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Growing from Seed Vegetable Gardening

Fertilizer for seedlings

5 years ago

Can someone point me in the right direction for recommended seedling fertilizer? Open to regular and organic suggestions. Thank you!

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

5 years ago

To be used before they get planted out? Any liquid or fully water soluble fertilizer at third to half strength....something like Miracle Gro works fine. Ditto any of the Dyna Gro products. Organics are best left until the seedlings have been planted out. They just don't work well or efficiently in seed starting or indoor potting mixes.

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Comments (8)

James Hunter
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, they have germinated in a soilless mix, now they need some food.
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Speaking about seedlings, the method I have found best is to use stratifications with nutrients down below the seed at the bottom of the seed flat or other container that you are using. At the very bottom of a container that is approximately 3" deep, place a layer of oak leaf mold or dried bracken fern. This is primarily for drainage (obviously you will be using a container with holes or cracks for the water to escape). Above this drainage layer, lay down a half inch of well rotted cow manure. Over that manure, sprinkle a thin dusting of bone meal. Then add your potting soil (2 1/2" to 3 1/2" deep). The best mixture, in my experience, is 1/3 sifted oak leaf mold, 1/3 sharp sand, and 1/3 sifted loam soil. A 1/4" sieve is just about right. Sow your seeds on the surface, then cover with a layer of finely sifted potting soil (as above). Remember, under cover rather than over cover. When the seeds germinate they will not be in contact with fertilizers, so will be protected from damping off, burning of roots, etc. Then, as they develope, they will sense the manure below and this will stimulate agressive root development as the plant forrages deep to reach the nutrients below. You shouldn't need any other fertilizers until you plant out in your garden. The website below gives more information on this professional technique. Here is a link that might be useful: Propagation using the biodynamic french intensive method
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These don't need any fertilizing until you pot them up to a larger size container. The MG mix is pretty intense for any seedling - I'd prefer to go with a more organic approach, like fish emulsion. If you DO use the MG, dilute to no more then 1/4 strength.
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indoors.. right??? i would say proper light intensity is more important than fert ... and im pretty sure.. you have that covered.. right??? after that ... i dont go in for much snake oil ... 6-6-6.. 6 cubed.. is 6 cubed.. is 6 cubed ... cheapest is best ... imo ... the numbers dont lie... nothing else matters .... price doesnt impress me ... when i did seedlings ... i had bleached out gallon milk jugs.. with just enough blue kmart fert in the water that it barely turned the water blue .. and used it for every watering ... it was.. and still is.. the 5 pound plastic jug my dad bought in the 1970s .... lol .... wonder if the price tag is still on it ... [it was less than a 1.4 teaspoon per gal ...] ken
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dowlinggram
5 years ago
How big are the seedlings? They do not need fertilizer until they get their 3rd set of leaves. Then I'd give them 1/4 strength of a water soluble fertilizer when you water. As they grow bigger you can increase the fertilizer to what's recommended on the fertilizer box. Too much fertilizer too soon can be detrimental to the plants.
James Hunter
Original Author
5 years ago
I’m just looking for organic and nonorganic fertilizer recommendations, not how/when to apply them. What’s everyone’s favorite brand?
naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
5 years ago
I usually use Miracle Grow (the blue granular form) or a store brand equivalent dissolved and diluted to about quarter strength. I've used Home Depots' store brand and a few other similar formulations and was satisfied with all of them.
James Hunter thanked naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
It's not a matter of a "favorite" brand :-) Fertilizer is fertilizer and they all work the same.....the plants don't care what name is on the bottle!!

Having said that, while they may all work the same, not all fertilizers are the same so that is where the distinctions should be made. Most plants absorb nutrients in a pretty uniform ratio of 3 parts nitrogen to one part phosphorus to two parts potassium regardless of what stage of growth they may be in. So looking for a fertilizer that offers NPK in that ratio (3-1-2) is optimum. Both the Miracle Gro and the Dyna Gro offer that ratio. And they both offer a pretty full range of micronutrients as well although I am not sure how critical they are for the seedling stage. But to be perfectly honest, any liquid or water soluble fertilizer would work and I doubt you could tell a difference.

For seedlings in containers, stay away from organics, unless something in a liquid form like fish emulsion or liquid kelp.
James Hunter
Original Author
5 years ago
So far on this thread I’ve learned that organics are not really the best option unless I look into fish emulsion or kelp and two good brands to consider are miracle gro and dyna gro, and that I should be looking at an NPK ratio of 3-1-2.
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years ago
James - I've used the Miracle grow liquafeed Tomato and Veggie formula (9-4-9) at about 1/3 strength for my seedlings for many years. I add about 1/2 tsp. per 1/2 gallon of water and bottom water with it. I use it every time I bottom water and all of my vegetable seedlings do great.

Note: If you buy some make sure you get the 2 bottle package that has a little dispensing spoon attached. It makes it much easier to measure out the amount.
James Hunter thanked LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

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