And how often do you fertilize?
What kind of fertilizer do you use on your gingers?
I had wondered that myself. I fertilize them with fish emulsion every month.
Do you get good results with fish emulsion? I am fairly new to gingers and wanted to do it right as I bought many this year and I want to do it right to give them a good head start...
Yes I have. I have tried soluable fertilizers, but here is what I think. I could be wrong, and often am- as I do alot by trial and error. What could be good here, might not be what the plant needs in a dryer, wetter climate...anyway I digress!
Since the gingers have a tuburous root it stands to reason that they have alot of what they need already, fish emulsion is a mild fertilizer and seems to be just the right thing for them. I also will twice a year scatter alfalfa pellets, once in the spring...sometimes once in the summer and once in the fall. Also have used osmocote..slow release granules.
It will be interesting to hear from other folks what they do, because like you I have wondered what other folks do with them. I know my friend uses a very mild 20 20 20 on all of his plants...but he does it every day. So instead of bombarding with a gallon dose, he uses a very very weak solution on the plants everyday...and his plants look awsome.
Rj
I would be intrested to.
Did you say "scatter alfalfa pellets"? I thought I had to make a tea for it to work.
Christi
We need somebody to tell us!!! where are all the experient people?
Yes....alfalfa pellets...essentially you can get them at any feed stores..
I've been searching for a couple of hours for what I thought was a web site of the place that makes the ones I use...I think it might be local though...
on the bag it says earth essentials..and the alfalfa pellets are infused with fish emulsion, cottonseed extract, seaweed extract and mollases....essentially eliminating the need for tea. I love it , and more the plants love it.
Christi shall I bring a bag next time I come up?
I have alfalfa pellets that I purchased at the feed store. As well as dried molasses and corn meal. I could really use the stuff you get asap. How soon could you deliver it?
Christi
LOL...not sure..but your stuff you can just mix up in a wheel barrow..same thing.
Earlier I mixed alafalfa, molasses and emulsion from the pond when I cleaned the filters. This recipe was from RJ's Journal. Haven't really used the cornmeal as I understand that it is supposed to be a seed inhibitor. Right?
lol, you guys are scaring me with these complicated recipes! Can I just buy something ready-made at the store? What would you recommend?
I think I'll link this thread to the ginger forum...I think there is one isn't there?
I use a slow release on all the tropicals in the ground. I just topdress around the base of the plant. Not right up next to the base, but about 6" away, in a circle around the plant. For me, in this zone, it works well because I apply it in May when they are coming up and it lasts until Sept/Oct, and then the tropicals are starting to go dormant and don't need any more fert. For where the tropicals don't go dormant, I would apply in Feb when the weather warms up and again in July.
Some slow release ferts (sulfur coated) release when the soil temps are at 45 degrees and above (most plants won't take up ferts under colder conditions) and the poly coated slow release ferts (more expensive ) release at 60 degree soil temps and above. The majority of them have micro nutrients. Its just easier and quicker for me to do it once. With organics, you have to keep reapplying them and the numbers are much lower.
If you want a good ready made one, I buy mine from Stokestropicals. I'm also using their mix for bananas with good results.
http://stokestropicals.com/Files/Product/Garden_Supplies_1806/Granular_Fertilizer_1809/Stokes_Tropicals_Ginger_Fertilizer_8299.asp
Randy, I still say you have magic in your thumbs..not green!! Your garden is absolutely fabulous! Hi Christi!!
~Jaye
Good morning, Jaye. Hope your health is better. Indeed Randy's garden is above and beyond most. Thank you for link. That helped to whet my appetite even more for a tropical garden.
Christi
Tigerlily, what brand do you use?
Jaye, I went to Stokes website and lost myselgfin the "jungle", haha! I want to buy ALL those plants!!! By the way why are they so expensive? Do they actually ship you live plants? I'd love to know!
Rob, they are very healthy plants and worth your money. Of course there are other online sites that sell much cheaper, but my experience with Stokes has always been positive.
Got my ex to agree to bring me more from Stokes when he comes up for a visit! Lol...don't bring me roses, just bring me more curcumas, hedys...
Jaye, what size are those plants? Could find it on the website...
I can already fell this will be my financial ruin....lol
Still my ruin! Sent you a d-mail.
rob-I use a triple 14 (14-14-14) on alot of them, and on the palms and bananas I use 19-6-12. I get mine from Lesco-there may be one in your area, they are a national chain-mainly for landscapers and growers like myself, but I think that they now sell to the public as well. John Deere just bought them out, but they may still be under Lesco. I pay about $20 for a 40# bag.
