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fertilizer Need some help on a fertilizer program. How much to use and when to use.

Codeman

Codeman

Hello I thought I would ask. So I've been wanting to stay away from 10-10-10 and make my own. I bought blood meal,triple super phosphate and muriate of potash. 12-45-60 respectively. Been putting very little since I'm growing peppers in 5 gallons or above. The brand was hi yield. Now do I need to feed them this stuff when they start to flower or just add a little bit when I transplant and then feed from there and then in a month and feed them a little bit again? Because I wanted to control the level of fertilizer i do as in low nitrogen higher phosphate and potash. Thanks!
 
it depends on your fertilizer composition.
 
Time release pelleted fertilizer is good for a while. usually requires one application at transplant(may ish) and another in a few months (july/august) so yeah now
water soluble fertilizer should be applied much more often daily, weekly, or biweekly. 
 
DIY solution like yours, you must read the different product info and figure it out.
 
In my opinion it is much easier to buy a formulated solution than trying to build it from the ground up. Masterblend Tomato, Jacks Hydro, Pre-Empt, even Miracle Gro Plant food isn't bad.
 
 
note: it doesn't seem you are providing any micro-nutrients, you might want to get a micro nutrients source (there are lots if u google)
 
Codeman said:
Hello I thought I would ask. So I've been wanting to stay away from 10-10-10 and make my own. I bought blood meal,triple super phosphate and muriate of potash. 12-45-60 respectively. Been putting very little since I'm growing peppers in 5 gallons or above. The brand was hi yield. Now do I need to feed them this stuff when they start to flower or just add a little bit when I transplant and then feed from there and then in a month and feed them a little bit again? Because I wanted to control the level of fertilizer i do as in low nitrogen higher phosphate and potash. Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Why on earth do you want so much Phosphate and Potassium?  What do you expect this to accomplish?
 
solid7 said:
 
Why on earth do you want so much Phosphate and Potassium?  What do you expect this to accomplish?
Click to expand...
I never found any good fertilizer that had low nitrogen but higher potassium and potash. I thought if I made my own it would be better somehow.
 
There is no pepper plant on earth that uses more phosphorus than nitrogen or potassium. 
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Fertilizers are only one part of growing.  Building a healthy substrate will take you farther.  Giving the plant proper conditions, proper watering, etc, will do almost everything you need it to.
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I've been the great antagonist for years around here when it comes to fertilizer.  I use one formula, all year round.  Mine is a 3-1-2.  I have gallons of sauce put up, and I give away more pods than I keep, by summer's end.  No offense, but I don't buy the "never found any good fertilizer" bit.  You could do just fine with an organic dry fert, like Dr Earth.  My first year in containers was 100% organic dry amendments, including that particular brand.  I did fantastic.
 
Codeman said:
I didn't want a lot of aphids from the high nitrogen.
Click to expand...
 
Pfffft.
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You don't drop your nitrogen to non-growth levels, for that.  You simply limit the types of nitrogen.  If you don't want aphids,you want to keep a low percentage of nitrogen derived from Urea.  In other words, don't go nuts on manure.
 
All the fertilizers from Hi Yield are urea or ammoniacal nitrogen except one.......They have one based on calcium nitrate and that is all that is in it. I only use small amounts of it for the fast calcium boost.
 
You have not looked hard enough if you want a semi affordable all around nutrient with slightly less nitrogen and nice micro list too....Look at MegaCrop. A 300 gram sample is free just for the shipping of under $3. Mostly calcium nitrate based nitrogen and you only need about 1 tbs per 5gal of water
https://greenleafnutrients.com/product/mega-crop/?v=7516fd43adaa
MCpage2.png
 
As long as we're on the subject of fertilizers...
 
How long does the 1/2cup Dr Earth 4_6_3 organic dry fertilizer rolled into mix + 1/2 cup finely powdered eggshells (or 2 tbs dolomite lime) per 5 gal bucket of 7/2/1 ratio of peat/perlite/worm castings, last for.?
 
In other words, after using a mix like above, when will you need to do your first fertilization..? 1 month..?... 3 months..? never..?
 
acs1 said:
As long as we're on the subject of fertilizers...
 
How long does the 1/2cup Dr Earth 4_6_3 organic dry fertilizer + 1/2 cup finely powdered eggshells (or 2 tbs dolomite lime) per 5 gal bucket of 7/2/1 ratio of peat/perlite/worm castings, last for.
 
In other words, after using a mix like above, when will you need to do your first fertilization..? 1 month..?... 3 months..? never..?
Click to expand...
 
The eggshells are good, infinitely.  They take years to completely break down.  But powdered are small enough to give you something almost immediately.
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Organics are super forgiving on dosing, but I'd freshen up the application per package instructions.  More is not "more better-er".  Just follow the recommendation. 
 
solid7 said:
 
The eggshells are good, infinitely.  They take years to completely break down.  But powdered are small enough to give you something almost immediately.
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Organics are super forgiving on dosing, but I'd freshen up the application per package instructions.  More is not "more better-er".  Just follow the recommendation. 
Click to expand...
For calcium I use gypsum. I don't really see the need for eggshells.
 
