I read, in Monicas book, that slow release 14-14-14 is too slow to feed Brugs. Up to now, I am going around the property with Miracle Gro every 5-6 days to feed them...but that is a long process fertilizing along about 1/2 mile of road carrying the water and fert in the cart.. I would like to find something water soluble (it rains a lot here...we fertilize every 10" of rain with regular 14-14-14, 10-5-40 (for the nanas), or whatever else we use on the citrus and palms and ornamentals.
What do you experts think of a Triple 14 or Triple 16 NON slow release? Any numbers that would be better? I am trying to wean myself from having to do everything "by hand" except for bug IDs and killers.
Thanks in advance....
Carol
Question on Fertilizing made simple.....
Triple 15 comes in 40 pound bags at farm supply stores, some carry even larger bags. With your warm soil temps slow release probably isn't very slow, but why pay extra for something you do not need.
In the summer I use the MG in large packets that you empty into a jar that fits on the end of your hose, it mixes automaticaly as you water. the strength is 15-30-15
I have never had brugs in the summer yet but I use it on all my other flowers.
Doris
While we're at it, I guess Monika's book says not to use 'blue water'. Yours is doing fine (although you're getting more exercise than you want) and although I just started with my first cuttings in Nov, I've been using a water soluble fert from a regional nursery/garden center. They've all grown, a couple budded up and one even bloomed. If that works inside under lights, I figure with the almighty sunshine they'll do just fine.
For granular ferts, I know I've seen them listed with different release rates.
I'd be tempted but hose-end feeding is a favorite past time whether it's MG and such or if I get on the Jerry Baker routine. Although that mad chemist mixing routine got old.
I'm going to use some high nitrogen fertilizer tablets this year but will suppliment them with 20-20-20 water soluable, probably once a week. If they need more, I"ll give it to them. If they don't need the water soluable, I'll quit. I'm getting tired and lazy in my old age.
The problem with the hose end sprayers of fertilizers is that the solutions gets weaker the longer you spray, so if you are doing only a small area and you go back and forth it isn't really a problem, but if you are doing plants in pots, for instance, the first pots will get stronger fertilizer, and those towards the end will get hardly any.
An alternative is to mix the water soluble very strong and use a hose end sprayer that is made for spraying chemicals that doesn't dilute as it sprays. You will notice the MG sprayer never gets empty, but an Ortho hose end sprayer, for instance, will empty out, because it does not add water to the container as it sprays and the solution remains at a constant concentration. So if you set an ortho sprayer to put 8 ounces in every gallon of water, then you would need 4 tbsp of miracle grow in the 32 ounces of water you put in the ortho sprayer. You could make it even more concentrated if you wanted it to last longer.
I hope that made sense.
All of you make perfect sense. However, the hose is out of the question and it would need to be almost 1/4 mile long in order to read the road where they are planted. So, I mix up the MG in gallon jugs, put them in the cart and drive around, hauling the jugs out at every Brug. It gets old!!! Was hoping that just a plain old fert would dissolve in the rains and I can throw it around every week. Easier that lugging gallon jugs!!!
Around the house I use an Ortho Sprayer...for just about evrything!!!
I'd bet that plain old fertilizer would work for you as much rain as you get. Last year, my seedling bed only got "plain old fertilizer a couple of times and that was all they got. They did fine, but they were in soil, not rock. LOL! It's too bad you can't have your climate and my soil. The other way around would be nice for me too. I'd love your climate.
I gave mine a dose of composted manure and bone in the spring and then rose fertilizer with the systemic insecticide in it.
I thought I remember hearing that someone was using 10-10-10 every 6 weeks, and it worked fine?
I just gave mine a dose of 10-10-10 from a bag of Shake and Feed I was gifted. We shall see. Worked in some gypsum and Epsom Salts (to balance our soil) and they loved!!! lit 3 more 2' high plants are blooming or about to.
AlohaHoya,
Does your cart have a bed? I bought a 75 gallon rainbarrel to carry water and fertilizer to some trees I planted. The rainbarrel, bought from Gardeners Supply, is light enough, when it's empty, that I can pick it up and put it in the bed of my Gator by myself. I used to carry gallon cans and empty cat litter containers, but then I didn't know what to do with them after I was through watering. I added an extra 15 foot section of hose to the barrel. It's really handy. The barrel drains from the bottom and has an on and off thumb valve. No heavy lifting. When not in use, the barrel sits next to the greenhouse. If your cart is not rated for that heavy a load, there are smaller rainbarrels available.
http://www.gardeners.com/Shopping/sell.asp?ProdGroupID=12617&DeptPGID=19694&lstCategory=19776&RecGroupNum=1
I use 20-20-20 like you Brugie...I've got buds all over mine now. I need to get some epsom and gypsum to add to my organic mixture I'm using. Good idea. Anyone ever use blood meal? I am also mixing this in too. Something is working to it's advantage.
Julie
Carol - if you rig a wagon/cart to carry a big barrel, remember water is 8.2lbs per gallon. Not only wil your vehicle need strength but having fat pneumatic tires will make it easier to pull around.
I've added blood meal here and there because it's supposed to be good. I couldn't say what effect it really had. I can verify it'll have varmints digging in your beds looking for it though!!
Well it's a good thing I've ran out and their was only one I've added it to LOL...thanks Blaine...omgosh! Can't be attracting unwanted critters now can I LOLOLOL!!!
Julie
so true, so true. Good thing you way down south otherwise you'd be setting traps for a big varmint hanging around outside your fence sliding pieces of pvc over trying to sniff your brugs!!
lol!!!!!
When DH uses Blood Meal the dogs go crazy! It is very high in Nitrogen, I know that much.
The drawback of carrying liquid fert around is that we have enough rain here (usually) to wash anything into the roots (sometimes .5" - 1" per day...once 27" in 24 hours!!!), so unless we are having a drought, I don't use liquid. But you remind me that I have a 15 Gal. sprayer we use for herbecides that I could clean out and use for foliar feeding... and then sprinkle a granulated fert. every 5" of rain.
Also, our wimpy cart couldn't take much more than the 15 gal sprayer....
Thanks for all your help!!!
Carol