fertilizer Help me set up a fertilizer schedule please?

[sreinhard88]

Last year was my first year growing peppers (or anything, for that matter).  Very rarely I would fertilize my plants, more so towards the later part of the season when they needed more calcium to prevent BER.  Because it was my first year I was also very cautious as to what type and how much fertilizer I would give each plant. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with the results of last season.This year, however, I'm thinking I want to fertilize more and on a more consistent basis.  In order to do this I figure I need to come up with some sort of schedule.  
 
As of right now I have:
- fish emulsion (5-1-1)
- a small container of MG tomato plus calcium (9-4-12)
- two small containers of something called "Mater magic" (8-5-5) it was on sale at work for $0.69, I had to try it,
- biotome starter fertilizer w/mychorrhizae (4-3-3)
- jobe's organic veg/tomato fertilizer (2-5-3).  
Obviously I wouldn't be using all of them at the same time or perhaps I could experiment to see which ones perform best.  I can also buy any of these at work so if I need more that's not an issue.
 
My thought so far is this:
 
- Water with fish emulsion every other week.
- In between those weeks fertilize with one of the fertilizers mentioned above.
 
I want to be able to take full advantage of the fertilizers I have, so with that in mind would I be able to fertilize more frequently than what I have in mind?  Given the above fertilizers what kind of fertilizer schedule would you recommend?  I really have no clue when it comes to fertilizing which is probably why I was so hesitant last year but this year I would really like to see what kind of impact my fertilizers can really have.  If it makes a difference, of the 25 plants I have this year (quite a jump from the 4 I started with last year!) two overwintered plants are now in a raised bed roughly 3'x3' and the other two OWs are in 3.8gal containers.  The remaining plants were all started from seeds this year and are in either 2gal or 3.8gal containers.  The bed is a mix of compost, manure, and a sprinkling of biotome; the containers all have regular MG potting soil and some have a dash of biotome as well.

 

[juanitos]

With a soiless mix with little nutrients (5-1-1, coir, etc) you fertilize with every watering pretty much.
 
With soil, there are already nutrients in the soil so you don't need to fertilize as much, once every 2 or 3 waters probably won't hurt... but might not be necessary if the plant already has everything it needs. You can foliar spray some of them (epsom salts / calmag popular for foliar sprays) as that won't overcharge the soil.

 

[Hammerhead]

This is my second season of growing peppers and this is what I'm doing( very pleased with the results)
 
Weekly----Miracle Grow Tomato Food
Bi-weekly---Epsom salt( in the ground and foliage fed) and have just started using Cal Mag
Every three weeks--Fish emulsion 5-1-1  and seaweed plant food 0-0-1.
 
BTW, I haven't had my soil tested so I don't know what is going on in there but it my yard has great soil all over and drains well. Beginners luck I guess.

 

[Gotrox]

Hmmmm. Depends.
 
If the containers are getting root bound, fertilize every other watering.
 
If the raised bed is full of new materials of the type you note, not last years mix, there is more than enough nitrogen for the season. (first of the 3 numbers noted on the ferts)
 
MG already includes ferts.
 
Water only when getting dry and start to droop a bit-------but not in the middle of a hot day when many peppers will droop due to heat and sun, not because they are dry.
 
When starting to bloom, a foliar spray of cal mag may be helpful.
 
I would hazard a guess that your beds are a bit heavy in organic matter (high nitrogen) and that may impede flowering and podding, but there is no real cure for it other than time for the plants to use it up, or changing the soil mix to a better balance.
 
When finished in the fall, mix in some sand, fine gravel, and some rock dust if you have some locally available.
 
Sand and gravel will aid drainage and aerate, rock dust will provide minerals and micro elements for next years roots to take up.
 
My root bound containers get a hydro mix of PH perfect (equal amounts of micro, grow and bloom) and cal mag every other watering---same as my 4" pots get when root bound prior to plant out, and outside in dirt plants get nothing unless showing a deficiency.
Every fall the outside plot gets whatever I think it needs from the results of the season.

 

[SL3]

Hmmmm. Depends.
 
If the containers are getting root bound, fertilize every other watering.
 
If the raised bed is full of new materials of the type you note, not last years mix, there is more than enough nitrogen for the season. (first of the 3 numbers noted on the ferts)
 
MG already includes ferts.
 
Water only when getting dry and start to droop a bit-------but not in the middle of a hot day when many peppers will droop due to heat and sun, not because they are dry.
 
When starting to bloom, a foliar spray of cal mag may be helpful.
 
