You can sure use manure tea....or alfalfa tea with annuals.....although I admit I cave for the pots and start with a little liquid schultz about August 1st.....after the composted manure and alfalfa pellets seem to be used up.
Linda C

I just left this reply on another forum. Though it's an answer to an other question, it roughly parallels what you're asking.

Where your garden is concerned, the best course of action is to get your soil tested. It will tell you what the pH is & how much of different nutrients should be added for best plant health. You can often make fertilizer a non-issue by feeding your soil. I.e. by continually adding organics to the soil, you can improve structure & nutrient capacity. Most growers have no idea of what to do with fertilizer & use it too often or use too much of it. There are just too many variables going on in a garden to recommend a program off-handedly.
My garden is rich in P, so I keep that in mind when fertilizing. Early applications might be an application of 10-10-10, or 12-12-12. I then watch leaf color carefully & apply what's appropriate. Example: N is very mobile in plants. The first signs of chlorosis in older leaves, growing low on the plant, tell me the plant needs N. If the plant is not a flowering plant or it is and has lots of buds, I might top-dress with a high N organic, like Milorganite. If it's a flowering plant & scant on buds, I might apply another dose of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. The point I'm making is some thought needs to be put into what you apply.

Containers are easier, but you still need to be a detective. Nutrient deficiencies are more common in containers & the growing medium has a big impact on how much N your plants will need to grow properly. The speed of your soil (how fast it drains) and your watering habits have a huge impact on how much and how often containerized plants need supplemental fertilizing. I use a very fast soil, and water copiously at each watering, so need to fertilize weekly at full strength. Here's how I treat my containers: Since every batch of soil will react differently to how much N is available for plant uptake, I begin applications of 5-1-1 fish emulsion immediately after planting containers. Those plants that are grown for their foliage, get alternating applications of the 5-1-1 and 20-20-20 chemical solutions. The flowering plants get whatever it takes to keep foliage green & lush, usually alternating 5-1-1 and 2-3-1 fish emulsion. As long as color is good, I also use the bloom-booster formula (I think 10-50-10) on the flowery stuff. It took me awhile to figure all this out, but it works very well for me & my containers usually look good until frost.

I'm not suggesting you do what I do, but this gives you something to think about & a few tips on what to watch for.

Al

Al, I appreciate your input. I haven't had my soil tested in a couple years, so it's time to do that. For my containers and window boxes I use soiless professional mix. I mix in about 1/3 high grade compost, made mostly of horse manure and brown material. Then, I've been using the typical 10-15-10 fertilizers. I often water two times a day with all this dry heat. Most of my annuals thrive nicely. From an ecological point of view, I was just wondering if I could do anything differently and still have beautiful, thriving plants. Then again, when they're in pots and window boxes I would think there would be little leeching into the soil. How is my thinking on this?

You're not apt to hear me passing judgment on the ethics of some one's fertilizer program. There is already a sufficient supply of critics. Container gardeners contribute a minuscule amount of chemicals to the environment, so those that would criticize your fertilizer program could, with little effort, find bigger fish to fry. ;o)

How much leeching goes on is still dependent on your watering habits & how fast your soil is. I haven't used a commercially produced soil in years, choosing instead to build them all from scratch. When I do, I build a high degree of aeration/drainage into them. This produces amazingly healthy root systems, which in return, produces extremely healthy & vigorous plants. The expense (as in extra effort) comes in the form of the need to water and fertilize very frequently. My soils allow me to water freely until water drains well at the drain hole at every watering. This carries a good portion of the fertilizers with it, so I fertilize often, at full strength.

How much goes into the soil? For containers (& I have many, many containers - probably over 200) I use about 3 or 4 gallons of fish & seaweed emulsions each year. I'll also use about 15 lbs of various chemical formulations similar to MG. That's probably less than 1/4 of what an average homeowner applies to a well kept lawn each year.

