I am getting ready to put my first brugs (thanks, Nathalyn!) in large pots to keep outdoors for the summer. I live in Ohio, zone 5b, and like to garden as organically as I can.
What should I use for a potting medium, and for fertilizer?
Thank you in advance for your help. I have never seen a live brug close up, or smelled one, and I am looking forward to getting addicted. LOL
First time brug grower
There are lots of products out there that work when it comes to the soil brugs like. I use a soilless potting mix, ProMix is the name. It has bark in it and allows the roots to breath and not become waterlogged. For fertilizer, any good water soluable fertilizer will work as long as it doesn't have a high middle number. I've used Peters 20-20-20 for years and got by just fine. Right now I'm using up all the partial bags of stuff and will then go to either Excel or Peters again. Mine get fertilized water twice a week until it gets so hot I can't take it. I also toss some Osmocote into the soil for that reason. At least they get a little something. The soil and the fertilizer are the easy part. The bugs are another story, so if you begin to see problems and need help, post and we will help you if we can. Everyone here is so good to jump in with good advice for new brug growers.
NoH20....heheheheheeee...once you've smelled that first brug bloom, then you're a gonner!!! Good luck with this addiction that is just beginning!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.....I think. I may be cursing you later. LOL I already have an addictive personality. A few days ago, after delivering the umpteenth plant box, my mailman asked me where I was going to put all this stuff. (And I am still waiting on the plants from Waterpondfarms's co-op and Green Mountain Transplants.) Oh, well. Somehow there is always room. Thank heavens Ohio winters are so horrible; I depend on them to kill enough plants to make room for the newcomers!
Wow, great attitude. I'll have to remember to use that one when Jim asks me why I'm getting more of everything. Uh, sorry, but winter kill, you know!!
Haheeee No....I'm happy to know you're still waiting on GreenMountain, since I am also! I did a mini-coop here with my friends and we are waiting for 7 flats from them. I'm really excited and I'm ready to get them going too! Enjoy your brugs....you will love them.
Welcome to the brug forums & the best of luck!
NOH2O,if you want to fertilize your brugs organically,use a mixture of blood meal,bone meal and gypsum added to your potting mix.The first two are available at Wal-Mart and gypsum is available at Lowes.I use a generous 1/2 cup(total)
per gallon of potting soil for all my permanent brugs.They love it.
I have a commercial organic potting mix that includes sphagnum peat moss, composted shellfish shells, composted barnyard manure, peat/humus, kelp/sea weed. I also have homemade compost, fish emulsion, kelp, bone meal, blood meal, Espoma Rose-tone organic fertilizer for roses, Espoma Holly-tone organic fertilizer for acid loving plants, Espoma Plant-tone organic all purpose fertilizer, Osmocote, and Miracle Grow. I am sure if I looked hard enough I could find eye of newt and tongue of toad, too. LOL
I had a bag of gypsum for about 10 years; finally got rid of it last year (pre-addiction, when I was clean and sober) but I can easily get another one.
So I am wondering what to use out of all these options (let's not forget compost tea, too)......
Is there such a thing as overkill when fertilizing brugs?
If in pots, sure! The ground is a little more forgiving I find. Slow and steady as she grows! LOL. I am not very disciplined, I go thru cylcles of fertilizing. When they are inside as seedlings I am always fertlilizing and spraying them, once outside I am more laid back, especially if planted in the ground.
Let us know how your babies do!
If I had all that,I would add a little blood and bone meal to the commercial mix and let it go at that.Sounds like you have it covered.
What, no eye of newt? LOL
That sounds like a good plan to me, gone2seed. Is there anything I should look for throughout the season that would indicate the need for an additional boost of fertilizer such as compost tea? Since I have never grown brugs before I don't know what the tell-tale signs of nutrient deficiency are.
Thanks to all for your input; I know I will learn so much here.
I must admit I have been lurking in the brug forum for a long time trying to avoid getting hooked, but I fear I have crossed the line and now there is no going back. Will the summer of 2004 stand out as a turning point in my life? Stay tuned......
Automatically assume it has a nutrient deficiency.That compost tea should make a good tonic every couple of weeks.
Let's see...signs of nutrient deficiency
light green leaves...but some have naturally light green leaves.
yellow leaves....but all brugs have yellow leaves at times.
you can think of them as trashy plants or you can just say they are "self cleaning"
Seriously,just give them the compost tea and you shouldn't have any problems.
JT, what is the gypsum used for? I know it is good for clay soil, but I see you use it in your potting mix. Calcium maybe? Inquiring mind here. LOL!
Yes Brugie,it's for the calcium.It doesn't change the ph like limestone or crushed oyster shell would.
Thanks. Hope your brugs are growing like crazy. I'm almost through planting mine. Boy, what a lot of work this addiction is.