SOS! My plant babies are all doing weird things!
Becky Cohen Gestwick
3 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (20)
User
3 years agoBecky Cohen Gestwick
3 years agoRelated Discussions
how often do i use baby bio & can i use it on all these plants
Comments (7)At 10.6-4.4-1.7 NPK %s its pretty high in P and quite low in K for houseplants, but it's still a so-so fertilizer and a better choice than any of the fertilizers with P (the middle number) as the highest %. How you fertilize to get the most out of your plants depends on your soil and watering habits. If you water in sips, you might fertilize at low doses infrequently - like maybe every month or so. If you flush the soil regularly when you water, it would be more appropriate to fertilize more frequently at higher doses. W/o some knowledge of the type of soil you're using and some knowledge of how you water, no one can really give you any meaningful advice. It took quite a bit of looking to determine the NPK %s of the fertilizer, but I have no idea what other nutrients it contains. It's important that your plant gets all the nutrients essential to growth - do you have any information that points to its complete nutrient content? It's NPK %s indicate it would be ok for any of your plants, but for the slow growers you might want to cut back on the concentration. It's just another soluble fertilizer, cut from the same cloth as Miracle-Gro, Peters, Schultz, and others. Tell me how you water and I should be able to give you a dosage that will work. Al...See MoreBugs from compost eating all my baby plants?
Comments (15)I'm not sure where to begin here........:-) 1) Foliar 'feeding' is extremely inefficient. Plants absorb the bulk of their nutrients via their roots. I doubt molasses sprayed on foliage provides any significant nutrient benefit as any natural/organic product has to be digested/assimilated by soil organisms before it becomes converted to a plant accessible form (a soluble salt, just as any other synthetic fertilizer presents). 2) Molasses can be a microorganism stimulant but not much in the way of a fertilizer. 3) Epsom salts is only of benefit if you have a magnesium deficiency, otherwise it does nothing for plants - it doesn't control pests; it doesn't control diseases; it doesn't make your plants any healthier or grow bigger and better. 4) We already addressed foliar feeding so spraying milk on your plants is not particularly helpful.........unless you have certain fungal issues. Milk contains lactic acid which alters the surface pH of plant foliage so that it is not hospitable to the development of powdery mildew spores. It also has anitbacterial properties that can be beneficial. But providing calcium just by spraying??? Nope!! Plants cannot process materials like molasses and milk in the same way that humans or other mammals can. If you poured the milk on the ground around the plant you might get some nutrient benefit but there are far more inexpensive methods to accomplish the same thing. 5) Neem oil is NOT a fertilizer!! It is an organic or natural pesticide but it has NO nutrient value. Its mode of action as a pesticide is to disrupt hormones which can have numerous implications - inability to mate or lay eggs, inability of insect larvae to moult or metamorphize, disruption of the digestive system. And it can smother soft bodied insects and act as repellant against some insect pests (grasshoppers and caterpillars in particular). It also has fungicidal properties but is of no value as a fertilizer. 6. The last two statements don't even make sense - does potassium contain blackstrap molasses and other nutrients and minerals?? Or is it the other way around?? In either case, neither is very accurate. Potassium is just potassium and molasses is pretty darn low on the plant nutrient scale, only providing 8% K, 12% Mg, 4% Fe and 4% Ca. Many other far less expensive and much better and broader sources of plant nutrients available with other organics. This is the Internet and all sorts of dubious sources publish all manner of nonsense that gets passed around and accepted for fact but before you repeat all that hokum it makes sense to research where it is coming from. Anecdotal reporting has no basis in science and is really not valid, although it can make for some entertaining reading. Look instead to science based websites - the extension service .edu websites or published scientific papers are a great place to start....See MoreWeird things growing from my orange tree?
