Well I am pretty new at this but I started out with the Bountiful Container too. They are quick to point out that they are giving general guidlines because there are so many variables involved. I think their fertilizing recommendations are based on the use of chemical ferts which have much higher numbers than organic ferts. I found that since I was using organic ferts with low numbers, (and Al's fast draining mix that basically flushes the soil with every watering) I needed to fertilize more frequently. Last year was my first year of container gardening and I eventually ended up fertilizing my herbs (which need very little ferts) every other week with organic liquids that have numbers similar to yours. I also used slow release granular ferts. And veggies and things like that need more ferts than herbs. So once a week probably wouldnt be a bad thing. But the bottom line is you just have to try it and see. I have learned a lot from these forums in the past year, but the most important thing I have learned is that gardening is a pretty much a trial and error proposition. I actually didnt do too badly my first year, but this year I have a much better feel for what works for me (and my plants) and what doesnt, and I feel more confident about what I am doing. Just keep posting and asking questions. You can learn a lot from the folks here! Lydia

In order to get a picture of the difference between soluble fertilizers and organic fertilizers, imagine cell membranes as the fabric chain link fences are made of. Soluble fertilizers moving through cell walls might be considered something like you pushing ping pong balls through the holes in the fence, while organic molecules are more like trying to push basketballs through. The basketballs would have to be broken down into smaller pieces before they would fit. If there is no one standing by to break the basketballs down (if there are reduced populations of soil biota to break down the large organic molecules) no basketball parts get through. MG houseplant fertilizer is probably not a good choice. I believe the % of NPK is 8-7-6, or very close to that. Plants actually use about 6x more N than P and about 1.5x more N than K. If you choose a soluble fertilizer, you would be better served with something in a 3:1:2 ratio. 24-8-16, 12-4-8, and 9-3-6 are all very popular 3:1:2 ratio soluble fertilizers. Dyna-Gro makes 9-3-6 Foliage-Pro soluble. It's not easy to find, but it's the best I've seen because it also includes Ca and Mg (usually lacking in commonly found soluble blends like MG, Peters, Schultz .....), and it contains all the essential elements in the ratio plants need for normal growth and in a very favorable ratio to each other, also an important consideration. Al

I actually didn't know that they were going to use insecticide on the lawn. I still don't know why... seems strange to me that they treat for pests that we don't have. But they have yet to call me back, so I haven't been able to ask. I knew they would be fertilizing, but my herbs are in a 30" high raised bed separated from the lawn by about 10' of mulch & brick walkway, so that was a compromise between me & my green-lawn-loving husband. The lawn is newly-installed sod that was laid in January, and the landscaper who installed it said we should have someone fertilize this year to help it get established. All that said, I wasn't terribly concerned about a little bit of fertilizer overspray, (frankly I think they're so cheap with the lawn fertilizer that it would be a miracle if there was enough overspray to get that far) :P so I knew it wouldn't be truly organic... but I DID know that I wouldn't use any bug-killer on it AND I told the lawn care people to avoid it entirely. So much for that plan... It does look like horrible stuff. It was applied in granules, so I went out & removed about the top 2" of soil & then hand-picked around all the plants to see if I could get most of it off, but I'm still not sure what to do from here. It would cost me about $1500 to replace the dirt & plants that are in there, plus the $1500 I already spent to put it all in there in the first place. That said, eating pesticide seems like it could get pricey long-term. :/

Most of the popular culinary herbs don't want or need fertiliser - they prefer their soil poor. Potted plants, however, will need not to be ignored - they are high maintenance and you'll need to fertilise those from time to time as the nutrients leach out (this doesn't happen in the garden). I find that compost is a good fertiliser. I have only a teensy courtyard garden, so no space for a compost heap - so I buy it in bags. Whenever the soil level in pots gets a bit low, in goes a handful or two of compost. And while I'm at it, I toss handfuls of it hither and thither over the garden. Even changing the potting soil from time to time will be enough for many of your herbs - you'll do this for things like mint or lemon balm on a regular basis. Basil and chillies are greedy plants and will need more fertiliser than others. I suggest for beginners to use a slow-release fertiliser in pellets according to manufacturer's instructions around basil.