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NPK ratio?

Isn't it really "whatever works for you"?

I sure did like the looks of my plants last season....and the harvest was pretty good too..
 
AlabamaJack said:
Isn't it really "whatever works for you"?

I sure did like the looks of my plants last season....and the harvest was pretty good too..
Click to expand...


As long as you're not fertilizing to the point that you burn the plants or build up too much mineral salts in the soil, you're probably not hurting them. It's just that it's really not necessary to fertilize them that much, and fertilizer can get expensive. If your budget can handle it, knock yourself out.

When you're pepper pontificating, though, you might want to remember that not everyone has a lot of money to spend on growing a few pepper plants. Someone browsing the threads where you guys are geeking out on lights and grow boxes and hydro nutes and plant hormones and fertilizer schedules might think they *have* to spend that much money to have decent peppers. And, you know, all that stuff is really nice, but it's not required to have a nice pepper garden. I try and remind myself whilst pontificating that we're mostly fanatics here, but normal people like to grow peppers, too.
 
Has anybody tried doing nothing to chiles?

Soil is a really good reservoir for plant minerals after all this evolution.

I plant my chiles out in regular soil with organic material and do nothing further and it works really well.

nicepepper5.jpg
 
Josh said:
Hey TX,
Yea I checked out fox farm's products because everyone seems to say they are top notch. I am curious as to why the 3 I listed are no good? Is it because they are too strong like some of the others pointed out? Are they designed more for hydroponic type of growing? They caught my eye over the concentrates because of how little room they would take up. I could stack them on top of each other. This is obviously not the most important aspect in this decision but is still something I was considering.
Thanks for the help
Josh
Click to expand...

When i bought mine a few years back, the guy at the hydro shop believe said that grow big, big bloom and tiger bloom is fox farms fertilizer line, the high number ones are supplements designed to be used along side these three. The feeding chart seems to back this up too. I didn't buy any of the supplements and the main 3 did just fine.
 
I have to agree with Pam. I used NO fertilizer to start - only the fertilizer thats in MiracleGro moisture control potting soil. I hit it once with Vigoro's Bloom Booster after the first few flowers popped and this is what it looked like after 100 days.

010909.jpg


Like AJ says, whatever works for you!
 
Basically I agree with Pam and Willard, do as little as possible..the peppers want to grow. I did give them a bit of diluted tomato fertilizer and some Epsom salts when I remembered it but that was about 2-3 times all summer. Before they were planted outside they only got watered. Fits the budget and seemed to work just fine. JMO
 
pepperfever said:
Basically I agree with Pam and Willard, do as little as possible..the peppers want to grow. I did give them a bit of diluted tomato fertilizer and some Epsom salts when I remembered it but that was about 2-3 times all summer. Before they were planted outside they only got watered. Fits the budget and seemed to work just fine. JMO
Click to expand...

That pretty much describes my season this year. I was growing in MG soil(ugh) cause i had no choice, and I only fertilized maybe once or twice a month. Mostly just water. And even then I only watered when they started to wilt. Peppers are hardy bastards, they do well with minimal care.


However, i am a geek, so I tend to nerd out on things and instead of going with what works well, I try to find out what works best. I love my numbers, graphs & charts, just like my man AJ :)
 
Josh said:
Oh also. I was curious about the NPK. What do the numbers indicate exactly. I was under the impression they indicated the proportion of NPK to each other; however, if that was the case then wouldn't 10-10-10 just be expressed as 1-1-1? If that is the case then how would you compare fertilizers? For example, it might say 8-7-5 and another one say 3-1-1 but if they are only proportions then the fertilizer with 3 could theoretically supply more N than the 8. I think I have something wrong here. Someone please correct me.
Click to expand...

My understanding is the the numbers are the percentages by weight, thus 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorous, 10 percent potash. If you used twice as much 5-5-5 and 10-10-10 you would deliver the same amount of chemicals (or elements) to the plants.

Mike
 
quick question regarding temperature when seeding... not to side track this thread but i didnt think it was worth a new one...

is 32 degrees a overkill in the domes when seeding ?
 
Hotpeppa said:
quick question regarding temperature when seeding... not to side track this thread but i didnt think it was worth a new one...

is 32 degrees a overkill in the domes when seeding ?
Click to expand...

32c=89.6f so no you're not too far above ideal temp. Aj says right at 86f is perfect I believe, but a few degrees +/- you'll be fine
 
AlabamaJack said:
Isn't it really "whatever works for you"?

I sure did like the looks of my plants last season....and the harvest was pretty good too..
Click to expand...

AJ, what was happening to your plants before you started to use all of that stuff?

Hotpeppa said:
quick question regarding temperature when seeding... not to side track this thread but i didnt think it was worth a new one...

is 32 degrees a overkill in the domes when seeding ?
Click to expand...

I germinate my seeds between 90 and 95 deg.

Dale
 
Txclosetgrower said:
32c=89.6f so no you're not too far above ideal temp. Aj says right at 86f is perfect I believe, but a few degrees +/- you'll be fine
Click to expand...

thepodpiper said:
AJ, what was happening to your plants before you started to use all of that stuff?



I germinate my seeds between 90 and 95 deg.

Dale
Click to expand...

ok great !, i was starting to worry i may fry the seeds...
 
thepodpiper said:
AJ, what was happening to your plants before you started to use all of that stuff?
Dale
Click to expand...

nothing...I am just trying to reach the maximum growth/production potential the plants can achieve. I am sold on the nutrient regimen I am using...

I am not saying everyone should use it...but for my purposes, it is what I will continue to do...
 
;)
AlabamaJack said:
nothing...I am just trying to reach the maximum growth/production potential the plants can achieve. I am sold on the nutrient regimen I am using...

I am not saying everyone should use it...but for my purposes, it is what I will continue to do...
Click to expand...


which is what AJ if you dont mind me asking..;)
 
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