I am going to tell you a little secret. My horticulture teacher used to say that there are only three fertilizers that you would EVER need. That is one for acid-loving plants, one for bloom, and one for general health.

Of course, nurserymen and other plant people would love to sell you one for each type of plant you may have; but these are the only ones necessary. My horticulture teacher owns a fully-fledged accredited nursery for landscape design and installation, and he was educated at U.C. Davis.

And what are those? :o)

Yes, Hopflower... do tell... give us the numbers! NPK numbers or brand names or... whatever will help us grow the healthiest bulbs!

My cabinet is filled with fertilizers, and Sir Hans has given us the proper NPK numbers as Veronica Read recommends in her book... but I'm still searching for the magic bottle that has those numbers!

Oh, they are not named brands of one or another. They are types of fertilisers...acidic, bloom, or general health supporting types. For instance, Maxsea makes three formulas of just those three types; and of course it is organic food made from North Sea kelp, and not some cooked up stuff like Miracle Gro. They also include trace elements and plant hormones, so those do not need to be worried about. Maxicrop is another one that is seaweed and is liquid as well. Maxsea is granular and dissolves easily.

But regardless, there are just those three types of food that anyone would need. Maxsea is only missing magnesium, which can be added by mixing about 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salts. You have a complete food, then, and the different levels of N-P-K can be adjusted according to how much you give in a gallon of water and which formula you use. The all purpose one is 16-16-16, the Bloom formula is 3-20-20, and the Acidic food is 14-18-14.

I don't work for them, lol; but they are my favourite plant fertiliser and have been for some time now.

Thank you for the info, Hopflower... I will look into it further... I'd much rather use a natural product, and do have fish emulsion, although I think it's maybe a bit too low in some areas of nutrition. I have heard that some hydroponic growers use sea kelp fertilizers with success...

I use fish emulsion and manure teas too, jodik, especially on newly planted or early bearing plants that need just a bit to keep them healthy or get them going well. It is low as you pointed out, and usually a good boost without going overboard. Yes, it is also natural and that is always a plus. But if you are in the middle of the season and find that your plants need a good feeding, especially if they have not been fed for sometime and they are growing well, sustaining health is necessary. It also depends upon how much water you mix with the food. Mixing 1 rounded teaspoon of Maxsea 16-16-16 per gallon of water gives about 600 ppm. Feed your garden 800 ppm Maxsea 3-20-20 until near the end of flowering. You do this after the plants have become established, of course, and are ready to begin their bloom period. This is about 2 level teaspoons per gallon. After that, you can flush every other time with plain, clear water to get rid of salts and refresh the soil.

Sometimes after the flowering period they seem to be a bit low in nitrogen, so you can give a feeding of the general, all-purpose one for that.

This principle works for all plants. And you need only buy three types of the food; using them as necessary.

Of course, if you mind mixing them up in your containers, you can buy the ready made stuff for much more money. And then you have dozens of fertilisers standing around to deal with!

Thank you again, Hopflower... for sharing your regimen... My concern is feeding the bulbs enough when they need it, and feeding them the right mix of NPK... During the warmer months, I leach out the soil every once in a while... and I keep the excess salts build-up wiped off the clay pots... and, of course, pots get scrubbed in a bleach solution before reusing them...

There are too many products on the market, all promising to be the cure-all for healthy plants. I would never use it on my bulbs, but we've had nice results from watering garden plants with left-over duck water... there are Muscovey ducks, Peacocks, chickens and other peafowl here... we recycle their water, dumping it on the garden before cleaning and re-filling their water containers... it helps grow awesome veggies and perennials, and it's all natural! I also compost everything... I have 2 very large compost piles going, and for the first time last spring, I pulled the most amazing compost out from under both piles... I'm also lucky to have access to composted horse, goat and chicken manure for the gardens!

I really wish the "balance" that occurs in soil outdoors would also occur in pots indoors... but, it's like anything else... when you change the natural order of things, you have to artificially supplement to reach that same balance, or order...

