fertilizer When do you fertilize?

[stevie]

Hi,
i was researching a bit about the optimum time to fertilize pepper plants and found an interesting document on research for peppers (something which lack unlike tomato research).
link: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/43/5/1549.full

for my tomato plants, i typically wait until the plant has started to fruit before fertilizing as the research for tomatoes suggest that is a good time to give them a nitrogen boost.
 
for peppers. it appears the same applies, except to do it BEFORE they start flowering rather than after fruiting. would anyone else agree with this? in the study, the results look pretty dramatic.. thinking of using a 5-1-1 fish emulsion which sounds perfect with a bit higher nitrogen rather than the usual NPK of around 3-4-2 that i use when they are planted.

 

[KAOS]

My limited knowledge and reading suggests the following:
 
- Fish Emulsion good all round in general
- 5/1/1 for veg growth i.e. up to just before flowering
- 5/10/10 (P/K bias) for for flowering and fruiting
 
The problem in using N bias is that the plant will tend to keep on growing and when it gets to flowering stage you will have less than optimal blooms.
 
I would use the fish emulsion and supplement it with some hydroponic PK Heavy or similar to balance out nutrients.
 

 
Also peppers seem to thrive on a steady feed of nutrients (eg. half strength liquid tomato fert) rather than a boost that may shock the plant and potentially lead to blossom drop.
 
My 2c

 

[stevie]

 that is what common practice seem to be, but the studies are showing the opposite. in the study, increasing nitrogen had much bigger impact on the amount of blossoms and fruit than giving higher PK
 
from what i'm beginning to realize is that lower nitrogen during negative growth is better and you increase it slightly after the plant is fully establish and ready to start blossoming.  
too much nitrogen during normal growth may lead to bigger plants with less blossoms/fruit, giving more nitrogen later seems to increase blossoms and fruit production according to the research.
 

 

[Powelly]

Most agricultural recommendations state a slow release nitrogen heavy fertiliser at the start of it's life and then potassium after the first harvest

 

[ako1974]

As seedlings I use a very diluted fish emulsion after they get their true leaves. Every 2 weeks until planting out.

As adults I use regular strength fish emulsion after they start really flowering, some time after the first week of June. Every 2 weeks, through September.

So there is about a 2 to 3-week period where they receive no ferts.
 
My beds are constantly amended with compost.
 
For pots, I've never used a slow-release in addition to the fish emulsion, but I should probably try it next year to see if it gives better results. As it is, my potted peppers do well. Most of my peppers are in-ground.
 
I read this general regimen - including potting medium, etc - in one of DeWitt's books.

 

[Edmick]

This year i started out using some bottled liquid fert and had poor results so i switched to nothing but worm castings and seaweed kelp extract every two weeks and my plants are doing amazing on that. Tons of blooms and excellent vegetative growth.

 

[Geonerd]

So much depends on the soil you're using, watering habits, container-vs-ground, etc....
FWIW, I fertilize with Fish Soup and/or (now that the critters have returned to town) fresh Bat Poop, whenever the new growth starts to look a little pale.  (About 2x a month at the moment.)  I'm big on the Bat Crap. So far, it appears to be a 'universal' fertilizer, containing everything a plant might need.
 
IMO, Fish Soup does work very well, but is also somewhat prone to salt accumulation if your plants don't get rinsed periodically.
This happens when some damn fool tries try to cheap-out and use last years tired soil for their solo-cup seedlings.  Then, when they don't grow well, the fool hits them with weekly doses of dilute emulsion.  My plants apparently transitioned from nute-starved to salt-poisoned without me even knowing.  They remained stunted for some time, until I wised up, removed all the soil from their roots, and dropped them in fresh, quality soil.  They're happy now, but well behind schedule.  Fortunately, Aridzona's growing season extends into November....