I would hazard a guess that your beds are a bit heavy in organic matter (high nitrogen) and that may impede flowering and podding, but there is no real cure for it other than time for the plants to use it up, or changing the soil mix to a better balance.
 
When finished in the fall, mix in some sand, fine gravel, and some rock dust if you have some locally available.
 
Sand and gravel will aid drainage and aerate, rock dust will provide minerals and micro elements for next years roots to take up.
 
My root bound containers get a hydro mix of PH perfect (equal amounts of micro, grow and bloom) and cal mag every other watering---same as my 4" pots get when root bound prior to plant out, and outside in dirt plants get nothing unless showing a deficiency.
Every fall the outside plot gets whatever I think it needs from the results of the season.

 
Gotrox
How long have you been using PH perfect. I have been interested in this for some time but due to their Ad looking like an infomercial I have been skeptical. I would love a product that actually controlled my PH so I could actually water from my hose.  Ah just the thought of relaxing with my hose in one hand and a beer in the other brings tears to my eyes. Right now its 50 gallon barrel with treated water, and with over 200 plants to water it’s a half days work with watering cans. I thought about raising the barrel several feet off the ground with cinder blocks so I can use the pressure and hook a hose up to it. And that will probably be my next step if PH perfect turns out to be a dud or too expensive to use. Anyways I’m very interested in your results and time of use as well as how far those 3 bottles will go. 

 

[Gotrox]

2 years using the PH perfect.
For starting in 2 aero gardens, feeding my 6 large pots, between 40 and 60 4" pots after root bound before plantout, numerous small bonchi projects and houseplants, the 3 1 liter bottles (and smaller one of cal mag plus) last more than 1 season.
 
My water source runs between a 6 and 8 ph, and my outside plants are on a timed watering system, I never check or adjust the ph, nor use PH perfect---or anything else unless desperate on my in-the-ground plants.
 
May be too expensive to use on 200 plants in the ground, and you have to mix it first, so you would still need the 50 gallon barrel to deliver it, or a mixing attachment to your hose, and water 4 times, once for each part of the mix.
 
There are ways to add an injector system to your watering line, but I have been wary of such, as the ferts are really strong, and one mistake could burn the whole crop.
 
Cost?
For my usage, under $100 a season, and ph perfect and cal mag are the total of my ferts----I don't use anything else.
 
Will go up a little now, as I have 4 five gallon "root spa" DWC systems that get PH Perfect/CalMag+ mix exclusively.

 

[SL3]

2 years using the PH perfect.
For starting in 2 aero gardens, feeding my 6 large pots, between 40 and 60 4" pots after root bound before plantout, numerous small bonchi projects and houseplants, the 3 1 liter bottles (and smaller one of cal mag plus) last more than 1 season.
 
My water source runs between a 6 and 8 ph, and my outside plants are on a timed watering system, I never check or adjust the ph, nor use PH perfect---or anything else unless desperate on my in-the-ground plants.
 
May be too expensive to use on 200 plants in the ground, and you have to mix it first, so you would still need the 50 gallon barrel to deliver it, or a mixing attachment to your hose, and water 4 times, once for each part of the mix.
 
There are ways to add an injector system to your watering line, but I have been wary of such, as the ferts are really strong, and one mistake could burn the whole crop.
 
Cost?
For my usage, under $100 a season, and ph perfect and cal mag are the total of my ferts----I don't use anything else.
 
Will go up a little now, as I have 4 five gallon "root spa" DWC systems that get PH Perfect/CalMag+ mix exclusively.

Thanks, thats good info. Sounds more for Hydro set ups. I would not use it for my raised beds or my inground plants, just my plants in my Root Pouches outside. Everytime I think I can get away from treated water and use my hose water on my potted plants they seem to crash or start looking very unhealthy. But I still have close to a hundred plants in pots outside. Think I got a little out of control this year and bit off more than I can chew. I keep hearing others speak that if you have a good soil food web, you don't have to worry about PH. I used the Teas recomended on here all last year and my potted plants still seemed to be sensitive to my high PH hose water. Not sure what their all doing different.

 

[Gotrox]

It IS a hydro setup.
 
Once my plants are root bound---small pots or large, they are basically "hyrdro-in-dirt", as all the natural nutes are all used up and the dirt is just holding them up.
 
As for an ecosystem---yes and no.
 
There are webs in acid and base soils naturally, and isolated beds are fairly easy to change for specific plant needs, but if your water is high or low, the end result will be to go to equality eventually.
 
There are ways---like adding acidic elements---like pine needles, to a high base area, or lime or shells to a high acid area---but it takes a bunch of measuring and attention to get it right, and years to build it up and know how much of which to add every fall.