Thanks tigerlily! For my own education, why do you use a different mix for the palms and bananas? I have palms too...Gosh it's a wonder my plants are surviving! lol!
Palms like a RATIO of 3-1-2 for the numbers (sorry for the caps-but a lot of times people misread that and think that the 3-1-2 is the numbers used in the fert and not the ratio, so I cap it now to avoid confusion)-hence that fert. I use it on the bananas etc also because of the higher rate of nitrogen-in my zone, I want to push leaves/growth quicker. If I was going for fruit (which in this zone is a waste if they are in the ground like mine are) than I would use a fert with a higher end number (phosphorus) to push fruiting. Raja puri bananas are the quickest to fruit-they take only 9 months, but even that is a struggle here. I have started from small babies in the grhouse in Jan, and put them in the ground in May, but that is not enough time for them before it starts to get colder here in October. By the end of Oct we could get a frost/freeze.
ahhh, thanks for the explanation! I am still trying to grasp the concept with those 3 numbers...(I mean i get it, but it still doesn't ring a bell naturally in my head when I see the fert labels). Makes total sense now!
Yeah, I continuously wonder about all that...so I put it in my blog so I can go to over and over again. I have links in there too. It's a fairly easy to use basic explanation
of the NPK 3-3-3 number , and a simple Deficiency symptoms and solution -
I use it quite a bit, but like anything...you can get lost in an over abundance of info.
Anyway, it sure helps me cut down on the figuring out what's wrong with my plant time and it's dying what do I do now ...questions
Scroll down to the Learning Plant Nutrition title...
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/rjuddharrison/1923/
aka "Randy's Dirt" as Christi calls the blog...lol
Thanks for kind words Miss Christi and Jaye!
I printed some 24 or more pages and have it close at hand in a file folder. Like my garden bible. Way more information than I can absorb.
Wow! Great info! I will put the link into my favorites! Plant feeding is definitely one of the hardest things for me to learn so far...
I also use the Stokes ginger fertilizer, and banana fertilizer as well. I've had very positive results and would definitely recommend it highly!
karen
You are the 2d person who recommends the Stokes fertilizer...it must be good!
OK, don't laugh, but what would happen if I used rose fertilizer? The only reason I ask is because I was given lots and lots of it (= free!). But I didn't use it yet as I have no idea if that a stupid idea?
Does anybody know? Is there something gingers do not tolerate for example?
hmmm..I've not heard of stokes fertilizer...I'll have to look for it..
does it have a lot of calcium nitrate in it?
what's calcium nitrate for? Teach me! : )
I really don't know- it was one of the banana fertilzers a member recommended. I'm going to pick some up this weekend.
rjuddharrison,
Where do you buy it from?
I get mine from the local hardware store or houston fertilzer.
look for the section that they carry bonemeal, bloodmeal, magnesium in individual bags.
Oh, Okay!
Depends on the ginger and where it's growing. For pots, I prefer osmocote. Epiphytic gingers, liquid kelp and miracle grow. (same on all my orchids)
Sometimes I prefer to use a 2-10-10 Bloom special granular. It pushes the plant towards flowering.
i just now found this thread. LouC/Christi, u can use Alfalfa pellets [A/P] as is without having to make the tea. mix in about 1 c. A/P into the soil [amount defend on size of plant, my rule of thumb is for each foot of shrub, use 1 c. A/P]. plants love top soil to be aerated. after adding the A/P water thoroughly. i prefer this method, cuz i can not stand the smell of A/P tea.
A/P once touch with water naturally disintegrate, as u water it's nutrient flows down to the root area of the plant.
when planting banana and gingers; use 1 cup A/P, 1 can [3 lb. coffee can as measuring cup] steer manure, and 1 cup 16/16/16 fertilizer [HD sells at very reasonable price for a 20 lb. bag. place all in the planting area u designate for ur plant. or mix in the soil in the pot where u are planting the either plant. water thoroughly. once a month scatter A/P around the plant and water thoroughly. ur plants will love u for it.
hi Randy :o)
hth ... ma vie
Thanks, Rose. Since I posted this I have scattered A/P and dried molasses. Went to HD today and they have Lesco brand fertilizer 15-15-15. Thinking of broadcasting this over the beds as well.
u're very welcome Christi. the rounded fertilizers like 15/15/15 or 16/16/16 and composted steer manure, apply only once or twice a year. once if i am not feeling to well. those hard pelleted fertilizer take a while to decompose. unlike the A/P once water touches it, it apply itself to the plant.
happy gardening.
ma vie
I'm afraid steer manure is not readily available near me. Will check it out with Broncbuster. He gets manure from a dairy.
Christi