I hear a lot about plants especially Habs needing calcium. I did well last year without using any. I didn't want to use bone meal because of possibly breathing in the dust and getting some disease on something. What does calcium do for the plant and what are signs of deficiency? I was wondering also if calcium in tap water works? And can you really catch anything from bone meal?
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Calcium
- Thread starter chillilover
- Start date
I have heard that lack of calcium can stunt plants, and cause leaves to crinkle and get bumpy (more so than normal).
I had some Habaneros that had really bumpy leaves, after giving them some lime they turned almost flat and real healthy looking. Plants are doing great and as far as I can tell they started to grow faster.
As long as you dont over do it, I'd say a little wont hurt and might make things better.
If you dont want to use bonemeal, use Dolomite, which has Calcium and Magnesium and can be had for cheap at Wal-Mart.
You only need to use a little, not enough to significantly change the pH.
I had some Habaneros that had really bumpy leaves, after giving them some lime they turned almost flat and real healthy looking. Plants are doing great and as far as I can tell they started to grow faster.
As long as you dont over do it, I'd say a little wont hurt and might make things better.
If you dont want to use bonemeal, use Dolomite, which has Calcium and Magnesium and can be had for cheap at Wal-Mart.
You only need to use a little, not enough to significantly change the pH.
How much for a small plant in a 10 or 8 inch pot and how do I add it?
How often do you add it, and is it just for habs, chinenses or all plants?
How quickly should a chinese (say Orange Habanero) grow? I have a few plants that are only 3 inches tall and they germinated in late March. Does that sound like it is growing slowly? If you take a look at the plant (I can get a picture tonight), it appears to be leafing like crazy. It just does not seem to wanna grow up!
inolan22 said:
For me, they tend to be very slow at the start, and as more leaves grow, and more larger leaves develop, the plant growth speeds up proportionally.
The fastest way to get them to grow larger is more light, so if you use Florescents, bring them closer to the plant... As close as you can without burning the leaves.
I find its tomatos that need a lot of calcium, and peppers(especially chinenses) need more magnesium. I don't think I've ever needed to add any calcium supplements to my peppers plants but I do likely have quite a bit in my well water, and I do add eggshells and woodash to my garden and compost
I don't have any problems with my annuums but the chinese do better with the calcium - got rid of wrinkly leaves and made them develop faster. I guess it depends a lot on how much is in your soil to start with whether it helps much or not.
I use the MG bone meal which is no longer made from cow bones (mad cow scare) but is now pig bone according to the package.
Oh, and I also use the epsom salts for a Mg boost when I fertilize.
I use the MG bone meal which is no longer made from cow bones (mad cow scare) but is now pig bone according to the package.
Oh, and I also use the epsom salts for a Mg boost when I fertilize.
I think I'm gonna get bone meal since I found some chicken sourced stuff. Do I add it tha same way as lime, sprinkle on top then water?
Anyone?
chillilover said:
Yes.
We put a little bit of bonemeal in each hole before transplanting our peppers to the garden this year and also a small ring around each plant and watered it in. From what I've picked up since, it seems like we may have overdone it, but the plants all seem to be doing well.
just crush a bunch of egg shells around your plant. you'd be surprised how fast they break down into the soil, and i think it'd be pretty hard to accidentally over do it with egg shells, as long as your not going crazy, i just rinse the egg shells off first, crumble them in my hands and cover the entire top of the soil in the whole pot, when i first put my red savina and red hab into a 1 gallon and put outside they got really bumpy within their 1st week, this cleared them up completely within another week