A balanced fertilizer, diluted to 1/4, is fine.

Have you gone through and done a search on this forum? There's oodles of information here on a number of subjects, including fertilizing and soil composition.

What you want to avoid is too much nitrogen - it enables abnormal growth.

I use liquid because I don't want to fertilize every time I water, which is what happens if granules are used. Other growers, much better than I, eschew liquid in favour of the granules. It's a matter of preference and experience.

You are comparing apples and oranges. Liquid vs. granular serve different purposes and you may very well end up using both. I use both.

Always use a well balanced fertilizer with micronutrients, diluted for succulents. The ideal ratio, based on agricultural research, is about 3:1:2.

x

Juper,

Can't tell where you are or what you're growing or fertilizing. Depending on both those things it MAY be the wrong time of year to fertilize at all.

Thank you all.

Pirate girl, I'm planning to fertilize beginning of spring (mostly to aloes and other succulents). 9b

1-3-3 is pretty much the same as Schultz liquid cactus fertilizer which is 2-7-7. The low nitrogen theory that you hear so much about does not match the recommendations of several area growers, and my own experience. I used the Schultz stuff years ago, but now I use Peters EXCEL, 15-5-15 cal-mag including micronutrients. That is the same as 3-1-3, and very close to the 'ideal' 3-1-2 ratio that X mentions. I only use it during growing season, and then at 1/4 recommended dose. I fertilize about 3-4 times per year at 1/2 tsp per gallon. A very successful commercial cactus grower I know uses Peters Excel at that concentration at every watering.

I'm not convinced that the N portion must be low as long as the overall amount of fertilizer is low. Do not fertilize when a plant is dormant, or soon to be. Know your plants habits before you fertilize, and remember the golden rule of benign neglect: if in doubt, don't!

Brad

Brad, thanks for sharing your experience and product recommendation.

I will have agaves, aloes and other succulents growing in the same bed. Would it be safe to only fertilize in spring for winter/summer dormant plants?
I am thinking of using your dose recommendation once a month(March/April/May). Would that be ok? thx