I have a lot of brugs and hibiscus; although the hibiscus are starting to bloom, only two of my brugs which were wintered over have bloomed (only once each.) I have on hand Miracle Grow, triple superphosphate, azalea food, coffee grounds, old rabbit manure, and a couple of other things like epsome salts. The problem is that I know nothing about fertilizing. This blistering summer I now and then sprinkled small amounts of MG on the brugs and a little azalea food on the hibs and watered them in. However, I know I didn't do it often enough.
Does anyone have a schedule to suggest with the names of fertilizers I should use? The more I research it and gather so much information, the more indecisive and confused I get. I really do need the nuts and bolts of a simple program even so late in the season.
Please help.
some advice needed
Gloria, I'm very new to all this, but they are huge feeders from what I understand, I even understand you cannot overfertilize (on another thread), so they need lots of fertilizer. I've been reading some people mixing their potting mixes with compost, I think that's a grand idea if you have heavy feeders or are reusing potting mix and am taking that as a new habit. I'm certain you'll get loads of help here, though!
Gloria, I'm new too, so I bought the much acclaimed book 'Englestrompeten' by Monika Gottschalk who is a well know Brug grower. She says to feed them water soluble only 16-8-22 and 3% (Magnesium and minors). She says Osmocote and other long lasting ferts are not suitable for Brugs. The ferts are released too slow and in too small quantities.
As for amounts....80g of 10L water weekly, best spread out ...10g to 10L water daily or every third day 30g to 10L of water. And always make sure the soil is moist first so as not to burn the roots.
I haven't figured out the amounts yet, hope this helps.
Gloria
Both Hibis and Brugs are greedy lil feeders
Pick a food and stick with it. Different feeds change the PH of the soil and with that the ability of the plants to absorb different nutrients.
My schedule: 2 times a week MG 28-8-16 at recommended strenght.Some people feed more others less.
I sometimes feed a higher phosphate food(Blossom Booster) when i want to push a flush.Then there are times when I skip a week to flush out any build-up as I do not repot as often as i should.You can only figure out your plants by trying what works for you in your area. IE. Your tap water is different than mine, suptle changes that can affect their growth and blooming flushes
keeping a journal I have somewhat narrowed it down to what not to do anymore..LOL
I am a hobby grower, a lot of trial by error. But I have proof I have success:
Pink Beauty
Thanks so much! All of you have given me such good advice, and more to the point, more confidence that I can really do the right thing for them. Feed them I will! Nothing is too good for my brugies.
This year I have used 13-13-13 and was well pleased witht the results.
A couple of years ago , I "feed" my plants everytime the grass needed cutting . foliar with liquid fert .
The roses did and still get a heavy feeding [ dry stuff in bags ] @ end of Jan-1st of Feb - April or May -then again in Sept . Espson salts for everything -Sometime in Jan , June , and after thanksgiving . When rust or black spot showed up on Roses - everything got a foliar feeding - then sufer spray .
Now - same thing but I mist everything but roses with
1st week - GA-3
2nd week - mighty plant [ foliar 18-18-18 ]
3rd week - messanger
then start over
This all gets moved ahead when [ not if ] whiteflys , aphids , wholly aphids or scale shows up .
I buy whatever dry food is on sale [ triple 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 - IE 12-12-12 ] and use nephews or nieces to hand scatter . They have smaller hands and are closer to ground and think it's cool to put on rubber gloves .
This means their moms and my wife can sit and talk , I get to go outside with kids and not listen to ---- .
The only fert. I use is MG I find that just about all plants do well with it, and it is about the only one that satisfies my Brugs, during blooming season I fert good every third day, when not blooming I do not use it more than once a month, not at all in the over winter period.