I've been reading on fertilizing and foliar sprays. I've decided to go with Osmocote 14-14-14. The only thing I haven't found reading is how much to use. The container says 3 and a 1/3 Tablespoon per 4 sq ft. My plants are all in 2 and 5 gallon containers. This is my first year and I don't want to overdo it. If anyone could shine some light on how much I should apply, I would appreciate it. Also what is the proper mixture of Epsom salt and water for a spray? Thanks in advance.
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fertilizer Fertilizer question from a newbie
- Thread starter CCW13
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I am a newbe also so I can tell you what I do. First of all, I don't like slow release fertilizer. I am asuming yoy are using the slow release pebbles or whatever you call it. In my experience, you can never tell when the ferts will release. If you are going to use fertilizer, I would use a liquid, such as a diluted MG ( I use 15-30-15) mixed at 1/4 - 1/2 stregth and I also use fish emulsion. The fish emulsion is 5-1-1 ( i think). when my plants were small, which most still are, I mixed at 1/4-1/2 strength. I would fertilzer a couple of times a month but I have to admit sometimes I would water inbetween feeding. I think I over-water a few of my plants as it seemed like the soil would never dry out. so I re-potted and they seem to be doing good.
As for foliar spraying, you can also do a fish emulsion or mg fert. I have not tried either yet but I do spray with epsom salt. I believe the mixtures is 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, however I used about that much to a quart and the plants appear to like it. I am also waiting for chile focus fertilizer to come in as I want to give that a try.
Hope his helps. There will be more experienced people that will comment on your questions.
As for foliar spraying, you can also do a fish emulsion or mg fert. I have not tried either yet but I do spray with epsom salt. I believe the mixtures is 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, however I used about that much to a quart and the plants appear to like it. I am also waiting for chile focus fertilizer to come in as I want to give that a try.
Hope his helps. There will be more experienced people that will comment on your questions.
I appreciate your information. I read good and bad things about osmocote before deciding on it. I liked the fact that I supposedly could fertilize once and be done for the year. I don't have a ton of free time so I thought that may help me out. I don't know if that's for the best or not.
I'm learning about fish emulsion in another thread as we speak. I may try making a tea next year as the wife and I plan on starting a compost bin. I may have to rethink using the osmocote.
First thing to check is whether it says on the container how much to use on a potted plant - often it'll say use X tbs. per sq ft, or use Y tbs per plant, etc.
OK. With that said, a half-way decent general rule of thumb is that every gardening product involves .5 to 1.0 tablespoons per plant until you hear otherwise.
Let's do some math here and see if that checks out. Osmocote says 3.33 tbs per 4 square feet. Well, they typically assume you will put around a plant in a square foot. So they are recommending 0.8 tbs per plant - check!
Now you might want to use 1/2 that amount to try it out and see how it goes - you can always add more later. So perhaps that'd entail a half tablespoon.
Remember to water it in really well - granular fert sitting on top of dirt is not going to get to the roots. Dig a little moat around the plant with you finger (1/4 or 1/2 inch deep; make sure you don't hit roots), pour in the grains, water lightly to get them settled, then water fully.
OK. With that said, a half-way decent general rule of thumb is that every gardening product involves .5 to 1.0 tablespoons per plant until you hear otherwise.
Let's do some math here and see if that checks out. Osmocote says 3.33 tbs per 4 square feet. Well, they typically assume you will put around a plant in a square foot. So they are recommending 0.8 tbs per plant - check!
Now you might want to use 1/2 that amount to try it out and see how it goes - you can always add more later. So perhaps that'd entail a half tablespoon.
Remember to water it in really well - granular fert sitting on top of dirt is not going to get to the roots. Dig a little moat around the plant with you finger (1/4 or 1/2 inch deep; make sure you don't hit roots), pour in the grains, water lightly to get them settled, then water fully.
Thank you. That gave me all the info on what I need to do. I appreciate the help.
