I usually give mine compost tea or fish emulsion for a while then go with the stronger stuff closer to spring before they go out.

I was wondering that too :)

Thanks Kristy

knotz

Thanks Kristy : ) I am trying to figure this all out too...Barb

With seedlings I might give them a small amount of a very dilute fertilizer when they have several pair of leaves otherwise I wait until spring. I do give them a bit of kelp extract and ST or Thrive Alive monthly when they are inside as long as they aren't dormant. Dormant plants get fed and ST when they are taken out of storage.

If you are ina cold zone I wouldn't fertilize until it is pretty close to the time they will be going outside. You don't want them growing a lot while inside, especially if you get a bug problem, then you have to strip anyways. I superthrived them when I brought them out last year and fertilized with miracle gro. I also added worm castings and other fertilizer to the soil but I'm sure any all purpose fertilizer would do fine. Most people fertilize with an all purpose at the beginning of the season then switch to a bloom booster.
Shawn

Oh, sorry. I didn't think about them being dormant. If they are I wouldn't start either. I only feed the ones I keep growing so I can see some blooms occasionally in the garage over winter and even then only mildly until closer to spring. Like maybe once a month. Once it gets closer to spring I start waking up the others.

We don't start fertilizing until they have been outside for a week, then we start them off with half strength for two weeks before hitting them with full strength every week. Last freeze date for us is April 15th.

I also have a question??? I have 3 brugs still in large pots growing in the GH. I have not fertilized them since I put them inside.
Two of them are setting buds. Should I be fertilizing them??? How much??? I have not been watering much.
Should I be watering and feeding them since they are getting ready to bloom??? I have taken off a lot of the larger leaves. This is my frist year with a GH.
Never thought about them blooming in the GH.
Dorothy

Dorothy if they are actively growing and your GH is moderately warm 24/7 I'd continue feeding with a diluted fertilizer and only every few weeks. I'd only water as necessary. Since a GH can't perfectly mimic the outdoors I wouldn't treat them the same way that I do during the growing season.

Thanks Karyn for the info. Very helpful!
Dorothy

Would it be okay to do this?

When I go to put them in their growing pots for the season. I add compost and 10-10-10. This way I dont have to worry about them all the time. Will this compost and 10-10-10 affect their blooms? Thanks

dimples31312, I have to disagree with karyn, to not fertilize as you have a few month of winter and what you are seeing is the results of that fertilizer the plant has taken in. Allow it to bloom naturally and then start fertilizing when you set them out.
Rosepedal, that is a great time to add compost when you repot in the spring only.

Well, I do what Karyn said. I water more sparingly in the garage but do feed them something weak if it looks like they are going to bloom so I can enjoy them in the garage. With our heat I get more blooms in the winter than the summer so I have to get them when I can, lol.

Yes it is good to add fertilizer/ compost to the soil when you repot but brugs are hogs so you will need to fertilize them often during the growing season as well. I use MG baout once a week.
Shawn

Thank you everyone for all the great advice. I am trying this year to cut down on chores especially now with so many brugs to take care of. I am trying to figure out the easiest way to do it and not affect the way they bloom. So many other flowers also to tend too...Has anyone ever been to the lily auction? Dont go...Fair warning. I wish I had some money.... : (

Barb I use compost and time release fertilizer when I plant for spring and do still have to use miracle grow. They are little piggies when it comes to fertilizer. I got a big bucket and put it in my wagon and pulled it around and dipped the mix onto the plants or used the hose end sprayer with miracle grow if I was feeling lazy. I also used compost tea and fish emulsion and seaweed kelp stuff alternating with that and epsom salt about once month. I don't want to know about the lily auction until the greenhouse is finished, lol. No money to look now.