Containers and fertilizer- help??
Cassie Blue
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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Cassie Blue
8 years agodirtguy50 SW MO z6a
8 years agoRelated Discussions
help with fertilizers for container gardening
Comments (6)I tend to approach fertilizing containers rather simply :-) Al can provide all the science behind it but my experience in the nursery industry that I have transfered to my personal growing situations has worked out great for me - healthy plants, lots of flowers, good crops. I use an extended release fertilizer when I make up my mix and pot up the plants. Osmocote is a popular brand and is carried darn near everywhere - Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe's, pretty much any garden center. It comes in a variety of formulations but I use the Osmocote Plus Multi-Purpose (actually a related similar brand sold for commercial applications that I can get free from my nursery). For my long term container plantings - trees and shrubs or mixed perennial containers.....anything that lasts longer than a single growing season - I reapply the Osmocote each spring as new growth begins or when I repot. It lasts about 6 months and provides virtually everything the plants need. For single season plantings, I supplement the Osmocote with a liquid fertilizer frequently during the growing season. I use a liquid organic product made locally but any kind of water soluble or liquid fertilizer will work as long as it provides the full range of nutrients. The Dyna-Gro suggested above, MiracleGro, Peters or various local brands will all work. Just read the labels to make sure they have necessary trace elements included. These are often found in formulations that encourage fruit and flower development -- lower in N and higher in P or K. Fertilizing throughout the growing season IS necessary for single season plants like annuals and veggies. Because they complete their lifecycle in a single season and produce a lot of flowers or fruit, they pull out a lot of nutrients. Plus the need for frequent, often daily (or twice daily) watering leaches nutrients out of the planting mix as the water drains and these need to be replaced. Long term plantings - trees, shrubs, etc. - tend not to have as strong a nutrient demand, so the slow release fert works well. It is what most nursery growers of container plants use. The nutrients still leach out but because they are released to the plants over an extended period, it is not quite so critical as it is with single season plantings. I still hit 'em with a dose of the liquid fert every now and again just to be safe :-) Not everyone may agree with me, but I think there is a tendency to overthink fertilizing. Trying to get too specific regarding the particular nutrient requirements of various plants can drive you nuts! Just make sure the product you use has the necessary trace elements included. FWIW, the liquid organic product I use is considered an all-purpose, or all three numbers the same -- good for ANY plants. It does contain a full range of trace elements as well. All the container veggies I grow respond well to this product, so I don't bother with one intended specifically for fruit and flower production. But what works well for me may not be the same for everyone....See Moresave from fertilizer burn & container/pot soil mix? HELP please!
Comments (2)Quick update- I have spent all day/night (literally for the past 13 hrs and it is now almost 1am) fretting over the possible death of my guys; reading and reading and becoming more and more confused between the various websites' info. One thing that has not confused me is the confidence everyone on THIS site has in Al's GM [Al, how r u not mass producing this already?! ;-) ] The current status of my guys are that they r not sitting in water but have received 2 very hot and steamy treatments in my bathroom over the course of the night- i am hoping this will mAke due by supplying SOME semblance of water w/o drowning them.... one website I read mentioned letting the roots dry out??? Again- lil Miss Confused over here :-/ All is (hopefully) not lost bc thru my trusty google search and Turface's website, I've located a dealer who is less than 5 miles from me! :-D I'm emailing the unsuspecting manager tomorrow and hopefully will be able to move forward w/ what seems to be one of the hardest of the materials to find. *fingers crossed* I will admit that altho I have pics, I am simply too embarrassed to post them :( and also have further confused myself by reading mentions of the 5:1:1 mix but out of pure exhaustion have not fully read up on-yet. It sounds like Al's GM works for all of my guys including all of the succulents I have managed to NOT kill (yaaaay me!). From the fellow forum members' posts, sounds like I can find the proper bark and granite supplies at my local Home Depot. Al - I know you are out there somewhere and I thank you for sharing this knowledge with the rest of us newbies!!! Will post again RE: the process!...See MorePlease help me choose a fertilizer for container Meyer Lemon!
Comments (15)A seedling with it's first true leaves needs the same ratio of nutrients, including the secondary macros and all the micros. All nutrients are equally important to growth and vitality, so suggesting that nothing special need be done for the first 3 years could be very misleading. Nothing special need be done as long as the plant is getting ALL the nutrients plants normally take from the soil, in a favorable ratio and at a concentration high enough to prevent deficiencies, yet low enough that the concentration of nutrients in the soil solution isn't high enough that it inhibits the uptake of water and the nutrients dissolved therein. To me, that sounds like you need a plan if you want to be on target. Leaving it to chance by letting the soil feed the plant might be ok in the yard or orchard, but it's not going to get the job done in pots. FWIW - using large fractions of compost in conventional container culture is usually fraught with water retention problems (as in too much), due to the fact that compost is all fine particles (or it's not finished and you probably shouldn't e using it for that reason). That you have the Rootmaker containers resting on the soil employs the earth as a giant wick, and from a hydrological perspectives turns the containers into mini raised beds - which changes the way water behaves in those containers. You can use soils that are much more water-retentive and get away with it in raised beds, where the same soil in conventional containers would be limiting due to its excess water retention. Al...See MoreFertilizer + ideal shape and colour for peppers in containers
Comments (7)No prob. So Foliage Pro has more micros than any normal fert like osmocote. The only thing it doesn't have is potassium silicate, which is really great. Osmocote Plus is easier. Heck, if you just use Osmocote at full strength, you'll have gorgeous plants with tons of production. Believe me, you'll have more peppers than you can handle with straight Osmocote. Foliage Pro is for, well, Pro users :) When I say big pots, I'm talking 15 gal or larger and a couple months to let the micros really build in the soil. You can use Earth Juice, General Organics, etc. in smaller bags since the nutes are mostly liquid and can be taken up easily by the plants. It's the solid organics like bone meal, guano, etc. that take microbes to break down. If you really care about organics, stick with Earth Juice or some liquid, it'll work just fine, though you'll definitely get bigger plants with a synthetic like Dyna-Gro. There's lots of professional tests that back this up. I use a combo of both, there's really no right/wrong way. I was like you, started off with organics, used the entire General Organics line (it's like Earth Juice), kelp, fish, everything. Great results but a big pain in the ass and not necessarily better than just Osmocote. Also, if you're going for huge plants with tons of production (rather than a bunch of small plants with variety) you should already have those potted up into bigger pots. I bet they're pretty root bound at this point. I now start all my plants directly in the final pot so the roots never never get stressed/hampered by a smaller pot. If you're going to put them into a bigger pot, pinch the flowers until it has made the transition after transplant. Have fun!...See Moregardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agorgreen48
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoMrClint
8 years agoMrClint
8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agoMrClint
8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoMrClint
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoMrClint
8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agodale92539 Riverside Co SoCal
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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