fertilizer

Citrus trees are in a full flush of growth now.  I love this cluster of flower buds on my Pixie tangerine, it smells sound good at night!   I am paying more attention this year in regard to water and fertilizer because I’ve had sparse harvests, but the trees are fairly small still, so it will get better, but I do need to pay more attention.  I’ve added some links below that gave me useful information so I’m sharing with you.

Citrus

Fertilizing your citrus trees should happen before and during the growth cycle – Now is the time!

More information about fertilizing.

Here’s a great collection of info about citrus from UCDavis.

Thinning your citrus fruits – 3 great reasons

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My tomatoes are thriving right now.  The plants are strong and healthy.  So far, no sign of bugs or disease.  It’s a hopeful time….  :-)

I am trying to do a better job this year with my tomatoes because last year’s tomato harvest was dismal with a capital D.  Virtually no tomatoes.  It was pathetic.  I mean, come on, who can’t grow a tomato?!!!  Apparently me, so I took it as a personal challenge.  Anyhoo, I’ve been heeding the advice of Karen, the Tomato Lady.  Good potting soil, food, and not too much water.

I am gardening in recycle bins because I ran out of ground and raised bed space.  The bins aren’t the prettiest planting containers, but they are the perfect size, probably about 15 gallons, so they hold enough dirt and moisture to keep the tomatoes happy.

I have a wall against my porch where I have planted three tomatoes.  As summer gets nearer and the sun is getting higher in the sky, this spot is not getting blasted by the sun like in the winter, but the tomatoes seem to be very happy.   I can’t wait to see how big these plants get!  They are really starting to take off and I see lots of blossoms.

 Walkway of Tomatoes  Tomato wall

I’m experimenting with a watering method I call Extra Pots.  I had Extra Pots sitting around so I jammed two into the dirt around the tomato plant, fill them up with water and let them empty slowly through the hole into the soil where, hopefully, the water is going deep and more directly to the roots of the plant.  So far, so good.

Fill 'er up

Filler 'er up!

Pots for irrigation

Two pots full is enough for the week.

Here’s what my garden looks like presently. You probably can’t see them in this picture, but I’ve got a few more tomatoes growing in there, too!

My garden - June 1 2012

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Nutrient Deficiencies

May 26, 2012

How’s your garden doing?  I’ve got some deficiency issues on some of my plants so it’s time to address my care and feeding. Here are some symptoms of plant deficiencies to be aware of. Fertilizing doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is nice to know when it’s a good idea to tweak your plant feeding more specifically when problems do arise.

Nitrogen: Leaves are pale green, plant growth is stunted. Leaves are smallish, stems are thin.

Phosphorus: Stunted growth, thin shoots. Root are stunted, and flowering or fruit development is poor.

Potassium: Leaf tips and edges turn yellow, eventually looking scorched. Fruit is inferior in taste and color.

Calcium: Plants are weakened, with buds and young leaves dying back. Young leaves can turn yellow.

Magnesium: Leaves turn yellow between the leaf veins. Leaves might drop abnormally, growth is stunted.

Sulfur: Young growth is pale green or yellow. Poor growth.

Boron: Young leaves are twisted and thickened. Buds die off, leaves might develop yellow spots.

Copper: Shoots die back. Plants can be pale and yellow. Leaves might now grow.

Iron: Leaves are pale or yellow between leaf veins. Growth is stunted.

Don’t over think it, but use this info as a guide. Most importantly, feed your garden – just do it!

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I need to go shopping for fertilizer so I thought we could all use a review.   Here’s a Fertilizing Basics Guide from Anderson’s La Costa Nursery & Garden Design Center in Encinitas.

Some basic info to aid in selecting fertilizers:

All Purpose Fertilizer (4-4-4):
4-4-4 means 4% Nitrogen, 4% Potassium, 4% Phosphorous (by weight). All fertilizers will have many other nutritional elements in its ingredients. A gentle fertilizer blended with a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Formulated to provide plants with both a quick start and long-term benefits. Feed every 2 months. Recommended for vegetable gardens, annual and perennial flower gardens, ornamental plantings and all types of container gardening.

Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Food (5-5-3):
A special plant food formulated for use on acid-loving plants. A balanced ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus to support vital early season growth and to encourage seasonal flowering. For best results fertilize when growth starts in springtime and immediately after blooming. Feed once more in midsummer. Recommended as a plant food for rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangea, blueberries, evergreens, strawberries, and other acid-loving plants.

