Miracle grow all purpose shake and feed… Beating a dead horse

AaronThomas

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Going to give this fert a try with my elms.... I know I'm over thinking this but when the directions state the pot size they don't take into consideration the pot dept. Should I cut back on the suggested amount?
Also... is it safe to use this along with Pete's 20-20-20 twice a month?
Thanks!
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sorce

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I would have to agree...
Especially when they expect your roots to be a lot further below the soil...

Me...I'll Probly keep using the Schultz drops every once in a while...
But they are getting the fish regularly.
At least once a week.

Next time....I'm gonna find me the big bottle.

Fish...mmmmm....

Sorce
 

Smoke

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I don't understand the need to use two different fertilizers. If you already use Peters, why would you find it necessary to spend good money to add another? Pick one and get a regimen going. Thats all you need to do. You can use more than you think you should.
 

JoeR

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I don't understand the need to use two different fertilizers. If you already use Peters, why would you find it necessary to spend good money to add another? Pick one and get a regimen going. Thats all you need to do. You can use more than you think you should.
Just curious,

Whats your fert regime for trident maples Smoke? I know it depends on the level of development so a general answer would suffice.


I keep reading about fish emulsion but $8 for a tiny bottle is ridiculous when you have ~50 trees-in-pots.
 

Dav4

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Just curious,

Whats your fert regime for trident maples Smoke? I know it depends on the level of development so a general answer would suffice.


I keep reading about fish emulsion but $8 for a tiny bottle is ridiculous when you have ~50 trees-in-pots.
An $8 dollar bottle lasts me anywhere from 4-8 weeks depending on where I am in the growing season...and I've got way more then 50 potted trees.
 

sorce

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And the last thing Smoke said to make me switch was.. Something about....

Your cheap Urea based fertilizers.

Sorce
 

AaronThomas

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I don't understand the need to use two different fertilizers
Thats me reading too much shit again @Smoke. Read some articles about switching up ferts every month or so, so there's not a constant high concentration of one particular nutrient.
Now that I'm using a for the most part a strictly inorganic soil, I was just wondering if using a solid fert would help the trees out a bit, especially since I'm watering 2 times a day in our 116 degree weather.... (DRY HEAT LIKE A MOFO) But I do have to say the bougies love it!
they are getting the fish regularly
Mmmmmmmmm. Stink much?
Saw that at Lowes... was wondering about that. You dig @sorce ?
 

aml1014

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Fish emulsion is really good stuff. I Like to make cakes to put in my soil, liquid fert every week (fish, or miracle grow) and osmocote twice a year. I water about the same, and I never have burning or deficiencies.

Aaron
 

coh

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There's nothing wrong with alternating different fertilizers. Look at it this way - say you spend $10 on one and use it up in 3 months. Or, you can spend $10 on two different fertilizers, alternate them, and in 3 months you'll have used half of each - still $10. So cost is not a factor, unless one is more expensive than the other.

Many recommend alternating fertilizers, as different fertilizers have somewhat different mixtures of trace elements. Is it necessary? Probably not, especially if your trees are healthy. But a fertilizer "regimen" can just as easily include alternating 2 or more different types, as using one exclusively.

I have 2 that I alternate, one is a standard miracle-gro type (contains a fairly high amount of urea), the other is a more specialty type that contains little or no urea. I do tend to use the urea-free formula more early and late in the season, when soil bacteria may not be as active (urea requires bacterial action to break it down to components usable by the plant...more effective when it is warm).

I also add organic ferts to some trees. I don't really like the timed-release ferts except for stock plants.
 

sorce

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Yeah...it smells like the trees love it.

I do too. It makes me feel better than the chemicals.

The dog laps up what I spill...A little..cuz I'm frugal. But he don't bother the plants.

Last year on the roof I got wasps...
This year flies...

But they don't bother me none.

Sorce
 

sorce

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Plus....it's real loose..so it's like organic...without the build up of muck from other shit.

Sorce
 

sorce

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What brand do you use ?

Alaska....but don't think it matters...
I also cleaned out my fish tank filters upon moving....and found the exact same shit in em...I dumped it on all my yard trees!

If I remember to clean it regularly now...
I will regularly use it on my trees too.

And....I think I'm gonna get pelletted filter carbon as my other soil ingredient....8822 and carbon....so all that fert has a good place to cling...high cec on the carbon.

Sorce
 

Smoke

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I use a cold water soluble fertilizer in an injector at 17:1 concentration on every watering. I start in Feb. and am done for the year at this time. This year I started with a different soil mix. I have deleated akadama and switched over to seedling orchid bark in my lava/pumice mix. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. So far the extra acid in the soil has been a great attribute towards my plants.

The fertilizer is made by Grow More and been around over a 100 years. Every professional golf course knows about Grow More. Most of the nitrogen is in the form of instant nitrates. What you need for aggregate soils in pots. The other stuff washes right thru.
 

AaronThomas

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have deleated akadama and switched over to seedling orchid bark in my lava/pumice mix. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3
That's pretty much my soil mix these days… Plus I add a bit of decompose granite for a little more moisture retention.
Perhaps the Petes 20-20-2 on a weekly or so basis will suffice.
 

coh

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Look for their "urea-free" formulas, there aren't that many of them. I've been using Grow More 20-10-20 "orchid" fertilizer (urea-free) for 3 years. Alternating with miracle-gro (urea based) and dyna-gro 7-9-5 (also urea-free). No idea what smoke uses.
 

Smoke

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This one......yes I buy it in 25 pound bags. Use about 1/2 pound per 5 gallons of water. Sorry it ain't cheap....but its dammmmn goood

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AaronThomas

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My kitchen smells like a fertilizer factory..... Prob time to move it all to garage!
Okay.... Ill give it a shot!
Thanks @Smoke and @coh
 
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