I'm certain that if you wish to change to all organic formulations, you can do it. I know in past years my plants never seemed to suffer if I made several applications running of either chemical or organic supplements. Plants don't care whether they get their building blocks (nutrients) in chemical or organic form - only you and your peers do (not meant to sound disparaging in any way). ;o)

Al

Appreciate your comments, Al.

We container gardeners may not be hurting the environment, but what about the school of thought that says you will have far fewer pests/problems with organic fertilizing?

Never heard that one myself. Can you elaborate for us? Any reasons offered as to why it might be true?

Al

My veggie/perennial/annual garden is organic (compost, etc) but my pots and containers use bagged soilless mix and Miracle Grow, 1 Tbs/2 gallons water, about every other week. I have no pests on my potted plants, but a lot of different pests (in harmony, with no devastation) in my organic garden. Go figure. The frogs live in both places.

I think organic containers go with whatever "political" mind you may have. Some people just like to argue a point. LOL. One can go either way, as I see it, with good results.

There is a big difference with growing in the garden and growing in soiless container mixes. Like tapla Al, I do not find added fertilizer, organic or not, to be needed in a well fed clay based garden soil. A soiless container mix is usually based on ground wood products and sand, if it is well drained, it has no nutrient value, except what you add. Because it drains fast and in hot weather it must be watered very often, nitrogen especially, is flushed right through. Organic fertilizer is not ready for the plant to use when applied, and the time required to be converted, makes it slower acting. I do not see any reason to use it in containers. Al

I lean toward amending the soil and doing regular pH tests. (by the way, terrific post, Al!) This year with all the watering I've had to do, I've noticed a little 'pH creep' toward the alkaline side. Our rain is acidic which buffers our Midwestern limestone-dolomite soil, and with all the well water going into the garden, I wasn't surprised to see a lot of chlorosis. The poor plants weren't able to take up some of the vital nutrients in the soil: iron, calcium and magnesium. I've been adding aluminum sulfate to many more plants than I ever imagined, and it has helped to bring down the pH to a level where the plants can take up food again.

That said, whenever I do use fertilizer on my ornamentals, I use a high phosphorus "bloom" formula. I have a nutrient testing kit, but I don't trust it. I just use the bloom booster once or twice a season, usually at this time of year.

It's also worthy to note than at very high temperatures, plants' systems slow down and they can't take up water or nutrients too well. At the same time, they are losing moisture through transpiration. So sometimes they don't really need water or fertilizer. They just need a light misting or cooler temperatures so they can begin functioning normally again.

Al, I really can't answer your question specifically. For whatever reason stimulated me at the time, I started reading the Organic forum, which sent me to look up organic products sources, and that's where I read the claims that you would have fewer problems with pests using organic products. It never occurred to me this would pertain only to in-ground plants, and not containers.

I have a fair understanding of how plant systems work, & for the life of me, I can't figure how fertilizer choice might impact pest levels without coming up with a bunch of "if you do this & this & this, it might cause that" kind of things. I'd certainly be interested in any one's thoughts, though.

Now, if pest control or IPM was the subject, I could understand a little better what the claims might be, but that subject probably leaves even more room for disagreement than fertilizers do.

Al (the other Al) made a good point about organic fertilizers working slower, generally being unavailable for immediate plant uptake, & possibly being less effective than chemical fertilizers in containers. In the end, it still boils down to personal preference. I use both & don't condemn any who choose to use one type exclusively.

I might dwell on Tina's comment for a sec, too. "It's also worthy to note than at very high temperatures, plants' systems slow down and they can't take up water or nutrients too well. At the same time, they are losing moisture through transpiration. So sometimes they don't really need water or fertilizer. They just need a light misting or cooler temperatures so they can begin functioning normally again."color> This is one of the important reasons to make sure you're using a highly aerated soil in your containers (it's cooler & prevents the anaerobic decay problems associated with high root temperatures & subsequent root death). It's also a good idea to shade containers, use light colored containers, or use cache pots or other methods of cooling roots when pot temperatures soar. I often suggest timing your watering when temps are high so you are cooling roots at the hottest part of the day.

Good discussion - thanks, Proudgrma.

Al