Did you know the first recording of fertilizer being used to stimulate plant growth was writen by a fellow by the name of Homer. Around 900 to 700 B.C. he told of his father using animal manure to imporve his vinyards. In 400 B.C. Roman farmers had actually rated the various kinds of manure as to which one was the best for crop production :))
Feeding your African violets
Today we have become very scientific with fertilizers and their application. To be a successful African violet growers it helps to understand how fertilizers actually help your plants produce those lovely flowers. Part of the enjoyment of growing African violets or doing any kind of gardening is to understand what you are doing, and using this knowledge to help your friends solve their growing problems.
All green plants have the same plant food to choose from for their diets. Regardless of what you give them or what is already in the soil , plants will use only sixteen different types of plant food.
" Yes that's right your plants only need 16 necessary plant foods
and they are the only ones they will use the rest are a waste of money"
These are referred to as " the sixteen essential plant nutrients." If you are going to give your African violets excellent care yet they lack the vigor you think they should have , concider the possibility that one or all of theses essential nutrients aren't being fed to them. You may be starving them to death.
The Sixteen Nutrients Needed by plants are.
African violets are no exception
Here are the foods they need to be healthy.
Nirogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Copper, Zinc, Molybdenum, Chlorine, Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Iron, Boron and Manganse.
This message was edited Feb 25, 2006 9:21 PM
andf...minor nutrients...as well...Boron surprisingly is important....if one had some bat gwana (sp?)...that would be great...i am a big fan of time released osmocote..
The way in which the nutrients are utilized by a plant will vary. Some will enter through the leaves of the plant ; others are absorbed by the roots. In some cases the nutrients will enter through both the leaves and the roots, depending on how you prepared them before applying them.
Just keep in mind that a well-fed plant is a healthy one, and so it is up to you to keep it supplied and happy. The fertilizer is your tool to complete this job. Keeping a perment record of when you fetilize your African violets as it is easy to forget when you have last fed your plants and what you gave them. Have a calender handy and write on it each time you feed your plants.
This same calendar can be used for recording any other information you wish to remember about your African violets. Another handy record-keeping method is to use 3"x5" cards and store them in a recipe box. If you have several African violets use a new card for each plant and record your observations on how they are doing .
Knowing your plants is important . Each has its own individual personality. Observing how your plants grow will help you with planning their diet. Some plants are fast growers, other may be slow and easygoing. Don't try to force fast growers or you'll just be creating problems for yourself.
spray n grow...along with fish emulsion..or bills perfect fertilizer is amazing..some folks just use the Alaskan fish emulsion....in the end...whatever works for you is the important thing....www/spray-n-grow.com...
...Spray-N-Grow
Spray-N-Grow is a micronutrient complex, cultured in a water base, ... A professor
at a major agricultural university stated that Spray-N-Grow is a balanced ...
http://www.spray-n-growag.com/?html=full&key=sng -
Well you asked about Boron! Yes it's a trace nutrients and is needed in small amounts. It is one of the sizteen Nurtrients plants need ! The amounts of each of the sixteen nutrients needed by plants will vary. Those needed in large amounts are called major nutrients ( Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) : others needed in moderate quantities are referred to as secondary nurtients ( calcium, magnesium, and sulfer) : and those plant food elements needed in very small amounts are called trace nutrients ( Iron, boron, zinc, cholorine, copper, manganese and molybdenum). The three remaining nutrients ( Oxygen , hydrogen and carbon) are not categorized since the plants obtain them from the air and water.
No mater what you use ( and boron was listed in the sixteen Nutrients Bob Wink Wink ! your African violets are only going to use the Sixteen Nutrients needed . I have heard by experienced African violet growers talk about vitamins and protiems they give their plants, and how they feed their plants over thrity different plant nutruents which are absolutely essential to the
health of their African violets. There are mixtures on the market which do claim to conatain these special ingredients, and they probaly do. " BUT " your plants will use only those sixteen present on the precding post list.
and of course allison for blossoms..you want the middle number to be the larger one...ie...10-30-10.....i try to get the osmocote that has 20-60-20...some even use blossom booster etc...spray n grow i mentioned have a lot of micro nutrients that aren't in other "helps"...we should remind everyone that moving air is essential as well.
Hey, I'm a big fan of time-released osmocote, too, Bob!!!!!!!!!! What is it?
Each Nutrient has a special purpose
Once you become acquainted with each one of them you'll have a better appreciation of their impotance of properly feeding your African violets.
Nitrogent
The role this plant food plays is very important. Nitrogen is one of the building blocks of Chlorophyll molecule contained in all green plants. You can say it casues plants to be green, beacause if nitrogen is absent the leaves lose their color and turn yellow.
