I've searched the threads, but there seem to be a lot of answers, including folks who don't fertlize them at all. Aaargh.
So, here I was at Wal-Mart tonight, looking at the fertilizers and getting increasing confused. Howie finally sat down on a stack of potting soil bags to wait it out, LOL. I'm assuming since my brugs are starting to form buds that might enjoy some fertilizer...But what, and in what form?
I have some in containers and some in the ground. Does it make a difference? I remember someone saying somewhere a 14-14-14 was good...But I saw nothing like that at Wally World. I saw a pre-mixed .02-.02-.02 one, but it was really pricey.
I have some in pots and some in the ground. Weather's just really started warming up into the 80's recently, so everything's just now starting to take off (including my tomatoes - finally!).
So, what fertilizer(s) worked best for you? Anything cheap, LOL?
Fertilizing these bad boys
I use the generic MG... lol I tried a few different things, and this is what worked best for me. I also have some in the ground, and some in pots.
We had so much rain this spring that I couldn't fertilize the ones in the ground, so I had some cheap old garden fertilizer, granular, and I tossed it on top of the mulch and let the rain do the work. Now I'm starting to get Y's on these and most are seedlings. Can't complain about that.
I find brugs are not fussy. I just threw 16-16-16 at all mine at their different locations. I am kind of worried about the ones at the plots because I tossed alot because I am so frustrated. If they burn I will kick myself. They seem so be standing still there. They have so much room to spread out and they are not growing.
At my house, they are growing too fast. Some are so tall there is no way I can groom them! Today I am going to take out my picker upper and see if it will pull off yellow leaves. I hate yellow leaves.
GW, try whatever! Monika uses fertilizer with a low middle number I believe she said. She has it down to a science. I understand they respond well if you can find one with lots of minors in it also.
I've also read that you can over do the minors if your soil is good to begin with. The added minors are more for the soilless mixes than anything. Has anyone heard of this before?
Kell, what is your picker upper? I have three or four brugs that I can no way reach into the canope to get the yellowed leaves out.
You know Brugie, the thingey with rubber ends that old ladies use to pick up what they have dropped on the ground. OH GOD, that means I am now an old lady! LOL I just got one.
It would add a few feet to my reach. I haven't gone out to try it yet. Some peolpe have been too entertaining on the email front. LOL I will let you know.
This message was edited Jul 10, 2004 3:21 PM
We have a picker-upper, too, back from when Howie first fell and broke his back. Handy thing! Our grabber's made by Arcoa Industries in California. Don't know where we got it, but it's sure held up!
Looks like they have a website: http://arcoa.com/
This message was edited Jul 10, 2004 6:14 PM
oh WOW GW, they have it in different lengths! And here I thought I had some original thooght going on.
http://arcoa.com/products-ezr.htm
Wow, I've got to get one of those. Thanks. Now, where do I buy one. That site doesn't seem to sell them or did I miss something?
They have a page which lets you search for local Arcoa dealers, but they look like they're industrial supply or wholesalers, maybe. http://arcoa.com/dealers.htm
I *think* we got ours at Wal-Mart, but it was ten years ago.
I'm thinking if all else fails, I can get one at the medical supply in town. Thanks Kim. I just used the locator and found that one of our grocery stores in the next town north has them. Cool.
But do they have the long ones? Mine is too short that I have. I need to get a long one to really reach up!
Yoooo-hooooo, look what eBay has:
http://search.ebay.com/reacher_W0QQsofocusZbsQQsbrftogZ1QQfromZR10QQsosortpropertyZ1QQsosortorderZ1
Can't tell if they're the same brand on some of 'em, but they do have some longer ones.
This company sells them up to 60" long. http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=644
This message was edited Jul 11, 2004 1:21 PM
Well, the budget dictated and I bought the store-brand of Miracle Gro ("Expert Gardener" brand at Wal-Mart) and a hose-end feeder. I plan to attach my adjustable hose nozzle to it so I can apply the fertilizer not just to the ground/pots, but then also to the leaves in a really fine mist so it stays on them better.
That should work great. They love being fertilized!
Another dumb Brug question? What is a "Y" and why are they so great? I've seen a lot of references to them and haven't figured it out yet. I now have 5 Brugs and want to know what I should look for.
I did find a wild Datura growing at a building site in my mom's neighborhood and it had a number of "Y" type branches. It was a huge Datura - white with lite purple throat.
Thanks!!
It isn't that the Y is so great, it is that it is necessary to have one because the blooms will all appear above the Y point on the plant. Without a Y....no blooms. When you look for your first Y, it will be on the trunk of the plant. All of a sudden, the top growth will split and go two directions. That is why it is referred to as a Y. After that happens, you can expect to start seeing some buds set on. Sometimes one will set right in the crotch of the Y and other times there has to be a little more growing done before the bloom buds will set on.
This message was edited Jul 13, 2004 9:51 AM
Cool! Thanks Brugie - now I get it!!!!
They've responded well so far to their boost of fertilizer. The doggoned sprayer's a piece of junk though, leaks like a seive. It's going back to the store.
My little buds are still so tiny! I hope I get blooms before fall and frost. :S
Taken today:
Also, my brug out front has something feasting on it. I thought at first it was spider mites, but they look more like whiteflies -- tiny little flies.
Congrats on your buds, GW!
As for your sprayer, they are all junk in my opinion. I had one a few years ago that got lost in my move that was wonderful. The bottom was a jar and the top was an actual spray gun that you would use on a hose. The kind I have now is a Gilmour siphon hose end sprayer that works great as long as you don't tip it. When it falls over the stuff leaks out. These are for liquid fertilizers only. I'm not sure what kind to use for granulated fertilizer...good luck!
This one I have has a sprayer which screws onto a plastic jar and uses liquid fertilizer (water soluble powder that's mixed right in the sprayer jar as you go). This shows it http://doityourself.com/store/2670230.htm (mine doesn't say Shultz, but it's the same design almost to the letter).
Is the Gilmour model you describe pictured on this page? If so, which one? http://doityourself.com/store/hoseendsprayers.htm I'm a "draw me a picture" person, very visual! :)
I have the Select n Spray model, but you can't use granulated fertilier, only liquid concentrate in it. It siphons out the correct amount of fert. and then mixes it with the water at the output end. The kind I had before that I really liked was the Heavy Duty model shown on that page. It too can only be used with a liquid concentrate. For the granulated, water soluable ferts, you have to use something like the Miracle Grow feeder that mixes water in the jar, rather than siphons out the concentrate. I hope this helps :)
PS If you want to do really right by your plants and soil, you'll switch to a concentrated organic liquid fertilizer. Once you get your soil in shape, you'll have to fertilie much less often. The salts in grnualte, water soluable ferts destroy the living organisms in the soil that help break it down and feed your plants...
Organic liquid fertilizer is exactly what I want to do. This year, though, budget demanded otherwise.
I really hope I get blooms this year. It would stink to baby these beauties and have frost rob me of my pretties. I might set up a large cold frame type of thing near the basement vent if I don't have blooms by then!
A nicotiana lived all winter long below that vent and began blooming for us in April -- unheard of! http://davesgarden.com/t/410598/
I remember that thread -- that was so cool! When you get to the point of going organic, I can give you lots of information on products that have worked great for my brugs...