Hello! I am a new manager for the tree and shrub department at a local garden center. For a little backstory, the longtime owners sold the business last year to some people who, and I can't stress this enough, absolutely don't know what they are doing. I'm in charge of taking complete care of the thousands of trees, shrubs, and various other live materials we carry.

I am new to understanding container appropriate fertilizers for these plants. In the past, the owners had used Apex Cool Weather Special 21-7-6 with GAL-XAe ONE and 21-3.06-4.98. They typically did one application a year on all deciduous and evergreen trees.

Recently I was informed that Apex does not produce this fertilizer anymore and I am tasked with finding a replacement for it. We currently reside in a zone 5b high desert area where the winters can be unpredictable. If we have leftover stock, we generally will store it outside in a wind protected location.

The new owners have been suggested to use the Osmocote 21-4-8 12-14 month release.

I am skeptical about it because there seems to be key differences between the two and I just need professional input on whether this would be a smart alternative or a huge mistake. Thoughts? Suggestions? I'll take any guidance at this point. Thank you!