Sorry - this probably should have been posted as a follow-up relating to a specific Vanda I have asked about here. It is just beginning to recover from chronic lack of water and has been dormant for about 7 months with no new growth other than roots. I want to give it some "oomph". Others here suggested to my question and to others using fertilizer or some other product in the water or in spag. They were right about the sad lack of water, so now I am seeking "the next step". I water it not quite every day now. It gets a few minutes under the tap or in the shower. But I would like to use the "soak it in a bucket of water" method maybe once or twice a week (because it IS trying to recover from lack of water. It is super dry). The products I have in my arsenal are: Green Light Root Stimulator & Starter Solution Green Light Rooting Hormone Better-Gro Orchid Plus (20-14-13) Dynamite Plant Food (pellets - I use these in my potted stuff) 13-13-13 That really common orchid food that comes in a little blue pouch (blue crystals, can't remember the name, but it is SUPER common). Thanks for the forumula for the water ratio. Would you recommend I try 13-13-13 or other? Perhaps I should move this post?

"Bloom Booster" has become a generic term for "high in phosphorous". Miracle Gro's version is something like 10/50/10. I don't know of any controlled test results with high phosphorous formulas, but I'm inclined to avoid them for the following reasons: 1) I read most of the rose exhibition articles in the American Rose magazine and I've never seen a recommendation for a bloom booster fertilizer. I did read one recommendation suggesting that a "blip in phosphorous is beneficial just as the flower buds are set". The extra phosphorous recommended was actually very small and the intent appeared to be to improve bloom quality rather than quantity. 2) Excess phosphorous is the surest way to destroy the useful micorrhizal fungus which colonizes the roots of roses. 3) Commercial growers of roses for cut-flower production typically feed their roses with fertilizers having close to the 3/1/2 NPK ratio which is present in the tissue of roses and most other plants. I have read several articles on soilless greenhouse rose culture which demonstrate that if the nitrogen is optimal for a rose, feeding more than 1/3 that amount of phosphorous (as per the 3/1/2 ratio) does not result in increased phosphorous uptake. 4) Excess phosphorous tends to build up in the soil and this can restrict the uptake of other nutrients, such as iron. So far as comparing Miracle Gro to Bio Tone, Miracle Gro is a complete, reasonably balanced fertilizer. Bio Tone contains only nitrogen (and soil microorganisms) and is intended mostly as a starter for new plants or as a supplement to a balanced fertilizer.

Oh gee8ch  I am so sorry  and I understand about heart broken. YouÂre right, theyÂre family at a certain point. But Jim has a great idea - put them in the shade and just water. I received some bare root stock  on sale  in July - they looked dead, I was frightened. Nope  stuck them in those pots in the other picture (the grimaldi, Dr. Seuss, etc.) and boom. . theyÂre growing. The supplier knew what he was doing. Sultry is right, my banana loves the fish emulsion  but I didnÂt go near the brugs with it. I hurt some plants a few years back with MG when the soil was bone dry  I gave full strength MG not paying attention and burned their roots. But immediately flushed the soil and only lost one of those plants (monstera?). Water  hold on to them. . .donÂt give up the ghost yet. IÂm just hoping yours bounce back. IÂm flushing a couple of plants myself because I think I polluted the soil. There isnÂt anyone that has screwed up their brugs more than me this year. Mean time  If youÂre sure theyÂre gone - LogeeÂs ships wonderful plants  even in the heat if you want to start over. They have Fed-X. Valley Grow sent large stock, bare root, if you wanted to jump start. . . .boy I wish I didnÂt have a problem  otherwise, IÂd try to send you some of my plain janes. Good luck gee8ch  I hope they come back. Dweeb

