Here's my DSP, does not want to bloom for me at all, just wants toput out leaves. The only food I give it is Bloom Booster. AAAArgh!
Stubborn plumie!
I have read somewhere that a higher nitrogen number is better than a higher phosphorous number to get a "new" plumeria to put out its first bloom. This fact has also been mentioned by others on this forum, Clare being one of them.
Mature plants respond better to a higher phosphorus number.
This message was edited Jul 24, 2007 11:28 AM
OK, at least that is something else to try.
Patience, grasshopper. Some years, plumerias just want to put on growth. I don't believe I ever recommended a higher nitrogen number. I have been recommending balanced numbers for a while now. I believe one of the threads in the FAQ's Sticky Thread goes into the reasons for the balanced fertilizer.
Have Peter's 20-20-20 too. haven't fed it in a couple of weeks, just leaving it in full sun, watering it if we don't have rain in 2 days.
That's perfect. This is your first year with it so you just need to have a little patience, but I am willing to bet that, if you don't get flowers this year, you will have them every year after this one. DSP is a reliable bloomer once it gets going.
Speaking from a general growing point of view-it may have been me that said higher nitrogen....:) I always like the nitrogen and potassium numbers higher than the phosphate, for the reason that most plants can't process a lot of phosphate at a time-it just sits there and isn't used. Giving your plant triple phosphate isn't going to make it bloom faster. Maybe plumerias process phosphate differently than other blooming plants-but I haven't read anything that makes me think differently-like a controlled test done at a university. That would be a neat thing to see-does anyone know if there is a test done out there?
Heres a good example of what I am saying-I grow bedding plant annuals for a living-plants that are all about blooms. Now look at the various fertilizers (all liquid) that I use depending on the acidity/base of the fert etc. 20-10-20, 15-0-15, 13-2-7, 21-7-7. See how the middle number (phosphorus) is always the lowest? If you want a healthy plant-that will bloom well for you-look at the last number-potassium goes to the well being of the plant-including the roots, and of course nitrogen.
Thanks, Tigerlily, for weighing in on this. You know much more about fertilizer than I do. I know very little about this subject. Kukiat is another member that is very knowledgeable about fertilizer, and I believe that he said, as you have just said, that potassium is an important element to blooms while the nitrogen is important for growth.
Terry, what do you think about applying chicken manure as a top dressing? I have a big bag of it that I bought for the tomatoes, but I didn't plant that many tomatoes this year. I already used it on my plumeria seedlings that are sunken in the ground but haven't been brave enough to try it on my more expensive cultivars.
News flash! Just checked my little plumie and I see 2, count 'em, 2 inflos, they look just like the pics posted on the other thread. I feel almost like an expectant mother again :-D
Clare-sorry, didn't see your question. Most people use manure as a organic fert or to breakup (clay) and enrich the soil that they are using-usually in the ground type soil, not container type soil. I don't go for the organic-too busy and too lazy and too cheap! Too busy in that they are such low numbers in the manure etc that you have to keep reapplying the stuff-put too lazy under that one as well, and they usually turn out to be expensive when you add up the cost of reapplying. It won't hurt it though-none of the manure is "hot" that is sold like that, and I think it would take a lot to burn something-just dont overdo it.
bbinnj-congrats! It is exciting!! Now the real waiting begins
Thanks, Terry! I appreciate the info! I didn't want to use it until I checked with you, the fertilizer expert;-) Thanks again.
Congrats, Beverly!
You're doing well Beverly. I went all last year without one flower - talk about big time frustration. All that fertilizer and fussing for nada.
This year it is a different story. One has been blooming steadily since mid June and there are infloes on every one of my plants. Now that is exciting!
This is the bloomer; it is a NOID, no scent I got in a trade.
Nice plumie, Alice! The fertilizing that you did last year is showing this year by giving you inflo's on every one of your plants so it definitely was not for nada! LOL! Don't forget to fertilize this year so you'll be sure to have blooms next year.
This pic is for Beverly of what hers will look like soon.
TigerLily, I was looking up something else and I came across where I had read about the higher nitrogen fertilizer. It was in Jim Little's book. The statement he made was, "Contrary to popular belief, a higher nitrogen fertilizer is preferable to a phosphorous fertilizer in inducing first flowering. New studies show that young plants do not need so much phospate. Phosphate is recommended for mature plants that have established root systems."
He references this study:
Armstrong, Helen, "Plants don't need so much phosphate!" Flower Tech, Horticulture World, Volume 8, No. 3, 2005."
that makes sense -that you concentrate on the leaves and roots when a plant is young. Did he say how much phosphate to give mature plants? is he advocating triple phosphate? Did he talk about how much phosphate a plumeria can process?
He acknowledges that plumerias produce bigger and better blooms with a high phosporous fertilizer such as 10-30-10, or similar ratio.
For plants growing in the soil, he recommends 20-20-20 granular, liquid feed or both. For potted plants, he recommends Osmocote 14-14-14. From this, I guess you can infer that plants growing in the ground have a bigger appetite for fertilizer than those growing in pots. Also, he does not specifically mention timed released fertilizers for soil planted plumerias, but he does for potted plants.
Also, he states, "it is best to fertilize at half the recommended label over a longer period of time, rather than periodic concentrated one-shot applications." This is something I always try to do.
I was thinking of experimenting with some plants. Normally you should fertilize beforehand for what you are trying to accomplish. What would happen if you used a high phosporous fertilizer to promote flowering and once the inflos start, switch to a high nitrogen fertilizer to promote growth of the new branches since the branches have to reach a certain length before they will set inflos? Would this shorten the time between repeat blooms? I think it is worth a try.