Thanks for the advice hopflower. I'm interested in trying something with a comparatively(to N and K)lower P ratio. I'm thinking to do some experimenting on this...

salpal: if you are looking for low phosphorous fertilizers, then True Value Hardware stores usually carry them. Not all of them do, however. So does Home Depot in some areas. You could call round and see who does; I do not know the names of all the feeds right now. I think I read somewhere that Ace Hardwares stores do, too.

Well I received my fertilizer and intend to use it. It's 18-10-28 and the directions say "the high potash content makes this an ideal fertilizer for hibiscus and other tropical blooming plants." Being a minnesotan I of course am highly attracted to the tropical plants (how does that work? I LOVE my snow!) I am going to use this on all warm overwintered tropicals and see how it goes. That would be the passiflora, mandevillas, begonias, hibiscus and hippeastrum. The others will get next to nill. By the way I found a SCAPE on my papillio (YEAH!!!) for the past 2, now three years mine blooms NOW when I take it in for the season, maybe these cold fall temps initiate the bloom. Only prob- I have nothing to pollinate it WITH but I will save the pollen.

Salpal - I am so impatient to see my Papillio bloom! I'm hopeful of seeing flowers next year sometime... please post pictures when yours opens... I would love to see it!

I like snow, only because it looks so fresh and clean... but I really hate the cold! The older I get, the worse I hate it! I just ache all winter! Minnesota really gets a lot of snow, doesn't it? I don't know how you do it, dealing with so much snow and cold! :-)

It sounds like you may have found a good fertilizer... let us know how you like the results... if I can locate a similar product locally, I may give it a try...

Salpal...Source of Hibiscus fertilizer please....

This is where I purchased it:

Here is a link that might be useful: yard geek

Oh and I don't work for them... this is where I was reading about the fert.

Here is a link that might be useful: space city

sorry I didn't do that quite right before (oops):

Here is a link that might be useful: space city

I expect you WOULD use it if you paid for it, salpal! Heheh!

Good luck and I hope it meets your expectations.

Hopflower- you are fortunate to have access to a variety of fertilizers at your hardware stores, even my local nurseries stock little beyond what your former horticulture professor recommends :). I was unable to find any low phosphorus fertilizers locally! I appreciate all of your help and am sure there is much more to growing any plant successfully than a fertilizer product. Also the amount of $$$ fertilizer manufacturers make is plainly sinful. (I need to make my own and market it!) On the other hand perhaps those of you living in a more forgiving climate have some advantages over us northerners and maybe I imagine I still have a shot at it with some help from a proper- maybe?- fertilizer. All the best to all us crazy plant lovers!

Here is a link that might be useful: fertilizer

Thanks. I am familiar with the concepts. And I did wish you well in your growing and fertilizer programme.

No offense intended at all.

Yes, my climate is somewhat forgiving in some cases. But plants still need food; even here.

Not offended hopflower but don't you think the business about makeup of actual plant tissue is FASCINATING?

I think that plants in themselves are little (or in some cases, not so little) miracles.

you should read it, it's interesting and informative, not just concepts but stimulating research, but I don't want to harass you. I do the same thing to my poor beloved Mother, keep giving her trouble until she either reads stuff or blows me off and tells me to go away and leave her alone. I think there's a place for the low-P fertilizers and I'm not going to trouble you, But you are fun and alittle feisty yourself, so I'll just say it's all sweet peace to you my dear- you are of a good kind. (Notice no comments on the price of those lovely pots- now that would be too much like my mother!)

No; you misunderstand. I did read it after all. I believe, too, that there is a place for low-P foods, of course. All I was saying originally is that basically there are three foods that should really suit all plants, without going overboard and buying one for each plant in the house. My horticulture teacher was saying that nurserymen (and he is one) would love to sell you as much as they can, if they can! Nothing wrong at all with experimenting with different ones if you want to. I was just trying to be helpful to you.

I only get feisty if someone picks on me. Then I will defend myself. I don't ever start trouble, because basically I don't like it. But I won't back down from it, because there is no reeason to have to deal with it in the first place! No one has the right to do that to others, and I would rather get on with people than not. People who do make judgments about others without ever having met them, or not knowing them; are just ridiculous!It is like people who hate others for race or religion. It has nothing to do with them; so why cause problems!

Actually, I hope your little experiment works and you get the blooms you want. Then you can share the details with us!