Transplant/Starter Plant Food (2-4-2):
A great transplanting fertilizer for annual flowers, vegetables, and perennials during initial settling in. A non-burning formula blended from all-natural ingredients to help  plants get off to a vigorous start. Contains bone meal (rich in phosphorus) to enhance root growth. Blended with alfalfa meal which provides naturally occurring growth stimulants to enhance the growth of your plants. Use at planting time and switch to regular Flower food during the growing season.

Organic Citrus and Avocado Food (7-4-2)
A high nitrogen formula for the unique growing requirements of citrus, avocados, berries, and grapes. An effective all natural blend developed both for in-ground plantings and for plants in containers. Contains blood meal and dried poultry waste for fast-acting response. Fertilize crops twice a year – once at planting time or in early spring and again in late May.

Organic Palm & Hibiscus Food (6-5-3):
Give palms a head start with beneficial bacteria and fungi. With a balanced fertilizer formula developed for the unique growing requirements of palms and hibiscus. An effective organic blend developed for both container and in-ground plantings.

Organic Rose & Flower Food (4-6-2):
Mycorrhizae (beneficial bacteria and fungi) gives newly-planted roses a head start for faster establishment. Loaded with alfalfa meal – the ideal rose supplement. A unique plant food with fast-acting nitrogen for early season plant growth and added phosphorus to enhance blossom and root development.

Bon Appetit!

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Fertilizer 101

July 6, 2011

We’re smack in the middle of growing season so the plants are working hard and they are hungry. Here’s a Fertilizing Basics Guide from Anderson’s La Costa Nursery & Garden Design Center in Encinitas.

Some basic info to aide in selecting fertilizers:

All Purpose Fertilizer (4-4-4):
4-4-4 means 4% Nitrogen, 4% Potassium, 4% Phosphorous (by weight). All fertilizers will have many other nutritional elements in its ingredients. A gentle fertilizer blended with a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Formulated to provide plants with both a quick start and long-term benefits. Feed every 2 months. Recommended for vegetable gardens, annual and perennial flower gardens, ornamental plantings and all types of container gardening.

Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Food (5-5-3):
A special plant food formulated for use on acid-loving plants. A balanced ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus to support vital early season growth and to encourage seasonal flowering. For best results fertilize when growth starts in springtime and immediately after blooming. Feed once more in midsummer. Recommended as a plant food for rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, blueberries, evergreens, strawberries, and other acid-loving plants.

Transplant/Starter Plant Food (2-4-2):
A great transplanting fertilizer for annual flowers, vegetables, and perennials during initial settling in. A non-burning formula blended from all-natural ingredients to help
plants get off to a vigorous start. Contains bone meal (rich in phosphorus) to enhance root growth. Blended with alfalfa meal which provides naturally occurring growth stimulants to enhance the growth of your plants. Use at planting time and switch to regular Flower food during the growing season.

Organic Citrus and Avocado Food (7-4-2)
A high nitrogen formula for the unique growing requirements of citrus, avocados, berries, and grapes. An effective all natural blend developed both for in-ground plantings
and for plants in containers. Contains blood meal and dried poultry waste for fast-acting response. Fertilize crops twice a year – once at planting time or in early spring and again in late May.

Organic Palm & Hibiscus Food (6-5-3):
Give palms a head start with beneficial bacteria and fungi. With a balanced fertilizer formula developed for the unique growing requirements of palms and hibiscus. An effective organic blend developed for both container and in-ground plantings.

Organic Rose & Flower Food (4-6-2):
Mycorrhizae (beneficial bacteria and fungi) gives newly-planted roses a head start for faster establishment. Loaded with alfalfa meal – the ideal rose supplement. A unique plant food with fast-acting nitrogen for early season plant growth and added phosphorus to enhance blossom and root development.

Bon Appetit!

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Nutrient Deficiencies

March 4, 2011

This weekend is supposed to be beautiful so it’s GARDEN TIME! I’ve been reviewing fertilizers and how I need to proceed with the care and feeding. I realize as I wander around out there that I’ve got some deficiency issues on some of my plants. Here are some symptoms of plant deficiencies to be aware of. Fertilizing doesn’t have to be complicated, a good all-purpose brand is usually enough, but it is nice to know when it’s a good idea to tweak your plant feeding more specifically when problem areas do arise.

Nitrogen: Leaves are pale green, plant growth is stunted. Leaves are smallish, stems are thin.

Phosphorus: Stunted growth, thin shoots. Root are stunted, and flowering or fruit development is poor.