Protoplasm ( cell Sap) contains protiens, amino acids and many other important plant compound, all of which must have nitrogen in their makeup in order to be of use to the plant. Nitrogen must be thought of as one of the primary ingredients for a healthy African violets.
" When I am rooting leaves, growing babies , trying to green up white leaves on variegated babies I use a plant food with the first number Nitrogen highest "
" Don't worry I am going to get to all sixteen foods you African violets need and the role each one plays in the life of your African violets ! ""
This message was edited Feb 25, 2006 9:31 PM
Phosphorus
Almost as versatile as nitrogen, this plant food is the key to many important plant functions. Its presence will insure good root growth, flowering or your plants, and it also prmotes plant development and strong stems. Compunds within the plant cells that give off the energy for a plant to do all these things must have phosphorus in them.
" Thought middle number is Phposphorus increases flowering as reading above this food has other important functions. If you are growing to show they will use a bloom booster after de-budding for weeks just a few weeks before to bring on and increase bloom. This is not recomened use all the time. Study has showed African violets food is best with close or equal numbers "
Potassium
" Always on the move" is probaly the best way to describe this nutrient's status in a plant. Its exact function isn't known ; but if it is missing the plant's reaction can be easlily predicted. It has been credited with making plant more resistant to diseases, causing the plants to be able to withstand cooler temperatures than normal, and aiding plant roots by improving their ability to abosorbe other plant nutreients from the soil.
Calcium
Cementing of the plant's cell to one another is calcium's role in the plant. Just as nitrogen is a major
building block in the plant, the strength of calcium is what holds the plant kingdom together. The roots mucst have a good supply of this particular plant food.
Magnesium
If any one nutrient could be refferred to as " the heart" of the plant, magnesium would surely qualify for the honor. Each chlorophyll molecule in a plant is composed of two identical parts , with magnesium in the center holding the parts together to form the chlorophyll molecule.
Sulfur
Very seldome does this nutrient recieve mention , yet a plant contains three times more sulfur than combined total of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. African violets use sulfur in a wide variety of ways. If joins up with nitrogen in the chlorophyll molecule, aids in production of cell sap, and helps speed up many plant-growing processes.
Violet Treasure - I hear different people talking about the food with balanced numbers versus the high number in the middle. Do you always use the balanced? Is it good to use the high number in the middle kind if you can't get your plants to bloom? And, does anyone really have the lowdown on urea? I don't get that subject at all. Is it a problem, or should I just forget it?
Oops, sorry to interrupt. Should have waited on all of em.
Iron
Iron is often in large quantities in the soil mixture but in form that plant roots cannot use. This particular plant food works in close association with nitrogen and sulfur and aids them in the formation of chlorophyll molecule.
Boron
Only a very small trace of boron is needed by African violets. If you were to scientifically test your plants and find siz to eight parts per million of boron present in them , this would be ideal. Water uptake be the roots is aided by the presence of boron in the plant. Somehow boron assists the plant's defence mechanism which prevents a large amount of absorbed water from evaporating and escaping from the plant back into the atmosphere.
Manganese
Like boron, Manganese is another food only a trace is needed of this nutrient will allow it to preform its three functions in a plant. It aids in the formation of the chlorophyll molecule, makes other plant foods more accessible to the plant, and causes germination to occur quickly when progating African violets from seed.
I did write up top when explaining about Phosphorus and it being a plant food needed that is the key to many functions not just flowering.
I have also studied best to use even or close to equal numbers.
the sixteen foods and only sixteen your African violets will use all work together. I have named each one and their key rolls. I'm almost done.
I have dones it in sections for easy reading .
Zinc, Molybdenum, and Chlorine
The role of these three nutrients isn't completely known. In fct, about all that is known about chlorine is that its presence is necessary for the growth of your plants. Zinc and molybdenum are activating compounds which cause certian plant growing processes to occur.
Very seldom will you need to concern yourself with trace nutrients ( iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum, or chlorine). Small quantities of these plant nutrients are present in most fertilizers you use, plus the soil mixture your plants are growing in releases there nutrients for the plant's use.
Types of plant food
When you are ready to buy plant food for your African violeets you need to understand the information given on the containers. Law do govern what the manufacturers must put on their label, so you will not be shortchanged if you read the label.
Primarily you will be interested in total amounts of plant food present and the proportion of nurtients to each other. These three percentages are called the " grade" of fertilizer. It is important that you look for percentages when buying a fertilizer beacause they play major roles in how well your African violets grow.
The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contained in a fertilizer will influence the growth of your African violets. A plant food high in Nitrogen and low in phosphorus and potassium will stimulate the plant leaves to grow and become a deep - green color,
but flowering is supressed .
Select this type fertilizer for young plants which have
just been rooted and need to grow and mature before they are able to produce flowers.
Examples of fertilizers to use for this purpose would be 30-10-10 or 10-4-4.
