12
votes
Can I just apply less of a higher fertilizer?
Yes, you can use it, in lesser quantities.
About the second question: the reason why we have not 33-34-33:
These number are the percent of weight of N,P, and K.
For example, N is a gas, so we need ...
- 14.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Fertilizer with an NPK title i can't understand
Probably using the , for decimal point. Common in some parts of the world, uncommon in others. So still just 3 numbers, but more precise:
6.1 - 4.0 - 5.6
- 25.2k
9
votes
Accepted
Should I fertilize a cactus showing etiolation?
We say a plant is 'etiolated' when its growth becomes long and lanky, usually thin and weak looking, often yellowish or pale in colour, and with elongated gaps between leaves on stems, although this ...
- 135k
9
votes
Why are mineral fertilizers not allowed in organic farming?
There are several reasons:
Where to put boundary for organic and “traditional?”
What is the difference between a pesticide, an growth regulator, a herbicide and a fertilizer?
Maybe for most of cases ...
- 14.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Miracle Grow, good or bad?
There is a lot of confusion on the subject of salt and fertilisers - when we hear 'salt' we think of the sort of salt that's used in food and which we wouldn't want on our plants, in the main. However,...
- 135k
9
votes
Accepted
Is this an acceptable way to use green waste on plants?
What "someone" told you is correct. Basically, you are giving unwanted visitors like slugs, snails, and rodents a free lunch with no benefit to your plants. The only benefit to the plants, ...
- 11.5k
8
votes
Buds don't blossom on Chilli plant ( bud drop )
I think you overwater the chilli plant. The leaves are not very healthy.
Chilli likes also dry climate, so try to water a lot less. One or twice a week.
I would also not put so much fertiliser. Once ...
- 14.7k
8
votes
Is fertilizing a zero-sum endeavor?
You are missing the fact that air is just as vital as an "external input" as light and water. Plants process carbon dioxide from the air directly, and specialist bacteria also convert nitrogen to ...
- 11.5k
7
votes
Accepted
In store-bought fertilizer for camellias, what's the difference between NPK 10-10-10 and say 4-4-4?
It's quite difficult to give a straight, simple answer - fertilizers are formulated differently in terms of how quickly they break down, so liquid formulations will be almost instantaneous, whereas a ...
- 135k
7
votes
Why are mineral fertilizers not allowed in organic farming?
The term 'organic', in this instance, essentially means anything used on the land must contain carbon. Therefore, things like composted manures, composted plant waste, green manures,essentially, waste ...
- 135k
7
votes
Accepted
Should I account for seasons when growing inside only?
Stormy has a nice answer (especially on fertilizer part), but I am going to add some general concepts.
Temperate plants usually needs different seasons to grow naturally. But we don't cultivate them ...
- 14.7k
7
votes
Miracle Grow, good or bad?
Unless you are watering your plants with distilled water it is likely you will get far more salt from your water and/or potting soil than from the fertilizer. You can also get white "crust" from ...
- 3,238
7
votes
Accepted
Is fertilizing a zero-sum endeavor?
Check out the Wikipedia plant nutrition article. Plants take carbon, oxygen and hydrogen from the atmosphere, the remainder from the soil. (There are exceptions - some plants can make use of ...
- 3,987
6
votes
Does compost replace fertilizer?
No, you can not replace 'fertilizer' with compost. You do have to consider the amount of necessary chemicals available and what chemicals your particular compost adds. Fertilizing includes not only ...
- 40.5k
6
votes
Does compost replace fertilizer?
No, but it could sensibly reduce or remove needs of fertilizers.
It is not very probable that the compost has the required exact proportion of fertilizer. It is also not so probable that one single ...
- 14.7k
6
votes
Does compost replace fertilizer?
I have never fertilised any of my vegetables or fruit trees apart from using compost and compost tea. I would challenge that you need to add fertiliser to your vegetable garden especially if you use ...
- 116
6
votes
Buds don't blossom on Chilli plant ( bud drop )
Possible causes:
- overwatering
- drought
- cold water
- air humidity too high or too low, because it affects pollination and unpollinated flowers drop
- insufficient calcium or magnesium
- not enough ...
- 5,446
6
votes
How can I easily and cheaply turn dead tree waste into usable garden products?
Rent a branch chipper, the bigger the better, and run through everything that will fit. The resulting wood chips can be used as a coarse mulch for garden paths, etc, where they will decompose, or add ...
- 51.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Watering plants with soaked forest soil
Forests are complex ecosystems where all the necessary elements have been taken up into the biomass. When something dies, falls to the ground, gets decomposed by decomposers, the soil micro and macro ...
- 40.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How to Properly Store Fertilizer?
Some fertilizers are hygroscopic, perhaps even deliquescent. In other words, they suck moisture out of the air and get soggy. Not all fertilizers do this, but you won't know until it happens, or not.
...
- 2,389
6
votes
Is this an acceptable way to use green waste on plants?
There is an alternative, but it depends how much space you have between plants in your garden. It's called the Dig and Drop method (or burying, as my father used to call it), which involves digging a ...
- 135k
5
votes
DIY fertilizing vs. Tru-Green
It is a subjective question, but the answer depends on a few things:
How extensive the weeds are. If your judgment is that they are extensive, then you want to consider drastic measures, including ...
- 3,636
5
votes
In store-bought fertilizer for camellias, what's the difference between NPK 10-10-10 and say 4-4-4?
Yes. The numbers is the content of fertiliser (N, P, K) in percent. So a 4-4-4 means 4 kilograms of N, 4 kilograms of P and 4 kilograms of K on a 100 Kg bag.
The absolute numbers are important if one ...
- 14.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Should I use epsom salt foliage spray on giant sunflowers?
You're unlikely to notice any big difference from this treatment. It would be more useful as a soil treatment. For consistent giant sunflowers, soil and light are the most important things to get ...
- 51.9k
5
votes
How can I easily and cheaply turn dead tree waste into usable garden products?
HUGELKULTUR! (Aka mound culture) There's an old school technique for using deadwood as a resource. I've been looking into this recently BC I have a lot of deadwood that's not getting used.
...
- 2,173
5
votes
Accepted
Dead tadpoles as potential fertilizer?
Well, you could, when planting out, dig a deeper hole than you need, throw the tadpoles in, put a layer of soil on top and then plant whatever you want over that. A fish head or half a dead fish is ...
- 135k
5
votes
I am confused about miracle grow
If you have sand for soil, unless you live in a desert, it's very possibly (but not definitely) acidic and poor in nutrients. Desert soils are often sandy and alkaline, with caliche underneath. ...
- 18.4k
5
votes
Excess Zinc in garden soil
Zinc is tricky, soil can contain a higher ppm than what you might want (10 ppm or so) without it being a problem because a good portion of the zinc is being held within the iron and oxides which is ...
- 1,670
5
votes
Using own hair and nail clippings as fertilizer?
Best not used directly as fertilizer around plants, but its fine to add both as a component of your compost heap. Both take a while to break down, and large quantities might cause problems, because ...
- 135k
5
votes
Soil test results + need help understanding the recommendation
Presumably the numbers in "pounds per 1000 sq ft" are intended for "single nutrient" or "straight" fertilizers which contain only one of N, P, or K. These are commonly ...
- 11.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible