My Past experience is water first and followed up an hour later with liquid fertilizing. I have done this for years. The question is whether it is a waste of time/resources doing so or direct application makes no difference.

Since I never allow my plants to go completely dry, I see no reason to pre-water and then add more water (with fertilizer). Some of both is bound to wash out when the second round is added.

Paully,

It depends on how dry you let you containers get.  If you water your trees daily, feed at will.  If, on the other hand, you wait to water the trees until their leaves start to wilt, continue with what you've done in the past.

~james

I do that. I will water through all my pots, then mix and apply the liquid fertilizer. Some of the fertilizer runs through. I do allow my pots to become almost dry. I do not fertilize every time I water, because I use a fast draining soil medium. I never really gave it much thought. It just seems like that is how it is done. Nice question. Waiting to see what others have to say.

I just water them with MG mixed in but then i dont let my plants get dry so....

If you fertilize just the right amount every time, it is not necessary.  It is hard to do this practically, however. 

One advantage to water first is that you will rinse out a good bit of any accumulated salts from the last time you fertilized.  So if you fertilize maybe a bit too much for whatever reason, if it doesn't rain in between, then next time you fertilize you could get to a point where the soil has too much fertilizer in it and it starts to inhibit the plant. 

Depends on how much rain you get, how often you fertilize, how strong your fertilizer is, what fertilizer ratio you use, etc.  If you use a 10-10-10 type fertilizer, this will have too much P relative to N, which will accumulate in the soil if it doesn't get rinsed out by rain or watering. 

When I was growing in containers, I fertigated my trees (courtesy of a Dramm Syphonject).  I diluted the fert to about 1/4 to 1/3 strength.  In hind site it was probably a bit too diluted and if I had to do it again, it would be 50-60%.  Once a week, the trees got water only as a flush...

As I'm getting older, I'm thinking about doing the same thing for myself... eat 50% of what I eat now and one day a week have nothing but water.  LOL.

~james