoid winter losses. Small white bell-shaped flowers in summer are followed by blue-black berries. Like all Gaultheria, it contains methyl salicylate and is toxic to cats and dogs.

Growth habit: Prostrate, creeping, mat-forming evergreen shrub that roots along its stems as it spreads.

What fertiliser creeping gaultheria actually wants — and why

Creeping Gaultheria is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for creeping gaultheria: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed creeping gaultheria, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For creeping gaultheria:

Feed sparingly with a dilute ericaceous liquid fertiliser once in spring; this plant is adapted to nutrient-poor mountain soils and resents overfeeding. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when creeping gaultheria is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for creeping gaultheria

Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for creeping gaultheria. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water creeping gaultheria first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the creeping gaultheria watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding creeping gaultheria

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for creeping gaultheria:

Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose.
White salt crust on the soil surface.
Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly.

Signs you are under-feeding creeping gaultheria

Yellowing leaves with green veins (iron chlorosis from high pH).
Weak growth, poor cropping and an overall pale, stressed look.
Stunted new shoots in spring despite adequate water and light.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full creeping gaultheria care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

Flush creeping gaultheria with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for creeping gaultheria

Organic options

Composted pine bark, pine-needle mulch, used coffee grounds and an organic ericaceous feed gently maintain acidity. UK: Vitax or Westland Ericaceous; US: Espoma Holly-tone or Dr. Earth Acid Lovers. Slow, soil-improving, hard to overdo.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A liquid or granular ericaceous feed — UK: Miracle-Gro Ericaceous, Vitax or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro Acid-Loving Plant Food or Espoma Holly-tone. Pair with rainwater and an acidic mulch for it to work.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising creeping gaultheria — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does creeping gaultheria need?

An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves. Creeping Gaultheria is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.

How often should I feed creeping gaultheria?

Feed sparingly with a dilute ericaceous liquid fertiliser once in spring; this plant is adapted to nutrient-poor mountain soils and resents overfeeding. Feed sparingly with a dilute ericaceous liquid fertiliser once in spring; this plant is adapted to nutrient-poor mountain soils and resents overfeeding. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.

What strength of feed for creeping gaultheria?

What does over-feeding creeping gaultheria look like?

Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose. White salt crust on the soil surface. Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly. Feeding creeping gaultheria an ordinary fertiliser, or growing it in hard tap water / limey soil, is the defining mistake — it triggers lime-induced chlorosis (yellow leaves, green veins) no amount of feeding fixes until the pH comes down.

Should I flush the soil of creeping gaultheria?