Potassium: Leaf tips and edges turn yellow, eventually looking scorched. Fruit is inferior in taste and color.

Calcium: Plants are weakened, with buds and young leaves dying back. Young leaves can turn yellow.

Magnesium: Leaves turn yellow between the leaf veins. Leaves might drop abnormally, growth is stunted.

Sulfur: Young growth is pale green or yellow. Poor growth.

Boron: Young leaves are twisted and thickened. Buds die off, leaves might develop yellow spots.

Copper: Shoots die back. Plants can be pale and yellow. Leaves might now grow.

Iron: Leaves are pale or yellow between leaf veins. Growth is stunted.

Don’t overthink it, but use this info as a guide. Most importantly, just do it!

Pretty but a little nitrogen deprived, I think.....

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N-P-K

February 16, 2011

When I started really paying attention in the garden and decided to learn more and do a better job, these three letters seemed so intimidating to me. I understood N – Nitrogen. P stands for Phosphorus and K stands for…….Potassium. What?! That’s where I would get hung up. I know it’s the chemical but K for P? So the first struggle for me was to remember N-P-P, not K, then I had to remember which P was which. (Have I confused you enough?!)

Here’s a little secret – keep it in alphabetical order. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.

With that, I think now is a good time for a little refresher on fertilizer. I’m going to cheat a little bit on this post, but I found this explanation on the Monrovia Nursery website and I thought they did a much better job of explaining than I would have (see above!!!), so here goes.

When the nutrients around the root zone are depleted, plants suffer. Without regular nutrients, growth slows, flowering is inhibited, and the plant becomes vulnerable to pests and disease.

There are three main food groups that plants need for vigorous growth, expressed as N-P-K. Each nutrient is responsible for different types of growth and aspects of plant health. All are essential in varying amounts.

N – Nitrogen promotes leaf and stem growth. It’s important for evergreens, foliage plants and ornamental grasses.
P - Phosphorous relates to flower and fruit production, which is crucial to fruit trees, roses and ornamental berry-producing shrubs.
K – Potassium helps a plant’s immune system fight disease, and also helps fruit to ripen more quickly.

Each fertilizer is labeled with three numbers that indicate the strength by percentage of each nutrient. For example, 23-6-8 means that the product contains 23% nitrogen, 6% phosphorous, and 8% potassium.

Organic and synthetic. Organic fertilizers are produced naturally and include compost or manure. Synthetic fertilizers are produced chemically, and include most granular fertilizers. Synthetic fertilizers contain exactly what’s on their label expressed as N-P-K. They are fast acting but here today and gone tomorrow, so you must apply them often. Organic fertilizers also bear N-P-K percentages on the label, but these are usually lower numbers. Organics are slower to take effect because they must interact with soil microorganisms, but are long lasting. Natural fertilizers contain many of the lesser nutrients too, which improve soil and overall plant health.

No need to overthink this information. Most plants are just happy to get whatever they get, but some plants such as roses or citrus do better when given the correct ratios of these nutrients. Any good nursery can help you with this if you still aren’t sure what to do.

Bon Appetit!

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Basil, with a side of carpaccio

July 8, 2010

Buy a basil plant – check. Plant the basil plant in a sunny spot – check. Water the basil plant – check. Watch the basil plant almost instantly go to seed – check. Hey, wait a minute! That’s not what I wanted it to do! I did everything right. It’s in good soil, it gets [...]

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Time for a review….

January 15, 2010

Back on August 10th I wrote a post about called Fertilizers and Saturday Night Fever. Time for a review! Remember the three numbers on plant food containers? The percentages of Nitrogen(N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)? The three numbers on a fertilizer label directly correspond to these nutrients. Nitrogen (N) mainly affects vegetative growth and [...]

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BFF – it’s not what you think

January 8, 2010

Backyard Fish Farm – raising Tilapia (yes, fish) in your own yard. For eating and using the tank water for your garden. Sounds like a plan. The website, My Backyard Fish Farm (MyBFF), is run by Tilapia Mama, and she holds workshops to teach people how to do this. The South Bay Botanic Garden installed [...]

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Ada Perry’s Magic Formula

January 6, 2010

A few days back I posted This Month’s Garden Jobs and made reference to a rose fertilizer I had purchased called Ada Perry’s Rose Fertilizer. I bought a bag of this months ago at Walter Andersen’s Nursery just because I hadn’t seen it before and it looked interesting. The name Ada Perry didn’t mean anything [...]

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