with number that low.. its probably ok ....

especially if you dont use it to excess ...

whatever you decide you need... use it at half strencth.. and im sure the result will be the same ..

i dont like nitro that high .... in relation to the others ... but again.. its a pretty low formula ...

i have never fert'd a succulent in my life ... so im wonder if you think fert is very important ... they are plants.. not children ... so be careful with thinking they need constant repetitive feeding ...

how much you put in the top should be a function of how much runs out the bottom when you water .... do not keep replacing what is thought to be lost ... in case its not being lost and all you are doing is building fertilizer salts in your pot ... you can always add more .. but you cant get rid of too much ...

where you are.. pot size and media age are all part of the equation ...

crabapple in a pot??? ... if these are bosai ... you didnt mention such... and that might be important in regard to a fert regimen .....

ken

ps: my actual position is a general balanced fert is no worse than special mumbo jumbo marketing hype suggesting you need all these special formulas for specific individual plants ... its all hocus pocus imo ... so i guess you are thinking the same way.. when you want to just use what you already have for your other plants ...

It is perfectly fine to use on any container planting.....I use it myself and it is a favored fertilizer (for a variety of reasons) of a lot of experienced container gardeners. But having said that, I do not use it with regularity on any of my trees grown in containers :-) For my containerized woodies - mostly JM's and dwarf conifers - I prefer to use a CRF (Osmocote Plus) that is a once and done spring application. But I have a lot of these and using a water soluble fertilizer that needs to be applied frequently is just more of a chore that I can eliminate with the CRF. But when I use the Foliage Pro for other containers, the woodies often are treated to any FP leftovers :-)

For those that may not be aware, anything grown in a container will need routine, periodic fertilization. Potting media carries almost no nutrients on its own and the need for frequent watering of containers leaches out any lingering nutes and those must be replaced to ensure heathy growth. That's where the admonition to fertilize "weekly, weakly" comes into play. And the 3-1-2 ratio of the FP mirrors the way the vast majority of plants access these primary nutes, with N being the most consumed and P virtually none......K fits somewhere in between :-) Using a balanced fertilizer - all three numbers the same - is overkill for the P and K application. Plus, too few packaged ferts (like the balanced product referred to previously) have adequate levels of the necessary micronutrients, which both the FP and the Osmocote do. As does Miracle Gro as well.....in almost the same standard ratio.

btw, since all container plantings should be watered thoroughly when they are watered - so that it runs freely out of the drainage holes - essentially flushing the media with every watering, there is minimal chance of any salt build up. But a very high chance of leaching any residual nutes with the watering and those must be replaced

Use the FP and at either the maintenance or production rate depending on your fertilizing frequency and you and your trees will be fine!

Thanks, Ken. I never fertilized succulents either up until about 4 years ago. At that point - at the suggestion of a member here - I started using the Foliage-Pro. I suppose it might have been my imagination or due to factors I'm unaware of, but I noticed that the plants seemed to put on more growth at a faster pace and look more robust from that point on. I'm certainly no expert - and you may be right that it's all hocus pocus - but I didn't question the results and kept adding about half the recommended dose to each watering can and never looked back.

I've only had the maple a year or so and so far have used the same fertilizer. The tree did ok, but last summer was getting a bit too much direct sun and some of the leaf tips burned. This year it's been moved to a more shaded location and I anticipate a better result. The crabapple will be a new addition. From what I've read, crabapples can be kept quite successfully as container plants and are very cold hardy, enjoy direct morning light and should do well on a NYC balcony. I sort of look at my outdoor trees in containers as "semi-bonsai" in that I won't keep them in shallow pots and go for super intense ramification of the branches, but I will keep them pruned and shaped. I'm always happy to read other view points of course, and I've found these boards to be very helpful in my learning experience. :-)

Hey gardengal - your post came in as I was typing my latest one. :-) What you say echoes the words of the member (tapla) who originally recommended the Foliage Pro to me four years ago. My understanding of how all of this works is still a bit limited and fuzzy, but what you say makes sense to me. With only two outdoor trees, I think I can stick with using the same thing across the board, especially since I use the same watering can for everyone, but I will look up the Osmocote Plus as well. Thanks for your input! :-)