So guys... whats best for calcium..? Eggshells powdered finely, dolomite lime, calcium lime, crab shell meal, gypsum, etc...?
 
Whats the very best fertilizers, money no object, if you wanted to pamper a plant...
Same question for media, money no object..?
 
 
The below pic, like many of my plants, shows a Butch T scorpion that was up potted from a 6" seedling on june 6
It has never been fertilized(other than the rolled in stuff in the mix as explained above) and seems to be healthy, setting fruit for a while now. Many new pods on plant and flowers, +new healthy growth. Is there a neut. that will stop plant from growing bigger but still let it flower/fruit prolifically..?
 
Its in a 3 gal container because I don't want it to get big. Its already 30+" tall now and its not an old plant.
Scared if I fertilize the plant will grow and need to be up-potted. Some years here in s FL I've had to move plants into garage a dozen times during Hurricane season... Huge plants in 10+ gallon containers would make hurricane preparation even more tedious, its already a royal pia... Hence my reason for small healthy prolific plants, is that even possible..?
 
Butch T 8_15_19.jpg
 
ShowMeDaSauce said:
All the fertilizers from Hi Yield are urea or ammoniacal nitrogen except one.......They have one based on calcium nitrate and that is all that is in it. I only use small amounts of it for the fast calcium boost.
 
You have not looked hard enough if you want a semi affordable all around nutrient with slightly less nitrogen and nice micro list too....Look at MegaCrop. A 300 gram sample is free just for the shipping of under $3. Mostly calcium nitrate based nitrogen and you only need about 1 tbs per 5gal of water
https://greenleafnutrients.com/product/mega-crop/?v=7516fd43adaa
MCpage2.png
Click to expand...
the nitrogen from blood meal is what I use and it's just that, blood.
 
solid7 said:
There is no pepper plant on earth that uses more phosphorus than nitrogen or potassium. 
.
Fertilizers are only one part of growing.  Building a healthy substrate will take you farther.  Giving the plant proper conditions, proper watering, etc, will do almost everything you need it to.
.
I've been the great antagonist for years around here when it comes to fertilizer.  I use one formula, all year round.  Mine is a 3-1-2.  I have gallons of sauce put up, and I give away more pods than I keep, by summer's end.  No offense, but I don't buy the "never found any good fertilizer" bit.  You could do just fine with an organic dry fert, like Dr Earth.  My first year in containers was 100% organic dry amendments, including that particular brand.  I did fantastic.
Click to expand...
I see. I'm trying to go cheap. I'll probably use daddy Pete's kickin chicken. What's a cheap organic fertilizer? I am wanting to go into making hot sauce and growing lots of pods. So do I really need a balanced npk fertilizer or what am I looking for in a fertilizer? Also with aphids you said limit urea? How do I limit that?
 
Codeman said:
For calcium I use gypsum. I don't really see the need for eggshells.
Click to expand...
 
Let's not confuse things, here.  The eggshell post was a direct reference to acs1's post.  If you're in NC, you would want Gypsum to help break up clay soil, more than anything.  It has no real place in container culture, though.  Others might disagree, but that's a fairly well accepted idea in gardening circles...
 
Codeman said:
I see. I'm trying to go cheap. I'll probably use daddy Pete's kickin chicken. What's a cheap organic fertilizer? I am wanting to go into making hot sauce and growing lots of pods. So do I really need a balanced npk fertilizer or what am I looking for in a fertilizer? Also with aphids you said limit urea? How do I limit that?
Click to expand...
 
This is a double edged sword.   Urea based ferts are incredible, but they do create a pest issue.  Personally, I use whatever I have, and deal with pests.  But if you want to build anti-pest into your ferts, stick with a fert that has less than 10% N derived from Urea, and maybe less than 25% derived from ammonium.  Otherwise, get used to doing preventative sprays with Neem.  Not that it's a bad practice, anyway.
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A lot of times, I do a "double-down" feeding.  Since we get lots of rain in blankets here, I don't want to deal with nutrient disruption anymore than I already have to.  So I'll use a media that has biochar and/or compost mixed in, along with a slow release inorganic, and an organic fert. (either dry or liquid, sometimes both)  Sounds difficult, but it's not really.  I spend very little time in a season laying down plant food.
 
A good book to read that's probably available through your local library is "The Intelligent Gardener: how to grow nutrient-dense Food" by Steve Soloman with Erica Reinheimer. His take is to "remineralize" the soil to replace any of the nutes that may have leached out over time, but to get a really accurate soil test done first so you only add what's needed, and not what isn't.
 
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