Exotic Plumeria: WATER SOLUBLE FERTILIZER SHOULD HAVE A PHOSPHORUS CONTENT OF 50 OR HIGHER. GRANULAR FERTILIZER SHOULD HAVE A PHOSPHORUS CONTENT OF 20 OR HIGHER Brad's Buds and Blooms: Use a high phosphorous fertilizer once every 2 weeks (look for the high middle number in the formula (15-30-15 for example), for plumeria, such as Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster after your plants have been with you about 2 weeks and had time to settle in. I also recommend using a product called Spray-N-Grow once a week on the leaves of all these plants for fantastic results --- This is also available from us in the Growth Enhancement section. Jungle Jacks: Fertilizer: We generally use commercial mixes with a 1-1-1 ratio or similar for our larger plants, and a time-released fertilizer on our smaller plumeria. Note: JJ's mother trees are located in Thailand, however the plants are grown in his nursery in CA Upland nursery: Fertilization should be applied during the growing season, balance 20-20-20 is a good fertilize to use during the growing season then switch off time to time with the fertilizer that has a high number of phosphorous such as middle number 50. We recommend the “Grow More” brand because we see the result better than any other brands. When the plumeria start to get into a dormant season, stop feeding the plumeria and wait until the next growing season to feed them again. Florida Colors: Feed your plumerias with a fertilizer high in Phosphorus (the middle number), such as Super Bloom or BR-61 to start the year. A consistent feeding program with a even number fertilizer will produce vigorous plants with large showy clusters of flowers. Foliar feeding helps with bloom production. Feed every 2-3 weeks from March/April through September. New formulation 11-40-6 Time-Release granular fertilizers are available now, which may be applied every 8 weeks or so. Avoid fertilizers high in Nitrogen (the first number) to maintain compact growth. Here in south Florida our trees, that are IN THE GROUND, get a shot of triple super phosphate every October. It makes a huge difference in spring bloom. Plumeriaparadise:CA Once seed has germinated and is transplanted, I stop spraying fertilizer, and actually fertilize every 3-4 weeks with a high phosphate fertilizer, such as 10-50-10. A Note About Plumeria/Adenium Fertilizers: There is much debate amongst home users as to which fertilizers give the best results. The suggestions given above are simply the ones which have worked well for us. Please keep in mind that all plants have individual feeding needs and a 'one size fits all' fertilizing plan generally will result in poor results. We at the nursery use these products and they work well for us. Plants can be OVER-FERTILIZED. Please follow directions. In our experience, we like to fertilize more often during the flowering season, but with a much higher dilution. This provides a constant feeding for the plants. For example: If the directions call for one scoop per gallon of water, and you are fertilizing once a month, we would put 1/4 of a scoop and do it every week during normal watering. Rootone (Rooting Hormone Powder), Dip n Grow (Rooting Hormone Liquid), Spray n Grow Products (Spray n Grow and Coco-Wet), SuperThrive (Multi Nutrient),GrowMore® 5-50-17 Hawaiian Bud & Bloom (General Blooming Fertilizer), Epsom Salt (during signs of yellow plumeria leaves) and Honey (it is a great natural antibacterial that is used in the rooting process). PACIFIC PLUMERIA: Many will bloom before developing leaves and others will not. Once the leaf growth has developed, the summer regimen of care can be followed. However, in order to discourage excessive stem elongation and to promote flowering, fertilizers low in nitrogen and semi-high in phosphorous are recommended. Once again, 16-16-16, 15-30-15, 4-26-26, and 6-30-30 are excellent choices. Keep a Plumeria healthy by feeding once a month and by watering as necessary. South Coast Plumeria Society: We can safely say that all we plumerias enthusiasts are out to get those beautiful blooms! Besides ample sunlight, Plumerias require consistent fertilizing. Fertilizers usually contain the primary nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. They should also contain secondary nutrients, which are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. To complete the mix, fertilizers should contain the micronutrients iron, zinc, manganese, copper, molybdenum, boron, and cobalt. Plumerias usually like low nitrogen, high phosphorus, and high potassium with all the secondaries and micronutrients. Nitrogen promotes growth and foliage development. Phosphorous promotes blooms, reproductive activity, and root development. Potassium helps with overall vigor, branch thickness, and resistance to insects and pathogens. Jim Little's book Growing Plumerias in Hawaii "In discussing the topic of fertilizer it is important to distinguish the differences between trees that are growing in the ground from those that are growing in pots. While each has different requirements, one of the best things about Plumeria and fertilizers is they will tolerate any type of fertilizer but they have been proven to produce more and bigger blooms using a high phosphorous content such as a 10-30-10 or similar ratio, depending on the manufacturer. For tropical and subtropical FLOWERING trees and plants growing in the soil, many commercial growers use NPK 20-20-20 granular, liquid feed or both. For potted plants, a recommended blend is Osmocote 14-14-14, a time release that lasts for approximately 3 months. Osmocote 18-6-12, also a time release fertilizer will work for about 6 months and is used by plumeria growers seeking a faster than normal growth rate." Tropical Plumeria: Before planting, make sure your soil is rich and organic. You can add manure or compost to ensure adequate nutrients in the soil. Once planted, you will need to fertilize your plants quarterly. For large, beautifully colored blooms, choose a fertilizer that is heavy in phosphorous. This is the second number you see on the label of plant fertilizers. When in doubt, try to find a product listing Plumeria on the label. Floridaplumeria.com: As mentioned before plumeria are heavy feeders. However, in order to discourage excessive stem elongation and to promote flowering, fertilizers low in nitrogen and high in phosphorous are, once again, recommended. Keep a plumeria healthy by feeding once or twice a month, and watering as necessary. The recommended foods can be sprinkled directly on the soil and then watered in. Consider using two tablespoons per five gallon pot per month plumeria101.com: When fertilizing Plumeria you should use a high Phosphate fertilizer (middle number), like Peters "Super Blossom Booster 10-50-10". If you use a fertilizer high in Nitrogen then you will make a healthy but tall and leggy plumeria. Plumeria in general only branch when they bloom, therefore you must use a fertilizer that will promote the most blooms. Which in turn makes the most branches. If you find a Plumeria full of branches, then you'll know it's been a good bloomer. The Handbook on Plumeria Culture by Richard and Mary Helen Eggenberger: "There are however, certain nutrient combinations and fertilizing principles that almost always produce the desired results. Plumerias thrive best with a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorous., with ample potash and balanced trace elements, especially iron and magnesium which helps prevent chlorosis and leaf burn respectively. Notrogen is necessary to promote overall plant developement including healthy stems and foliage, but too much nitrogen will promote vegetative growth at the expense of flowering." It goes on to state the benefits of Epsom salts to promote green leaves and lower soil PH if it is too high and also state time release fertilizers are mostly balanced at 13-13-13 or 18-6-12 and not suitable for Plumeria due to their high nitrogen levels. (Note* I disagree with the 13-13-13 statement. Florikam Nutricote is a great time release with minors added, however I do think you need to supplement it with Dyna Gro Mag Pro or Bloom or some comparable other brand once in a while if you use this. Here are some that a lot of people seem to like. Some I have used, some I have not: Grow More 3130 Cactus Juice 1-7-6 Carl Pool BR-61 ( 9-58-8) NutriStar 5-30-5 Plumeria Food Grow More Hawaiian Bud & Bloom 5-50-17 ( I personally do not like this one. it's pricey and you have to use 1 T per gallon so it doesn't go far) Bills Perfect 6-11-5 Flora Nova Bloom 4-8-7 Karen's crack( a custom made blend)