Fertilizer Program for Containerized Plants II
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
15 years ago
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margo_k
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Fertilizer Program - Containerized Plants 4 - by Tapla
Comments (1)I have a fertilizer frequency / quantity question and this seems like a good place to ask rather than cluttering up the board: I have tomatoes and peppers in SWC's and am using MG 18:18:21 "Tomato Plant Food", which seems to be a little off the recommended nutrient quantities but it's what I have. Is there any guidance on how much fertilizer I should use and how often. I've just started using it and am diluting to the level suggested on the box of one teaspoon / gallon for indoor plants - which I assume would be similar to containers as they are also closed systems. Is this too strong or too weak? Should I use this quantity every time? Should I increase once the plants start producing? Final simple question - does the fertilizer go in at the top or do I add the fertilized water straight to the reservoir?...See MoreFertilizer Program - Containerized Plants (Long Post)
Comments (126)"It looks like you switched to the Dyna grow 9-3-6 last year. Do you still use CRF in your soil mix if you are still using this fert?" Actually, I rarely use the CRFs at all. I like the near complete control the soluble fertilizers give me in containers. I'm pretty diligent about fertilizer applications, so I really don't need the CRFs to cover the 'in case I forget' base, or for any minor elements they might supply. I included them in the soil recipes to make it easier for others. As long as you're faithful to your nutrient supplementation program, you can easily do w.o them. If you think you'll be lax at times, I'd include them. 109 ppm alkalinity is nothing to be overly concerned about with fast container soils. It would be interesting to learn how the Ca and Mg levels are though. Alkalinity is related to pH because alkalinity (practically speaking and for our applications) determines your water's resistance to pH changes. If you have water 'A' at a pH of 9.0 with an alkalinity of 75 mg/L CaCO3, and water 'B', with a pH of 8.0 (a full point lower to begin with) and alkalinity of 300 mg/L CaCO3, it will take about 4 times as much 35% H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) to bring the water with the lower pH down to That aside - your water is better than mine, so I really doubt you'll have Fe/Mn issues if you're using either the 9-3-6 or MG. I will say though, that bark/peat soils have a potentially high Fe:Mn ratio, so applying Fe w/o Mn could easily create a deficiency of Mn. If I were in your shoes, I would do nothing until I actually saw evidence of an Fe deficiency. Then, I would acidify. Oh - the other likely cause of an Fe deficiency is too much P, which combines with the Fe to form an insoluble precipitate, so avoid the high P fertilizers - they are useless unless you are using them to supply the exact amount of P needed while intentionally (severely) limiting N. I used this strategy last year: I fertilized with regular dosages of 9-3-6 until the plants were well established. I then cut way back on the dosage and added ProTeKt to the solution. I rather like to envision that I used the added K (and got the benefit of the added silicon) to change the fertilizer ratio to 3:1:3 from a 3:1:2. This allowed me to reduce the dosage of N (reducing vegetative growth) while still having adequate P and K. Take care. Al...See MoreUsing a plastic barrel as a Tree pot
Comments (5)A true dwarf in a 27.5 gal container should be OK. Some drawbacks are, you have to show caution when picking it up, so as not to dig the dolly into the bottom and disturbed the root system. More susceptible to moister and rot issues, even with pea gravel in bottom. The root ball is above the freeze line and even in a shed may freeze the root ball. Unless the shed it heated. Planted in the ground the roots are below the freeze line, and able to wick heat from lower levels of soil, offering the roots a less severe temperature shift. But you would have to cover with some type of material, during spring freeze. Pro and cons, to anything. But hey, if it was easy, it would not give nearly as much satisfaction. Be well...See MoreContainerizing a tree that normally has a taproot
Comments (16)I personally want to try direct seed sowing. I am kinda afraid of critters eating the seeds before spring. I have proof that deer have been in my yard lately, hoof prints and Q. Alba acorns gone from where I put them in the top of the soil, plus little poo balls, a dead give away. My Chestnut oak and it's plentiful acorns this fall made the deer suddenly plentiful in my yard, I had had some deer in my lower yard before rubbing their velvet off their horns before, but now they are venturing into my upper yard. My dog ran to the extreme far corner of my fence growling and barking, and the deer just kept munching on them Chestnut oak acorns, like "what's up dog?" "what is YOUR problem?" It was funny, my dog is used to animals running from her, our cats usually. I did think it was pretty funny. Well, anyways, I am wondering if I can direct sow in early spring after the critters stop looking, if possible....See Moretapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJerryVentura Jordan
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojojosplants
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoredshirtcat
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoredshirtcat
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojojosplants
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoredshirtcat
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoEetrey
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoKinder Devonshire
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoKinder Devonshire
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoedweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojodik_gw
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agokernul1
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agokernul1
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoedweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoedweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJerryVentura Jordan
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJerryVentura Jordan
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTheMasterGardener1
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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