I've ordered a 3 gallon fertilizer injector and I think I've calculated a formula to start with: 12 parts vinegar: 1 part foliage pro I'll set the fertilizer injector at 250:1 This should deliver almost 1 TB vinegar per gallon of water and 1/4 tsp of FP per gallon. From what I've read the vinegar should lower the ph by approximately 1. Drip irrigation will be watering/fertilizing almost every day. On the weekends, I will probably hand water as needed, especially to flush out the containers. I'm sure this will need some tweaking, but that's my starter plan Anyway, if anyone has advice for me on that, I'm all ears. However, my real question is whether it is safe to combine vinegar and FP. From reading other threads, it seems like people have done it with other fertilizers, but always diluted with water and used immediately. In my case, this injector would be sitting there with a full-on mixture of 12 parts vinegar and 1 part FP. I'm in Kansas where we are likely to hit 100 degrees during the summer. Is that going to be safe and effective or can the vinegar somehow "ruin" the fertilizer?

I have a couple of questions for you.....how much leaf loss is there? Could it be in keeping with seasonal issues or the normal shedding of foliage? I'm not up on the climate conditions of Auckland but I am pretty sure it is a Mediterranean type climate, much like mine, with pleasantly warm summers and mild, wet winters. And most blueberries are deciduous shrubs so lose their leaves in winter, even in Mediterranean climates. Even the so-called evergreen types do not retain ALL their foliage in winter. Is not this normal, annual shedding a typical situation for your area? As for the feijoa, even evergreen shrubs shed old foliage - without knowing the extent, it's up to you to decide if what's happening is beyond normal. And I certainly wouldn't expect to see any new growth on either plant in the middle of winter, either :-) If you repotted recently because of the abundance of winter rain, I am also questioning the need for both the watering/fertilizing regime you are following. The bulk of my rainfall falls in winter as well and I never need to water outdoor containers at that time of year. I also would never fertilize during any dormancy or no/very slow growth period, containerized plant or not. I don't necessarily confine my repotting to just the winter months, although that is often recommended. But even when repotting during the active growing season, I would not expect to see a lot of leaf drop, provided I was careful with my work. So I am concluding that either a) the leaf drop is normal or close to it; or b) something is off with the watering and fertilizing program (leaning in this direction). But not the timing of the repotting or an issue with the soil mix.

I get that part. I'd just keep an eye out for an appropriate product and keep in mind that the potential for improved success is always available if you find appropriate materials. I buy bark a pallet (about a ton) at a time because I use it for mulch, so I always have anywhere from a few to 15 bags on hand at all times. This year, I used everything I have as mulch because I found a near perfect product and laid in a good supply. Anthony - there are so many variables that it can't reasonably be said that "peppers will always do better in containers than tomatoes"; and, peppers do mind restricted roots - just like every other plant we grow in pots. Al

Hi there, I recently acquired a Grand Nain banana, a white guava, and a Jakarta tree, and I live in zone 9b (Sunset Zone 17). These plants will be outdoors, at least for the summer, and I'm wondering which of the two mixes would be appropriate or if there are other mixes that people would suggest. Thanks!