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Post by ellenr on Mar 2, 2015 15:20:26 GMT -5
you stick them in the pot, and they continuously release fertilizer.
13-4-5
total nitrogen, 13%
available phostate 4%
Soluble Potash 5%
They're made for convenience and so people don't forget to fertilize.
but I don't forget. I'm always hovering over my plants.
I fertilize them in the winter once a month with a tiny amount of fish fertilizer, and often with vegetable juice. (from when I steam vegies)
I wonder if it is really good for a plant to have daily infusion of fertilizer, as opposed to once in a while.
any thots?
thanks.
the plants are : Common Sage, silver Philodendron, Polka-dot, regular philodendren, and a couple of succulents.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 3, 2015 8:56:43 GMT -5
I don't grow houseplants anymore except cactus but we try to keep the soil fertile for our garden plants so what would be wrong with a constant supply of fertilizer? It doesn't seem like it would be a bad thing but I am no expert. Possibly they would grow faster than you want with too much though.
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Post by ellenr on Mar 3, 2015 9:10:18 GMT -5
my thot is that it is different w/our garden plants - bec. we fertilize the soil with organic material.
Jobe isn't organic.
I just picked it up cuz it was cheap! 97 cents. lol
and I thot I'd ask about it.
but the more I think about it, I probably won't do it.
besides that's too cheap - 97 cents for 30 spikes.
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 3, 2015 11:01:17 GMT -5
I feed my houseplants fish emulsion. The first feed is when I see the first signs of new growth. Then I feed once a month until growth slows down late summer or early fall. They do not get fed during the winter while in a more dormant state.
I don't have any facts, my sense is that daily infusions of fertilizer is not a healthy thing to do for them.
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Post by ellenr on Mar 3, 2015 12:51:31 GMT -5
I think so too DW. I have also started giving my plants fish emulsion. a very tiny bit.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2015 6:26:12 GMT -5
A possible argument for not organic fertilizer for non-food plants.
I used several concoctions of organic material for my tree-babies. Year in and year out I had mice-vole-chipmunk damage in my cold house. Until I stopped altogether and went to timed-release fertilizer.
I went away from organic practice because I could not afford it.
Full sized orchard trees can (mostly) outgrow critter damage. Bonsai cannot. :(
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 4, 2015 9:44:36 GMT -5
I used those fertilizer stakes around our evergreen trees and shrubs when we first moved here 15 years ago. I quit using them when I discovered that skunks were digging them up and eating them! Weird.
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Post by ellenr on Mar 6, 2015 6:27:29 GMT -5
I used those fertilizer stakes around our evergreen trees and shrubs when we first moved here 15 years ago. I quit using them when I discovered that skunks were digging them up and eating them! Weird. weird indeed! Maybe the skunks were nutrient-deficient,  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2015 11:37:56 GMT -5
Fish meal, bone meal, blood meal, even cottenseed meal is meat & potatoes to some critters. :(
A give away for bonsai organic cakes might be their common-name; poo-poo balls...
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Post by claude on Mar 11, 2015 17:55:34 GMT -5
I have always found that organic practice is far less expensive than conventional...I had some set up expenses but would have had them either wAy. Just adding compost and manure..sometimes I use common household items like soap and baking soda..it's not like I have to go out and buy specific things...so I wonder what you're finding expensive?
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Mar 12, 2015 17:58:14 GMT -5
I always use seaweed/kelp fertilizer. I use it every couple of weeks because I was a bad girl with my abutilon plants and had to nurse them back to health. Normally I would feed monthly however and prob not that often in the winter unless I saw a need. I don't want to handle any synthesized stuff
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