Marilyn, I threw out 10-10-10 in all my beds this spring and I can tell the difference this year. I try to do this every spring but I skipped last year. I am using a concentrated plant food (Vigoro) that I mix with water for my containers and the coleus plants I have in my grass bed. Coleus did so poorly for me last year that I'm really babying them this year. I also use a 9 month time release fertalizer when I plant my containers or any new plants (annuals or perennials) into the flower beds. I've never tried Bloom Boosters and don't know how it differs from plant food. Every professional I've ever hear or read say to feed your containers with some kind of plant food on a regular schedule...like at least once a week. My favorite nursery folk tell me they only give their containers "blue water."
Vikki

Marilyn
Bloom Boosters have higher potassium than regular plant food. Say the analysis is 10 45 10 [just as an example] this means your plants will get a high dose of potassium and potassium helps your flowers and roots.
VB

VB - Not too important, but I think you meant to say higher phosphorus, right?

ThinMan

Thanks for the clarification!

I have always used an all purpose food because I have a combination of foliage plants, blooming plants, herbs and tomatoes in close proximity to one another. I should look for a high first number to feed the coleus, and a high second number for the flowers.

I can see that I am going to need to pay a bit more attention to what I am buying.

Nell,

I have added composted material and wood ash to give everything a boost. I'd also like to add more of the organic material as you suggested.

Thanks,
Marilyn

I wouldn't worry so much about the coleus when putting all purpose plant food in a bed. Just pinch the little blooms when you see them forming. Usually we think of high nitrogen for things like grasses.

On the other hand, for plants that like say, an acid environment, you might use a specialty fertilizer, i.e, one for azaleas and camellias. In real life, I don't add fertilizer to my azaleas and camellias, LOL.

Nell

Nell,

I love azaleas and camellias, 2 things that are very difficult to grow here unless you add a ton of amendments to create an acidic environment. I swoon when I see pictures of those 2 in bloom. :-)

Marilyn

Boy do I have egg on my face. I even live on a farm and guess I was so anxious to impress that I said potassium in stead of phosphorus. The last ingredient is commonly called potash in farm country. Same thing as potassium
VB

We've all done it, VB. Not to worry. We knew you knew.

It takes both potassium and phosphorus to make pretty flowers. A little magnesium usually helps, too, not to mention sulphur and copper, but we just add compost or fertilize and don't give elements much thought, usually.

Does anybody know if studies have been made on whether those extremely high phosphorus fertilizers shorten the life of perennial plants? Annuals are going to bloom themselves to death anyhow in one season. What about perennials?

Nell

P.S. When I think about these things, it makes my head 'bizzy' and I usually just go back to planning the next pretty flower bed.

I used bloom booster for the first time this year and felt that some of the perennials bloomed a little too soon, so I cut off the first blooms to get bushier plants. That said, they now look 'normal' to me. I bought some more to use since I have some heavy feeders such as canna, brugmansia and elephant ears.

Cameron

Sitter,

Not to worry. :-) I'm the one who is embarrassed about not spending more time researching the numbers, and what they mean, on plant food.

Cameron,

I'm trying to get into the habit of snipping off those first flowers, too. It's hard, isn't it?

Nell,

I plead guilty to also spending more time on picking out pretty flowers than to the real nitty-gritty of gardening. I can't help it. lol

Marilyn

I usually just use the Bloom Busters on annuals because of wwanting heavy bloom. The exceptions are (for me) roses and hydrangea. I've never seen anything published that said if these plant foods would affect perennials.
I heard a nursery owner say this spring something I had never heard. He said that after a heavy deluge of rain we shouold triple strength the blue water because all the fertilizer had been washed out. Here in Indiana we've not had the opportunity to try this out. Have any of you ever heard or tried it?
VB

I used the Bloom Booster this year, but as Sitter alluded, Indiana is in a hot drought right now and I can hardly tell if it's working EXCEPT, I have a container with some Red Rubin basil planted among the flowers for some foliage color and it is blooming. None of the other Red Rubin is blooming, so I guess it does something.

Foxesearth, I think you are on to something with your question about using this on perennials. I must say a lot of the perennial I have seen at the big box stores look like mutants...waaay too many flowers for the size of the foliage and pots they are in. I they were a person, I'd say they were headed for a heart attack or stroke. LOL! In any case, I am holding the Blooms fertilizer for containers and maybe annuals in the ground...not sure yet on that.

Lime

Sitter,

This has also happened to me a few times when an unexpected rain storm flares up after I've applied fertilizer. I'm never sure if any of the fertilizer took, or whether I am back to square one! I've never heard of applying triple strength after a rain storm. I'm also curious if anyone has heard of this, or does this.

Nell,

Great question on whether high Phos. fertilizers shorten the life of a perennial! Do you think it affects the flower/seed production of self-seeders?

Lime,

I've noticed the same thing! :-) Some look so top heavy from flowers they look like they are going to snap.

Marilyn

I've regularly used Miracle Gro at double strength and thought I was daring until I read about a woman who said she mixed it triple strength. LOL Her gardens were spectacular.

I would be cautious in using double (or triple) strength Miracle Gro on a weak plant or one where the drainage is poor. Don't want to burn the poor things. I usually dip my newly purchased transplants into MG x 2, then plant in the ground.

The local plant folks are telling us to fertilize again because all the rain we've had has washed the fertilizer out of the soil.

These days, I'm reserving MG for containers and speciality plants and moving everything else to compost, coffee grounds and soon-to-be-tried alfalfa tea.

Marilyn, trying to research online the effects of phosphorus on seeds made my head bizzy and I didn't get very far.

My personal theory, based on mostly what I know of corn, grass and soybean production and the like would be that large doses of Phosphorus would increase blossoms at the expense of decreased seed. I don't think it would stop seed production, just set it back.

My other personal theory is that some fertilizer being helpful doesn't mean three times as much is necessarily better than just enough. Right now while it's so dry here, I'm thinking how easy it would be to completely burn up every annual in the garden with a big dose of Nitrogen without adequate water.

Nell

Oh yeah, for increased seed production (more beans?), you'd use a fertilizer with more Potassium, like 5-10-15 -- or a careful dose of wood ashes.

Fertilizer 'speriments would make a good science project, wouldn't they?

Question? i use Miracle Grow Bloom Fertilzer weekly on my flowers AND its produces alot of blooms! i love it. is it necessary to ALSO use Miracle Grow All Purpose Plant Food as well weekly?