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****************************************************************** FERTILIZER BY I respond, “Fertilizer
may not help your plant bloom!!!” In fact, too much
fertilizer may be the reason the flower is not blooming, or the
vegetable or fruit tree is not setting fruit, or the carrots and beets
are all tops. Too much or too little fertilizer may be why it is not
doing well. And if it is not healthy, more fertilizer may make it worse
by putting more stress on the plant to grow. By Federal law,
every container of fertilizer must have 3 numbers on the package. The
first number tells you how much nitrogen (N) is in the package and
expressed as a percentage. The second number is phosphate (P2 O5) and
the third number is potash (K2 O). Nitrogen makes your foliage grow,
phosphate is good for blooming and root growth, and potash is good for
hardiness. Too much nitrogen in relation to phosphate on your roses,
tomatoes, houseplants, or other blooming plants, trees or vegetables
will encourage top growth and foliage rather than flowers. This is also
true with radishes, carrots and other root crops like beets and turnips.
And as I said above, if it is not healthy, more fertilizer may make it
worse by putting more stress on the plant to grow. Lawn fertilizer
is high in nitrogen in order to make the grass blades (foliage) grow. Do
not use in your flower bed or garden, or around flowering trees or fruit
trees. It works fine in a compost pile if you do not have much “green
stuff”. A good granular
rose, flower, shrub, tree, and vegetable fertilizer is balanced. That
is, the middle number is at least the same or higher than the first
number. Most balanced fertilizers are Do not over
fertilize your lawn or plants. This only weakens the plant as it
struggles to use the nutrients, and makes the stems on flowers, and
vegetables spindly and weak. Also, this stress invites disease problems
and a weak plant invites insects. This is especially true this time of
year on your lawn. If you believe
the TV ads you might think that Miracle-Gro is the answer to all your
garden problems including a plant not blooming. But remember that
fertilizer is not the answer for a sick plant, and is not the treatment
of choice when a plant is under stress. In fact, fertilizer may make it
worse. Application of fertilizer to a plant that has insect injury or
looks sick will only put additional stress on the plant as it tries to
use the food to grow. What the plant
needs is an accurate and informed diagnosis and the proper medicine. If
you have a plant that is struggling, make sure you get an informed
diagnosis from a plant specialist before applying a fungicide, an
insecticide, or fertilizer. Or maybe it is under stress because of too
much water or not enough water. After the proper diagnosis and
treatment, and the plant is healthy, you can begin a fertilization
schedule that is recommended by your plant specialist. Copyright 2009 ****************************************************************** EPSOM SALTS BY I had a call a
couple weeks ago from a reader asking about putting Epsom salts on
plants. Epsom salts (which is Magnesium Sulfate [MgSO4 7H 2O]) can be a
good source of magnesium for plants that need it. The indication of the
need for magnesium is dark green veins and yellow between the veins in
the leaf of the plant. Clematis sometimes gets yellow leaves which looks
like iron chlorosis but it also may be magnesium chlorosis, or a
deficiency of magnesium. 2-3 tablespoons of Epsom salts per plant could
help. There are 16
elements that are needed for good plant growth. Only nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) may
need to be added to One of those
other micronutrients is calcium. Many of us have a problem with blossom
end rot on our tomatoes. Low calcium transport in a plant appears to be
associated with blossom end rot of tomatoes. However, the addition of
calcium to the soil or sprayed on the plant does not seem to help, as it
is the transport of that calcium from the soil into the tomato that is
the problem. Most of the time our Usually
only the first tomatoes are affected, as the plant itself uses the
calcium that is available in order to grow. Then the second flush of
tomatoes and all the later ones seem to be ok. Copyright 2009 ****************************************************************** COMPOST
DEMONSTRATION Gladys Jeurink
and George Edgar will answer questions about composting and other garden
problems at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center at 71st
and O Streets in Lincoln on Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 10:00 am to
2:00 pm. Come and see a compost pile that |