Comments (6)Sounds like you're getting sprouts from the rootstock. If you can take some photos of the sprouts and post them in your message, that would be helpful. If the sprouts are coming from the roots, this might mean the top of the tree - the scion - which is the variety that has been grafted to the rootstock may be suffering, so take some photos of the whole tree as well. And, if you can snap some pics of the orange, and include the underside if there's a navel, that is also helpful. Navels are in season now, so if you have ripe oranges with a navel, you have one of the navel varieties, most likely Parent Washington navel. You can upload your photos to Photobucket, then copy the HTML code of each photo (NOT the url, but the HTML code string), then paste that directly into your message body, and when you click "Preview", you should then see your photos embedded directly into your message. Much easier for us to answer you on the forum that way :-) Patty S....See MoreMeyer Mike, weird thing going on with my Dwarf Lime! Help!! lol
Comments (9)Thanks, Mike. I am doing quite well now. I didn't have much of a garden this year because I had both my hip replacement surgeries done. Now that they are both done & over with, and I have no more pain, I plan on making up for the mediocre garden I've had the past two years with a vengence! =) Anyway, back to the dwarf lime. I brought it in thinking it would go dormant again until early Spring like it has done the past few years, when put into a somewhat controlled basement environment. I'm glad to see that it looks like you don't think it growing over this Winter (instead of being dormant) is a bad thing. Houston's point is a good one. Despite the temperature difference, it is getting light where normally in its Winter dormancy it would get almost none, therefore probably spurring the Winter growth somewhat. I am not using grow lights on it, as like I said, I was expecting it to be dormant. Should I be using some? The mix I have it in is a good fast drainable soilless mix. Mainly pine bark fine based, with some perlite, a little peat, etc.. (I can get the exact composition, if needed). The temps it's in are typical indoor temps, around 70 (+/- 2-3 degrees at times). It has lighting, but it's almost all indoor lights (I have it in a corner in my kitchen). It doesn't really get any sunlight in there. CFL bulbs I believe. I will get my fertilizer out, as I had put it away for the Winter & make sure to give it a light application on a monthly basis (or whatever you think it might need). I imagine the answer may be no to this, but better safe than sorry, so I'll ask. I have been using my typical veggie 9-3-6 with it (Foliage Pro) when I do fertilize it during normal growing months, Spring through early Fall. Is that the right NPK to use for a lime tree? If not, please let me know what ratio fertilizer you would use. It seems to have been playing well with the lime tree, as a fertilizer. She's getting pretty big, so if I see buds this year, I'll probably supplement with a 0-0-3. I will also make sure I water it like I would during a normal growing season, not barely watering it if any at all, like I have been doing in its Winter dormancy. Hope all is going well with you & thanks again for the help! :) - Steve...See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years agobcgestwick
3 years agoUser
3 years agobcgestwick
3 years agoUser
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoUser
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBecky Cohen Gestwick
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoUser
3 years agoBecky Cohen Gestwick
3 years agotapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
3 years agoDave
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBecky Cohen Gestwick
3 years agoBecky Cohen Gestwick
3 years agoDave
3 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years agoDave
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
Related Stories
FEEL-GOOD HOMEThe Anti-To-Do List: 10 Things You Don’t Need to Be Doing
Aren’t you busy enough? Give yourself a break and consider letting these tasks go
Full StoryLIFE7 Things to Do Before You Move Into a New House
Get life in a new house off to a great start with fresh paint and switch plates, new locks, a deep cleaning — and something on those windows
Full StoryORGANIZINGDecluttering Help: What to Do When Too Many Things ‘Spark Joy’
Get rid of duplicates, eliminate decor you don’t display and let go of items you feel more obligation about than joy
Full StoryWORKING WITH PROS10 Things Decorators Want You to Know About What They Do
They do more than pick pretty colors. Here's what decorators can do for you — and how you can help them
Full StoryFUN HOUZZ14 Things You Need to Start Doing Now for Your Spouse’s Sake
You have no idea how annoying your habits at home can be. We’re here to tell you
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDES10 Things to Do Before the Renovation Begins
Prep and plan with this insight in hand to make your home remodeling project run more smoothly
Full StoryLIFESo You're Moving In Together: 3 Things to Do First
Before you pick a new place with your honey, plan and prepare to make the experience sweet
Full StoryLIFE10 Feel-Better Things to Do on a Sick Day at Home
Nourish, pamper and heal yourself when a cold keeps you housebound, with these restorative ideas
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN13 Extra-Cool Things to Do With a Backyard
Sure, you could just plop down on a blanket. Or you could create a dragon’s lair, a mosaic gallery, a party in a jungle ...
Full StoryHOLIDAYS10 Things to Do Early for an Easier Holiday Season
Make a gift list and check supplies twice, then ensure that the house looks nice, and buy travel tickets if you’re leaving town
Full Story
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)