Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
My local Home Depot carries it.
Favorite Liquid Fertilizer?
- Thread starter W3rk
- Start date
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Xtreemjedi
Seedling
Ooo good point. Ok I'll leave 'em if they show up. I'll have to go grab a gallon then, 75% at HD right now? or soon?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Xtreemjedi
Seedling
Ill be there!!!! THANK YOU!!!
Xtreemjedi
Seedling
Thx sorce and lazy! i got THE LAST ONE at walmart, $6.50 for a gallon of the alaska fish fert and i got like a quart of a different alaska fert for $2!
yenling83
Omono
I really like fish emulsion, it's organic not too strong and will help encourage slower growth, creating a truly healthy environment inside the container. Helps to avoid burn and overfeeding. I use it for certain trees as a supplement to organic pellet fertilizer.
Johnathan
Omono
Do you alternate weeks between Miracle Grow and Mir Acid?
Tieball
Masterpiece
Miracle Grow....the blue stuff. But.....I’m using that only in ground growing situations. In boxes I am now switching to Omakase Bonsai Fertilizer nuggets. I have great drainage with the boxes and feel most of my liquid fertilizer goes in and right out the bottom. I do have very healthy green weeds below the boxes on the ground though. The Omakase should work better for me.
I've been setting the smaller pots in a tub while fertilizing with Mir Grow liquid. Catching the runoff and also allowing them to sit there a couple minutes each. I start with the small/shallow pots and work my way up as the tub fills. Then pour the tub into a watering can to do the rest that are too big for this.
I do the same with my indoor stuff in winter.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Fertilizer. To explain the whole "why" would be an exhausting book length essay, a massive undertaking even for me, who normally posts in book length essays. I'll focus on what I do and explain why later, or elsewhere or maybe not. I've been promising to do a full blown article for at least 4 years, still haven't done it. Michigan State University did nutrition studies for producers of potted plants in synthetic soils. The whole bedding plant industry relies on some of the research done at Michigan State. MSU for short. Jan Szren (yes, 4 consonants and only one vowel), developed a modification of the MSU plug plant formulation idealized for the orchid collection at MSU. The formulations are published for public domain. I contacted a fertilizer manufacturer, and had them make up the following fertilizers for me. I sell enough fertilizer at my orchid talks that every 18 months I have them make another large batch for me. (minimum order is over 1000 pounds for the custom blends) If anyone wants these fertilizers I sell them in one pound and 2 pound containers, or 25 pound bags. Contact me via PM if you are interested.
What do I actually use for fertilizer?
I use MSU Formula Orchid Special modified to deliver lower Potassium - MSU K-Lite for short. Current formulation is 12-1-4. This formulations supplements calcium and magnesium as significant macro nutrients. Because calcium is present there is no sulfur in this formulation. It is a liquid soluble inorganic fertilizer, with a very complete list of macro and micro nutrients. I use this for my orchids, bonsai, tomatoes in the garden, for any green plant that needs to get fertilized. EXCEPT blueberries and extreme calcifuge plants like Sarracenia and Drosera.
For the Blueberries I use the MSU Blueberry Fertilizer it is 11-2-6. It is a water soluble all inorganic fertilizer where 100% of the Nitrogen is as ammonium ion, no nitrates or urea. It also contains a goodly dose of sulfur, manganese and iron.
For ALL my ''regular'' plants, bonsai and orchids I will fertilize with MSU K-Lite at least once a week, usually a low dose for 2 or 3 waterings in a row, then one watering that is just plain water, then one watering that is Blueberry 11-2-6. Then return to 2 or 3 waterings with MSU K-Lite. Most of the time I consider my Satsuki azaleas ''regular'' plants, but in summer I keep them near the blueberries, and they get hit more frequently with the blueberry formulation. They seem to respond well. In winter they are kept with the not quite cold hardy bonsai. and get the ''regular'' treatment. Blueberries are dormant in winter, usually get no fertilizer.
Note - I tend to use a low dose frequently, 70 ppm as N is my normal dose, depending on which formulation we are talking about this is about 1/2 teaspoon per gallon or 2.5 ml / 4 liters by volume. This is a light dose.
I prefer inorganic fertilizers as they do not attract racoons, squirrels, mice, rats, dogs, cats or other pests. They also do not plug up the pore space or air voids in the media.
Why lower potassium? My orchids are in a continuous feed situation, and most fertilizers that supply the bulk of their nitrogen as nitrate, the amount of potassium is roughly equal to the nitrogen. In a continuous feeding program, the potassium can accumulate to an unacceptable level. Potassium becomes an environmental toxin in aquatic systems at around 40 ppm. Myself and a number of other indoor orchid growers were seeing problems with excess potassium, so Rick Lockwood in 2013 developed (published) a modification of the MSU formula, K-Lite and I have been using it ever since. K-Lite is not ''absolutely'' necessary if plants are watered with clear water between waterings with fertilizer. So the need for K-Lite really only applies to indoor and greenhouse growers who are fertilizing every time they water. Hydroponic growers too. But it is a good formulation, and what the orchids eat, everybody eats. I love the color of my pine needles and the blue of my spruces if I'm on top of fertilizing. (I admit this last 2 years many more waterings than usual were clear water, getting lazy).
What do I actually use for fertilizer?
