I use both :-)

Josh

I use liquid. No reason it's just what I have. I haven't been able to give most of my succulents fertilizer because it's been raining here so much. Luckily the rain has slowed down so I should be able to fertilize here in the next week.

Anyways all this rain got me thinking. If I lived in a humid area it would make more sense to use slow release fertilizer. All my plants are outside so they get all the rainfall. They don't need the extra water just so I can fertilize.

Josh-what slow release fertilizer do you use:)?

I would think a dilute liquid fertilizer, almost every time you water (at least when the plants are actively growing), would be better. Slow release depend on moisture to release, which they would do at a much slower rate. Also when released they would make a tiny pocket of highly concentrated fertilizer until water washed it through. Truthfully I am not a big fan of extreme gritty mixes though I know they can work well........essentially you are creating almost a hydroponic type system where the media is more for root anchorage.

Woodnative: Well I'm kinda improvising with my mix because where I am, I don't have access to fancy materials like perlite or pumice. Only stuff like regular soil(which is a no no), rocks/pebbles, coconuts, and sand maybe. Perhaps I could use sand but that has its own set of issues like compacting too.

Yan

You are correct about sand, and sifting it for bigger particles before using in your mix may help - if that's all you have available. I thought perlite is easily available, but maybe not...

RE: Controlled and slow release fertilizers:

Temperature is the most important influence on release rates. Not only does it affect nutrient diffusion across the coating of controlled-release fertilizers, but it also exerts a major influence on microbial activity, and thus on the release of nutrients from slow-release kinds

(ps: I use very gritty mix, no soil at all, and fertilize very seldom)

Rina

Hah well the country i'm staying now, is kind of hard to find anything remotely niche. Most plant sellers just use 80%sand and 20% compost and osmocote pellets to fertilize. To which I just shudder and wonder how they manage but it seems to work for them.

Only know one guy that has a cacti and succulent nursery and he uses soil/sand/gravel/compost. But sells in no drainage terracotta pots. So I'm not sure how much i should trust his mix either.

So I improvised with what I could find, which was chicken grit, coir and hull charcoal(which is supposed to aid drainage since it is hydrophobic). And it turned out to be very well draining compared to other mixes I made. Drains instantly, and does not even allow water to pool on top, does not compact after just a few pourings. Now I'm just scared its too well-draining and will dry out my plants. Or I'm just worrying too much and should just tell time tell. It has only been like half a month since i switched.

What mix do you use?

Like Josh, I use both as well. The CRF's when potting up and again seasonally for all woody plants and the liquid in between and for everything else.

Yan

I use grit, perlite (in equal amounts) and less turface.

Your mix sounds good using what you have available. I believe that you could adjust water retention as needed by using more or less of coco coir. Most important is to find if there is any water retention deeper in the pot - it may, or may not be. Not sure how you tell, but using a wooden stick (bamboo chopstick or skewer or dowel or even pencil) stuck deep inside the pot can give you idea. Once you know for sure, you can water more or less often. Even filling empty, see-thru container (with drainage holes poked in) will give you great picture: you can watch as you saturate the mix, how fast it dries up.I hardly ever fertilize, since most of the water my plants receive is from rain. On rare occasions I have to water, it is same fert I use for my veggie and flower garden (soluble MG 24-8-16 or liquid 12-4-8 which is the same proportions).

Rina

Yes that is exactly how I check. Stick a skewer in for a few minutes and check if moist. They are usually quite dry after 2 or 3 days. It doesn't stay moist at the bottom at all, it is either wet or suddenly bone dry the next day. Perhaps terracotta pot helps drying quite well.

I might try your see through container ideas to further analyze my mix. Good idea actually.

Hey, Kara, I use Osmocote 15-9-12.

Josh

Thanks Josh. I think I'm gonna start using slow release. Just try it out for a growing season:).

I like liquid for better control and consistency. I'm a very particular person like that and both can work.

If you spend the time to learn, you can grow anything in practically anything. The difference is root health, plant health, appearance, and % losses/deaths. Retail commercial sellers can tolerate losses. High end commercial sellers who grow valuable/expensive plants are using quite high end mixes - not sand and peat.

Ewwmayo

Thanks. Yeah I think I might stick to liquid. Just mix a 500ml bottle and use that for the month's watering. Plus I don't think it necessary to fertilize all the time so it shouldn't get too demanding of a task to maintain.

I use both. Slow release is good for when the plants go outside for the summer and there's enough rain that I'm not watering (so not feeding) them.

I am definitely a lazy grower in the summer:). It's sooo hot. All the bugs. I like to water at night. I know I should water in the morning. Two years ago I was eatin alive by something. I had close to 70 little bites on top of one foot and almost 40 on top of the other. Oh man did they itch. Definitely wasn't mosquitos. Somebody said chiggers, but I didn't know we had those. I always thought those were a southern thing. Ever since then if I water at dusk I put on a bee keepers suit. Jk, but close to it;).

No problem with watering at night/evening! I do it this way always, indoors and out. Not a very morning person and it's too hot during the day.

Luckily my rooftop doesn't get many mosquitoes since it gets so hot and dry up there.

It doesn't take many big rains outside to leech out liquid fertilizer. Just two and maybe it's time to top up the levels. Two years ago I did some trending over a few months to figure that out with my soil EC meter (measures nutrients every day).