Fertilizering Containerized Plants IV
tapla
10 years ago
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Conrad Todd
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Help with planting large flower bed
Comments (43)Patricia Santarelli- I would suggest a hedge of Murraya to create a short wall around the perimeter except the front where I would plant a row of Agapanthus (remember to leave a gap to walk through, either on the side or the middle of the row. Grass the inside and if you like even plant a tree (not huge, one that will grow tall enough to enable visibility to the outside garden from the inside, and you could even plant some flowers around the tree stump once it grows tall enough. I would plant the tree either in the middle of the grass patch or to the side outside the smaller window, (remember to allow room around the tree to grow. So to recap, Murraya along the two sides where the steps are and under the window, and Agapanthus along the front. This is easy maintenance once it has grown to the height you want. Then you just trim it regularly to maintain the height and fertilize every three months or so. The smell of the orange blossoms in spring from the Murraya is amazing! Good luck with whatever you choose....See MoreNeed a plant whisperer
Comments (8)It could just be old leaves dying off, or lack of humidity in the air. If you have drainage holes in the pot, then drowning shouldn't be a concern,when watering, but they do enjoy misting. Cut back on feeding it for the winter, and if you have had it for awhile, you might check to make sure it is not pot bound. If you are getting brown tips in addition to the yellowing, then the plant is a bit close to the window, but as the light is probably getting weaker anyway, that may not be anything to deal w until spring. Good luck!...See MoreDo I need different fertilizers
Comments (10)Layperson Dale, you are asking questions that are getting harder and harder to answer very simply :-) The vast majority of plants, regardless of if they are currently flowering or fruiting, consume nutrients in a pretty consistent ratio of 3-1-2. The idea of needing to add P to promote root growth or flower production is pretty much a myth and so-called "bloom booster" fertilizers are mostly a gimmick to get you to buy more ferts. btw, in most non-agricultural soils, P is plentiful and generally needs little if any supplementation. Of any of the 3 macro nutes, N is the most commonly deficient as it is the most mobile and is easily depleted or mineralized or volatilized. Also the ONLY way you will know if you need to fertilize is based on a soil test. If you have never had one done, it will tell you what the nutrient content of your soil is (among other helpful items) and what to supplement with if any supplementation is necessary. Most soils are more fertile than you might suspect and require minimal fertilization (and most of that will be N). In nearly 50 years of gardening - and a chunk of that professionally - I have rarely ever needed to fertilize any inground plantings. But I do mulch annually with compost....See MoreWhy is my panda plant turning purple?
Comments (1)At what temperature are these plants kept? Have you been fertilizing? Not a diagnosis, but, the most common cause of purple leaves (very common at this time of year) is a deficiency of phosphorus (P) because P is required to make ATP and ATP is needed to turn sugars to starch and to load sugar into phloem tissues for transport. No P - no ATP - no move sugars/starches - anthocyanin (purple pigment) builds up - plant turns purple. The most frequent cause of a P deficiency is cold soils, which is why so many plants planted out too early or otherwise suffering from chill turn purple. A P(hosphorous) deficiency is not the only suspect cause of purple leaves. Nearly any environmental condition that puts the brakes on growth and the accompanying use of sugars, but does not limit sugar production (photosynthesis) can cause anthocyanin buildup and purple leaves. If only the outer edges of the leaves are purple, it may be a K or Mg deficiency. If the center of the leaves are also purple, it could be too much Ca in the soil or the result of too much water in the soil blocking uptake of P and Mg. Don't try to fix nutritional problems by using a fertilizer high in phosphorous or by focusing on a single element (adding Epsom salts to "fix" a perceived magnesium deficiency, for example). Your best bet going forward is to A) make sure you have adjusted watering intervals so they are appropriate by using a "tell" to "tell" you when it's time to water (see "Tell" below), B) flush the soil when you water, and C) fertilize about every 4th or 5th watering - depending on the season and how well the plant is growing. It makes more sense to tie watering intervals to the number of times you've watered rather than to the calendar. Drop a button or marble in the pot each time you water to keep track of how many times every plant has been watered since the last application of fertilizer solution. Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 is a superb and offers complete nutritional supplementation in a single container. Keep the plant warm, 65-75*F, and in very bright light. You might also find this short piece I wrote, An Overview of Good Growing Practices to be helpful. Notice the emphasis I place on choosing/making an appropriate grow medium - it's a KEY factor which holds much sway over what level of proficiency you can advance to. IOW, it is more often than not the factor that limits growers from quickly advancing to green thumb status. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need plenty of air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support the kind of root health most growers would like to see; and, a healthy root system is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to avoid over-watering leads to a residual build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil from tapwater and fertilizer solutions, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Finally. Your questions would get much more attention if they were posted at: The Houseplant Forum The Cacti/ Houseplant Forum or even The Container Gardening Forum or, all three. Questions/ concerns? Al...See MoreConrad Todd
4 years agoedweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agoConrad Todd
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoConrad Todd
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agomblan13
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agotapla
4 years agoewwmayo
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agomblan13
4 years agofour (9B near 9A)
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agoewwmayo
4 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
4 years agoewwmayo
4 years agomblan13
4 years agoConrad Todd
3 years agoConrad Todd
3 years agoedweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
3 years agoConrad Todd
3 years agoRoseMe SD
10 months agofour (9B near 9A)
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agolitterbuggy (z7b, Utah)
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agotapla
10 months agoRoseMe SD
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agofour (9B near 9A)
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agotapla
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agofour (9B near 9A)
10 months agoRoseMe SD
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10 months agoMeyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agotapla
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agotapla
10 months agofour (9B near 9A)
10 months agochamaegardener (Z5) Northeast Illinois
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