Bloomboost fruiting veggies?

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
LAS14 Albany, ME(Zone 4b) Jul 02, 2015

What would happen if I fertilized my peppers, eggplant and tomatoes with Bloombooster (high phosphorous, designed to promote flowers)?

TIA
LAS

Post #10105075
Quote
tapla Bay City, MI(Zone 6a) Jul 04, 2015

Are they in the ground or in containers? If in containers, it's almost a certainty your effort would end up being limiting because no plant uses more P than N or K, and there is a list of potential problems caused by an excess of P. If they're in the ground, it can ONLY help if there is a P deficiency in the soil or P is otherwise unavailable for uptake. Keep in mind that an excess (described as a toxicity) has the same limiting potential as a deficiency. You really can't know w/o the results of a soil test (if in the ground).

Al

Post #10106155
Quote
LAS14 Albany, ME(Zone 4b) Jul 08, 2015

Well, it certainly does work as advertised on annuals (more flowers).But I Googled the problems from excess phosphorous and I think I'll limit Bloombooster to annuals.

thanks again
las

Post #10108396
Quote
tapla Bay City, MI(Zone 6a) Jul 14, 2015

Sorry, but it doesn't, except in the case of an actual P deficiency. The average plant uses about 6X as much N as P, so whenever you create a situation where you're making available more P than N, or even more P than the plant needs, you're creating only the potential to limit - not to benefit. Toxicity (excess) has the same potential to limit as a deficiency.

P in excess unnecessarily raises the EC/TDS of the soil solution, can unnecessarily raise pH, and causes antagonistic deficiencies of copper, calcium, potassium, zinc, and especially iron. It can also act synergistically with magnesium to cause uptake of that element at toxic levels.

The model for ideal fertility levels includes nutrient availability in ratios that closely mimic that at which the plant actually uses the nutrients. IOW expecting good things to come from providing more than 13X as much P as the plant can use in relation to N (as occurs when using the 10-52-10 "bloombooster" formulas) is far more likely to end in disappointment than be a rewarding experience. Obviously it's still your call, but hopefully others will think twice about providing massive doses of P for naught.

Al

Post #10111294
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener Threads

Go to all Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener threads
BACK TO TOP