Well, I'll have to pay attention to this thread, because I've been wondering about this myself. I have yet to decide on a favorite, and I'm particularly interested in fertalizers designed for rainwater or reverse osmosis water. I also grow orchids, which I gather are even more sensative to high mineral content than AVs. There's an orchid fertilizer that was developed by Michigan State; I was considering trying it out on my AVs as well, so that I can limit the confusion when feeding time comes. Is anyone else using the same fertiliser for AVs and orchids?

Aes123, I am using same fert for AV's and my phals.....Better-Gro Bloom Booster. 11-35-15, no urea at all. I found it at English Gardens. Occasionally I'll use an older Scotts fert with a different formula, which has a small urea content.

My phals are potted in either perlite or gro-rox, so I can't say if it would work for bark-potted plants. Note that I don't grow my AV's for show.

As an aside, I found a good use for my leftover high nitrogen ferts: I use them on my compost pile as a source of easily available nitrogen, since I have very little green stuff to compost. When I dump a bunch of dead stuff on the pile, I mix up a gallon or two of high-urea fert and use that to wet the pile, rather than adding plain water and blood meal.

I use a leftovers orchid fertilizer on gesneriads, or Dyna-Gro on orchids from time to time. I do not think it is correct to use orchid fertilizer all the time because it is not balanced - the nitrogen number is relatively high.

I think Dyna-Gro - balanced - kinda - is more appropriate for the violets than the Peters AV Specialty - or Dyna Bloom, or in this case - the one that Artist-and-Gardener uses - because high second nimber - phosphorus - is to stimulate bloom - which may be too high when you grow starter plants. Looks like babies should take to the orchid fertilzer like fish to water - extra nitrogen will help them to be green and grow.

Cheers

Irina

I use good ol' Optimara Av fert; it's pretty balanced, and look! no urea! You can find it in buckets at Selective Gardener -- not cheap, but it makes *a lot*. I intend to buy a bucket as soon as my little packets run out (2010 at this rate).

I do switch off ocassionally to one I found at the Grocery Outlet; MeLellan Botanicals orchid grow formula, 7-8-6. $3 for 22 oz. sounded pretty good; then I saw the crystals in the bottom of the bottle -- I suspect nitrogen, but I'm not going to taste it to find out. ;-P Still, it seems to work okay.

I'd like to try Dyna-Gro, but the only retailer in 150 miles is too hard to get to. Some day.

Korina

Tick: Let your journey into hugeness teach us all a lesson. Absolute power is a sticky wicket. And Arthur, chum, you were the stickiest. Don't you get it, good friend? Some of the best things come in small packages. But large things can't. Unless they're inflatable, or require some assembly, or unless they're hearts. Yes, giant, juicy, loving hearts. As big as the moon, but much, much warmer.

You could actually feed your plants 20-20-20 all year and get great results. I prefer to get the micro-nutrients listed on each container. So I use one type of fertilizer (for leaves for example) then buy something for flowers, 15-36-15. 5-52-10 is good for one feeding or two to get lots of buds. But you are not feeding those leaves.

So I usually switch every month before show, and stay with 20-20-20 most of the rest of the time. Of course there's an odd foliar spray or Fish emulsion and ocassionally I add epsom salts to water (not often).

I use different brands and watch for urea which inhibits roots from taking up the nutrients.

Nancy

Say Nancy, On mature plants that have no buds on wouldnt you rather have a higher middle number. Also if you have no buds on will those same flower stalks produce more buds or should those stalks be removed completely. How would you no for sure that those stalks will produce no more? Some of the stalks have some little green growths on them. A little guidence please.

Steve