After plants mature and flowering cut back on the nitrogen you give them and supply more phosphorus and potassium. Something like 10-30-20 or 5-10-10 would promote flowering and give the plant enough nitrogen for a healthy appearance.
Occasionally you will see some of the other plant nutrients listeed on fertilizer boxes. This is done occasionally when a manufacturer wants to make the product look a little better than the others on the shelves.
Be primarily interested in the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Anything else just adds to the oeverall cost of the fetilizer. Look for fertilizers with no Urea it burns delicate African violet roots. Fortunately when the basic fertilizers are mixed , the secondary and trace nutrients tend to be present in sufficient amounts to keep your African violets happy. I like using food with high nitrogen number for leaves rooting, babies, small plants not old enough to bloom, and for variegated leaves to white. Then I like using food with close to equal numbers.
tomorrow I will end to this thread how much , how often, which way are good to fertilize.
I hope this helps you understand the sixteen foods and only foods your African violets will need/use and their roles in making your African violets happy.
wow - very informative. Thank you. I hang my head, because I use optimara for all my violets regardless of age. I must admit that I am good at using AV food for Av's and orchid food for orchids....I also use rainwater and dehumidifier water.
Anita I think Optimara food is excellent !
yes - but I don't alter the fertilizer when I put down leaves or have an immature plant
Well when I have Optimara food with the first number the highest I enjoy using it for leaves, babies , small plants. And when I have Optimara plant food with equal numbers I like it for blooms of everything.
Anitia I think either one your using you can't go wrong their both wondeful :))
I go threw so much food for my plants it's crazy . lol
When I have Eleanpr's VF-11 I don't worry it takes care of everything but lately I have a hard time keeping
it in stock. I use to be able to order by the case.
I have an order form from Eleanor if you want I can email you a copy
Oh Thanks I have them. Been buying it for years when ever I can :))
bump
I just came across this nice comparison chart by Dyna-Gro. (Keeping in mind that they are a fertilizer producer...) Dyna-gro has excellent products with trace elements - good if you don't want to think about when to give which plants a dose of cal mag etc.
It's a pdf so you will need Adobe reader: http://www.dyna-gro.com/Website%20pdf%20Files/Fert%20Comparison%20Chart.pdf
This message was edited Mar 5, 2006 3:08 PM
good link and good stuff Keyring ! Thanks :)) I wanted to write this thread so people new what the numbers mean and what the foods plants use and which roles they play .
I have heard a lot good about Dyna-Gro ! Do you use it ? I like Optimara foods too. And Peters and Vf-11 :))
I am going to order some of the food tablets for Streps that Dibleys use and sell and try them :))
I use dynagro as part of my fertilizing regime. I generall use whatever I have around (which usually has no trace elements) supplemented with cal-mag solution and various other soil amendments. (Some of the orchids are picky.) Then I also use Dynagro from time to time.
I've just started my new regime..
AV's - optimara fertilizer [premeasured packets] + 1 tbsp each Lysol and Murphy's oil soap + superthrive.
Orchids - the same except I substitute orchid fertilizer for the optimara + superthrive.
General houseplants - the same except I substitute fertilizer with VF-11
My plan is to eventually use the VF-11 for everything to make life simpler. I also plan in investigating the use of Hydrogen Peroxide [H202] added to the mix.
Hi Anita, depending on what orchids you grow, go easy on the superthrive. It reportedly causes deformed flowers on some of them. Also, the VF-11 will not be enough for some orchids during their growth phase - for eg catts, dens and other that have a distinct growth burst.
Hi!
I posted it somewhere else and now I can't find the thread.
I need some advice. I am thinking of spraying my AVs and leaves with F11 everyday. Is it OK or should I not do it?
Thank you
good point Keyring - I think I did read that somewhere
Hydrogen Peroxide in water is good. Go easy on Superthrive I read some AV people only use one drop per gallon. It can casue mite symptoms.
Yes Vf-11 is perfect for foliage feed. Use warm water and don't put in windows or under lights until they are dry. You can foliage and water.
Anita I think your Orchids should be fine > If you call Eleanor you can find out she's real nice to talk with !
Thanks Allison - It would make life so much easier.
Each Nutrient has a special purpose
Once you become acquainted with each one of them you'll have a better appreciation of their impotance of properly feeding your African violets.
" Thought middle number is Phposphorus increases flowering as reading above this food has other important functions. If you are growing to show they will use a bloom booster after de-budding for weeks just a few weeks before to bring on and increase bloom. This is not recomened use all the time. Study has showed African violets food is best with close or equal numbers "
Rob from violet barn recomends never using a large middle number or bloom booster. He says his 25 years of experience and has never used it.
He says clost to even numbers always is best.
I bumper this up for those of you who would like to know what foods your plants need and what each foods job is.