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aclum · March 20, 2014

Hi Urban Farmer

,

Thanks for posting! Yes, your information certainly DOES help and I can see a bunch of ways that I might have gone wrong with the fertilization. I know the fertilizer itself was not problem (I've just read great things about it), but rather how I used it.

I shook the fertilizer container what I thought was really well, then poured half of it into a empty plastic water bottle with one of those pop up tops (like you see on dishwashing liquid containers). Looking back on it, it seems that the liquid from the original container might have been getting a tad thicker as I proceeded to fill the water bottle. In retrospect, I probably hadn't shaken thing up well enough. So I probably need to recombine things and shake everything up again really well.

My seedlings were definitely under 6," I ended up using nearly full strength (1/2 TB per 1/2 gallon jug of water), AND I did let the roots dry out (having been warned numerous times on TV about the dangers of overwatering).

So, it seems like I did about everything wrong

! (Except I did shake the fertilizer in the water bottle EACH time I used it).

So my plan now will be to recombine the concentrated fertilizer in the original container and water bottle and make sure everything is REALLY mixed well and then transfer some to the sports bottle for easy measuring and pouring. I have a little glass "graduated cylinder" (I think that's what it's called) to accurately measure out small amounts of the fertilizer. When I do fertilize, I'll just use half strength and over apply so the root zones are saturated and excess drains out.

Am I correct in understanding you to say not to let the roots dry out at all? If so, I guess I should have my containers set in a tray of shallow water? And, I'll just fertilize every 3rd or 4th watering as the potting medium starts to dry out - but doesn't get bone dry. (I'm using DE as the potting medium, BTW).

Hopefully the problem was over fertilization and not something else, and I won't run into any more problems.

Thanks again,
Anne

March 20, 2014	#14
aclum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Merced, CA Posts: 832	Hi Urban Farmer , Thanks for posting! Yes, your information certainly DOES help and I can see a bunch of ways that I might have gone wrong with the fertilization. I know the fertilizer itself was not problem (I've just read great things about it), but rather how I used it. I shook the fertilizer container what I thought was really well, then poured half of it into a empty plastic water bottle with one of those pop up tops (like you see on dishwashing liquid containers). Looking back on it, it seems that the liquid from the original container might have been getting a tad thicker as I proceeded to fill the water bottle. In retrospect, I probably hadn't shaken thing up well enough. So I probably need to recombine things and shake everything up again really well. My seedlings were definitely under 6," I ended up using nearly full strength (1/2 TB per 1/2 gallon jug of water), AND I did let the roots dry out (having been warned numerous times on TV about the dangers of overwatering). So, it seems like I did about everything wrong ! (Except I did shake the fertilizer in the water bottle EACH time I used it). So my plan now will be to recombine the concentrated fertilizer in the original container and water bottle and make sure everything is REALLY mixed well and then transfer some to the sports bottle for easy measuring and pouring. I have a little glass "graduated cylinder" (I think that's what it's called) to accurately measure out small amounts of the fertilizer. When I do fertilize, I'll just use half strength and over apply so the root zones are saturated and excess drains out. Am I correct in understanding you to say not to let the roots dry out at all? If so, I guess I should have my containers set in a tray of shallow water? And, I'll just fertilize every 3rd or 4th watering as the potting medium starts to dry out - but doesn't get bone dry. (I'm using DE as the potting medium, BTW). Hopefully the problem was over fertilization and not something else, and I won't run into any more problems. Thanks again, Anne