Epsoma Plant-tone fertilizer in containers. Potential bad odors?
peterk312
11 years ago
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Kimmsr
11 years agoTheMasterGardener1
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Organic Fertilizers for Containers---What DOES work?
Comments (32)Just wondering how everyone's organic containers are doing? This was my first year having really delved into why containers are different from soil. For a few years after leaving a home with 3 acres and a large garden, and moving into a high rise condo, I was determined to grow containers as I did my garden. I kept failing. I had poor yields and plants that never were healthy. My soil turned to mush and was much too wet. So, this year, lots of reading. I WANT organic to work in containers. Even if it's harder for me to do. But, so far, I'm not having a lot of luck. This year I kept two sets of containers. Both were with a traditional peat, vermiculite, perlite mix, though I threw in about 5% compost. It wasn't enough to really offer any nutrition, I am afraid, so I won't do it again. Per the ferts, I've used all organic ferts in four of the containers. I used BioTone Starter Plus as a starter for the tomatoes and lettuce; this was amazing in terms of helping the roots systems get established. I've never seen such healthy root systems at transplant. In two tomato containers, I used Tomato Tone. My plants are doing better than they have in the past, but are still not as large or happy as they used to be when I planted in the ground. It could also be the strange weather we've had. While this fert is in the ground (these are covered EarthBoxes), I have been top feeding some Silica Blast and EarthJuice Catalyst to keep the soil alive with what it needs to turn the ferts into what the plant can use. In the Chinese greens container, I used a combo of Maxicrop fish and kelp ferts that got me close to a 3:1:2 ratio. I didn't have a non-OG container to compare it to. They grew OK and tasted fine. I hadn't grown them before so I don't know how to compare. They seemed to grow more slowly than I expected based on the packet dates. In the OG lettuce and chard container, I used PureBlend PRO Grow, a 3-2-4 fert. It was the closest I could get to a 3:1:2 ratio in OG. I also used the EJ Catalyst. The lettuce was excellent. It compared favorably to the lettuce grown with the chemical fert. But, the chard has not. It's stayed small and the edge leaves keep turning yellow. I do think that part of the problem is watering. I do not have a place for a rainbarrel and must use city water. It has HIGH chlorine. It kills all the good critters I have in the soil. Initially, when the water need was low, I could put water in pails and let it sit for a couple of days before using it to let the chlorine dissapate. As the need for water grew, I couldn't keep up and had to water with chlorinated water. By then, I was probably killing all the good stuff. On the other hand, the chard in the chem fert container is huge. No question, my chard prefers this. I am using Dyna-Gro Poliage Pro and Pro-tekt. One tomato is fertilized with the same as above. It has had an odd history. It was an extra and the only place I could put it is hanging. So, in a TopsyTurvy it went. About a month after transplant, I realized that the stem was breaking where the foam insert rubbed against it; it was literally held together by a few strands. I cut it off, rooted it in water, then replanted. So, it's about a month behind the other tomatoes. It looks great at this point, but I can't as yet compare yields or even size, since it is so far behind. The okra and beans are using the chem fert, also. Both are doing well, but no comparison to an OG version. Next year, if I try a comparison again, I'll try to grow same type of plants, even same varieties, in each, so that I can better compare. I honestly think that I'm screwed unless I can come up with a relatively easy solution for the chlorinated water. I do not have much space and the condo board will not allow me to tap into the water spouts to add a rain barrel. It was much too much work to fill gallon containers with water (you should have seen my bathroom...) and then try to get that water into the reservoirs of my SWCs. No question, non-OG is easier. I am making OG work, however, in most situations. If I didn't have the water issue, I'd be able to give it a better comparison, I think. Next year I will try some version of the 5:1:1 mix in my SWC. I haven't a clue what I'll do about the OG vs non-OG fert issue then. I am hoping someone has tackled this and found a way to make it work without too much added work....See MoreFertilizer Program for Containerized Plants III
Comments (150)Hey Josh, I have been been using Pro-Tekt with my Foliage Pro all winter and i can say that my plants have definately been happier than in the past... When i take my rain water and place it in my watering cans, i add the Pro Tekt first to all of the water and then stir it in. (1/4 tsp per gallon) Then i go back and add my Foliage Pro to the water. I keep it upstairs and let it warm to room temperature and then water. The combination of the two will definately help your plants and im so happy to have found my Pro Tekt. My Hydroponics dealer had to order it for me. I still can't find or he wont (says he cant..) order it for me. He looked it up and says its not available. Hmm? I still order my Foliage Pro from Ebay. They have free shipping anyway. Have fun with your Pro Tekt!!! Hope you are feeling better!!! Happy Spring AL!!! Take Care, Laura...See MoreOrganic fertilizer for indoor plants?
Comments (13)Some comments about this thread: * I forgot to mention that when using organic fertilizers, you can expect a much higher incidence of gnats and other insects whose life cycles include a stay in our soils. There will also be that hydrophobic crust that forms on top of soils and frequently makes water absorption problematic. * I don't use anything in containers I feel will adversely affect drainage or aeration. I make it my responsibility to guard those physical properties judiciously, so I don't use compost or worm castings. I feel that there are a number of supplements and fertilizers, both organic and chemical, that will nicely and efficiently supply the minor elements while having no impact on soil structure, so I use those. It's a personal decision, but it's rooted in soil physics. * I pretty much agree with Joel's assessment of his soil problems. Also, fertilizer manufacturers often don't add Ca or Mg to fertilizers because they are sufficiently present in nearly all prepared soils, used to adjust pH northward. If you are making your own soils, you should add dolomitic lime as a Ca/Mg source if you suspect the initial media pH is low. If you think pH is neutral, use gypsum as a Ca source. If you use dolomite, no additional Mg is needed. Using gypsum as a Ca source is one of the few instances where you can feel confident that continued supplementation of Mg (Epsom salts is fine) is actually needed to balance out the Ca:Mg ratio. Mg should be supplied at approx 1/10 the rate of N and 1/4 the rate of Ca. Al...See MoreOrganic Fertilers for Acid-Loving Plants?
Comments (24)These are interesting further comments! Thanks! They have made me think & now have more questions (sorry!). I'm still siting the bb before double potting in 1/2 wine barrels in next week. Since they don't look rootbound, will hold off actual repotting until dormancy as long as they look healthy. I haven't decided on a soil mix yet. I know Username's works & it looks like bb really like a lot of organic matter. My intuitive response would be to use this kind of soil mix (I get all excited abt. compost, earthworms, etc. although I haven't yet learned how to make compost in our vy. hot dry climate). My other choice would be a (very)simplified version of the fast-draining soil mixes discussed on the Container forum. Since I haven't been able to find the aggregate that forms an important part of those mixes, I experimented by just cutting either potting soil or amendment 50/50 with fine bark mulch. I then potted up my bareroots in it. It seemed so counterintuitive, but everything (so far) has thrived. It seems (for this hot, dry climate) to avoid having the outer soil area overheat & dry out while inner area remains damp to wet. Yes, it sure does need a lot of watering! It seems, however, to be much less tricky to water, i.e., you can water a bit early without danger of overwatering. I had lost a couple of rosebushes from overwatering here in the desert. Lest anyone reading this thinks abt. using same type of mix, let me point out that I still need to study the possible components of soil mixes & that problems w. the mix I have used may develop! Best to study to mixes others have used successfully over longer period of time. Username, do you think it would be necessary to repot bb using mix you described in year--couple years, i.e., would soil start to compact? If anyone would like to suggest alternatives to peat moss which they have used, I'd love to consider them. Kimmsr, would you mean leaves which are then composted? I ought to have quite a few of them when my espaliered pear and apple trees have grown a bit. Nandina, thanks!! Sunshine Blue sounds like a dandy--it's on my list for next year. You are right, the name of the game with the climate here is experiment! Squarefooterg, That's interesting! How are the ground citrus peels used? Thank you all!...See Morepeterk312
11 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years agopeterk312
11 years agoTheMasterGardener1
11 years agopeterk312
11 years agoRaw_Nature
11 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
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