I use MSU Formula Orchid Special modified to deliver lower Potassium - MSU K-Lite for short. Current formulation is 12-1-4. This formulations supplements calcium and magnesium as significant macro nutrients. Because calcium is present there is no sulfur in this formulation. It is a liquid soluble inorganic fertilizer, with a very complete list of macro and micro nutrients. I use this for my orchids, bonsai, tomatoes in the garden, for any green plant that needs to get fertilized. EXCEPT blueberries and extreme calcifuge plants like Sarracenia and Drosera.
For the Blueberries I use the MSU Blueberry Fertilizer it is 11-2-6. It is a water soluble all inorganic fertilizer where 100% of the Nitrogen is as ammonium ion, no nitrates or urea. It also contains a goodly dose of sulfur, manganese and iron.
For ALL my ''regular'' plants, bonsai and orchids I will fertilize with MSU K-Lite at least once a week, usually a low dose for 2 or 3 waterings in a row, then one watering that is just plain water, then one watering that is Blueberry 11-2-6. Then return to 2 or 3 waterings with MSU K-Lite. Most of the time I consider my Satsuki azaleas ''regular'' plants, but in summer I keep them near the blueberries, and they get hit more frequently with the blueberry formulation. They seem to respond well. In winter they are kept with the not quite cold hardy bonsai. and get the ''regular'' treatment. Blueberries are dormant in winter, usually get no fertilizer.
Note - I tend to use a low dose frequently, 70 ppm as N is my normal dose, depending on which formulation we are talking about this is about 1/2 teaspoon per gallon or 2.5 ml / 4 liters by volume. This is a light dose.
I prefer inorganic fertilizers as they do not attract racoons, squirrels, mice, rats, dogs, cats or other pests. They also do not plug up the pore space or air voids in the media.
Why lower potassium? My orchids are in a continuous feed situation, and most fertilizers that supply the bulk of their nitrogen as nitrate, the amount of potassium is roughly equal to the nitrogen. In a continuous feeding program, the potassium can accumulate to an unacceptable level. Potassium becomes an environmental toxin in aquatic systems at around 40 ppm. Myself and a number of other indoor orchid growers were seeing problems with excess potassium, so Rick Lockwood in 2013 developed (published) a modification of the MSU formula, K-Lite and I have been using it ever since. K-Lite is not ''absolutely'' necessary if plants are watered with clear water between waterings with fertilizer. So the need for K-Lite really only applies to indoor and greenhouse growers who are fertilizing every time they water. Hydroponic growers too. But it is a good formulation, and what the orchids eat, everybody eats. I love the color of my pine needles and the blue of my spruces if I'm on top of fertilizing. (I admit this last 2 years many more waterings than usual were clear water, getting lazy).
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
So, does anyone use just liquid fertilizer and no solid fertilizer? I just fertilized my indoor trees with the Neptune's Fish and Seaweed fertilizer last week, I'll hit them again tomorrow. I used a 1/4 teaspoon mixed in 2 cups of water and gave all of the pots a good soaking.
Trying to lose the teabags full of fertilizer because they don't look good sitting on Shohin Bonsai, 1-2 bags nearly covers the entire soil surface.
I will also experiment with making some bone meal, blood meal, and cottonseed meal fertilizer cakes that completely dissolve vs. the solids that just gunk up the soil, in addition to the Neptune's.
What do you guys think?
Trying to lose the teabags full of fertilizer because they don't look good sitting on Shohin Bonsai, 1-2 bags nearly covers the entire soil surface.
I will also experiment with making some bone meal, blood meal, and cottonseed meal fertilizer cakes that completely dissolve vs. the solids that just gunk up the soil, in addition to the Neptune's.
What do you guys think?
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
If you’re referring to the smell, it doesn’t smell bad, it only “smells” for the day, and only near the trees.
Curious to see if it makes a difference...
Lou T
Mame
I make my own fish hydrolysate from carcasses after a day on the water. If I catch a hardhead catfish I’ll blend it whole. Smells like high hell while fermenting for a couple weeks but once the “brew” is dry, it smells faintly of vinegar. It’s an excellent food for soil microbes.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Glad to hear it, and do you just mix it up, put it in a spray bottle and mist down the trees? I was thinking of working the same thing...
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
That is exactly what I do. I have been using fish emulsion and kelp since I was 9 years old and planted some strawberries. My dear Mom says that is the only time in her life when she had enough strawberries. That was 60 years ago.
On outside plants I use it at full recommended strength and inside at half strength. I do it about every two weeks because I am lazy. During the spring flush I make every attempt to do it weekly or twice weekly. I don't spray anything in full sun as minor leaf spotting can occur.
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
Very cool, and it's nice to see someone else on here from Virginia. I'll be feeding my indoor trees tonight so I'll mix up some extra to start foliar feeding with normal feeding. Hopefully it will keep the dreaded aphids away for good as well as help the trees grow grow grow!!!
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
@Vinnie Charity ,
Been using Miracle Gro lawn fertiliser for years.
At 1/3 strength. Once a week into moist soil.
Additionally the organic in the soil mix is a blend of weeds, and
Leucemia/ tree / bamboo as aged compost.
No more than 1/3 of the soil mix, less with the local Ficus.
No problems, placement for most trees / shrubs full sun.
Bonsai time growing almost 40 years
Good Day
Anthony
Been using Miracle Gro lawn fertiliser for years.
At 1/3 strength. Once a week into moist soil.
Additionally the organic in the soil mix is a blend of weeds, and
Leucemia/ tree / bamboo as aged compost.
No more than 1/3 of the soil mix, less with the local Ficus.
No problems, placement for most trees / shrubs full sun.
Bonsai time growing almost 40 years
Good Day
Anthony