Dont forget to check other threads and see what soil/nutrient combinations have worked with other people. You'll get alot of good tips from some of the longtime posters here. As far as slow release ferts that are in most stores (Scotts, Vigoro, Osmocote, Dynamite), you may want to stay away if you are a newbie. Too hard to control (especially when you have 15-15-15, 15-30-15, 18-18-21, etc) and there is a risk that you over do it. I think it is a general consensus that most newbies will overwater and over fertilize. I would go with the water soluble stuff and apply it every watering. That way, if you think they have too much, you can flush it with water the next time. Fish fertilizer (5-1-1) is good becasue it will not burn if you over apply it.
You'll see lots of posters and they will use brands such as Fox Farms, General Hydroponics, Advanced Nutrients, Floranova, Canna, etc. Personally, this season I used Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil and am using Botanicare ProGrow 3-2-4 and Liquid Karma (thanks AJ). After a month and a half or so, will stop ProGrow and use Liquid Bloom 1-4-5. So far, great results. Deepest greens I've ever seen on a pepper plant. They only run about 17 bucks a quart (concentrated). More than enough for a whole season.
Funny thing is that one of my best crops ever was about five years ago when I grew some Red Savinas from seed as part of a contest with my neighbor. I knew absolutely nothing about growing peppers. He used every possible light, fertilizer and soil additive he could find. I used an old two gallon pot with a 2 dollar bag of top soil from home depot. I added some old Dynamite fertilizer (probably for palm trees for all I know) and may have added Miracle Grow plant food at one point. I'd forget to water for days at a time and there would be days they would sit in two hour rainstorms. A good old scorching and humid Miami summer led them to grow like crazy and five huge plants produced TONS of peppers. They got nailed by caterpillars and snails one weekend, but I used some off the shelf insecticide and they bounced right back. It was unbelievable. Probably alot of luck involved and I would not suggest that particular regimen these days, but these plants are pretty good at keeping themselves alive.
You'll see lots of posters and they will use brands such as Fox Farms, General Hydroponics, Advanced Nutrients, Floranova, Canna, etc. Personally, this season I used Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil and am using Botanicare ProGrow 3-2-4 and Liquid Karma (thanks AJ). After a month and a half or so, will stop ProGrow and use Liquid Bloom 1-4-5. So far, great results. Deepest greens I've ever seen on a pepper plant. They only run about 17 bucks a quart (concentrated). More than enough for a whole season.
Funny thing is that one of my best crops ever was about five years ago when I grew some Red Savinas from seed as part of a contest with my neighbor. I knew absolutely nothing about growing peppers. He used every possible light, fertilizer and soil additive he could find. I used an old two gallon pot with a 2 dollar bag of top soil from home depot. I added some old Dynamite fertilizer (probably for palm trees for all I know) and may have added Miracle Grow plant food at one point. I'd forget to water for days at a time and there would be days they would sit in two hour rainstorms. A good old scorching and humid Miami summer led them to grow like crazy and five huge plants produced TONS of peppers. They got nailed by caterpillars and snails one weekend, but I used some off the shelf insecticide and they bounced right back. It was unbelievable. Probably alot of luck involved and I would not suggest that particular regimen these days, but these plants are pretty good at keeping themselves alive.
Thanks for the response. A lot of what you say makes perfect sense.
btw, to address your epsom salt question - it's the same 'ole rule as I mentioned above. 0.5 - 1.0 tablespoons, in this case one per gallon of water. I believe it says 1 tbs per gallon on the epsom salt package. Really recommend starting off at half of that.
Be cautious with the epsom spray. I killed a few tomatoes last year by over-applying it. It's salt, and plants have the same reaction to it as people - a little bit makes an omlette taste great, and too much of it kills you.
glty
Be cautious with the epsom spray. I killed a few tomatoes last year by over-applying it. It's salt, and plants have the same reaction to it as people - a little bit makes an omlette taste great, and too much of it kills you.
glty