Hello again:

Thanks for your input!

Sorry about my poor photo skills. (The sunburns are from last year I believe.)

I am fairly sure I already mix my Foliage Pro a bit on the strong side. I will start measuring more precisely. One thing is, maybe I don’t put enough fert liquid on the plant. I don’t pour it until it runs out the bottom bc that seems wasteful. But I could change that too.

Thanks again for all input!

If you don't let the water run out the bottom you can, especially if you are feeding a lot, make the problem worse by building up salts in the soil so high the roots can no longer absorb nutrients (see [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/fertilizering-containerized-plants-iv-dsvw-vd~1389454?n=299[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/fertilizering-containerized-plants-iv-dsvw-vd~1389454?n=299)).

You may wish to 'flush' the soil by watering it with plain water. Procedure is simple: take the volume of the container (say 1 gallon) and give it 1 gallon of water. Repeat two more times (3 gallons total). You can then resume your regular fertilizing regimen.

Hi funkyhat,

you know, that’s a good idea.

I do let water go out the bottom when I water my plants ... but it’s true that I don’t take the time to deliberately flush them very often. Maybe I should make a habit of doing it every so often.

I have to water first, and then fertilize separately, because I’m not very good at using my “tell” yet. I use it ... but I’m never really sure if it’s dry enough.

And then on the other hand, I don’t want it to be too dry either. So I end up watering first almost always, just to avoid frying the roots (or whatever it is that happens if you try to fertilize a plant that’s too dry).

Whereas, the more skilled people can just water and fertilize all at once, I gather. I am not on that level yet.

Anyhow, it’s when I’m fertilizing that I may be not giving them enough liquid. I make a gallon and I probably use that on at least 5 or 6 plants - 3 are these smallish ficus, then a couple tomatoes that are struggling, and some others in 3 to 5 inch pots. Maybe I don’t give them each enough. I will check, but I’d be surprised if I was over-diluting it - a teaspoon isn’t all that much, and I’ve just been eyeballing it.

Well it’s an interesting problem. I will say, many of my plants, I can see immediately how happy they are when I give them the Foliage Pro. They get greener and they stay that way quite a while. It seems to help them feed themselves (which shouldn’t surprise me but sort of does).

I will definitely look into this flushing idea. Thanks!

Do I understand correctly that you do not feed FP in the 1tsp/gallon concentration every time you add water, but instead feed it separately and occasionally?

Funkyhat!!!!

I think you called it -- I don’t know if I either over-fertilized and failed to flush enough ... or if I only over-fertilized.

However, I gave them all a really, really good flush ... possibly a bit excessive.

Then, I only put in about a half teaspoon of the Foliage Pro, per gallon. (And I put them in bright shade, too. One of them had practically no leaves left.)

They are all looking much, much happier. Pushing lots of new leaves. These new leaves are still not that lovely deep green yet but well, I will keep tinkering.

As a gardener, among my many flaws, I am usually in a hurry. Most things are last minute and usually, some ingredient, fe, is missing. And when I saw how much my potted plants loved the FP, I guess I thought, “well if some is good, more must be better.”

No more of that - from now on, I will actually pay attention to the directions.

And here’s another kick in the head - I had sort of had this idea that my potted fragrant plants would never really be as happy as ground plants. That they would never really smell that good. Well, now that (I guess) I am not poisoning them... my sweet peas smell much, much stronger!!!! I really did not see that coming at all. (Mind you, the weather has also not been as brutally hot as it will be later. Could be that too.)

A long way of saying ... thank you, again, for your help!!!!