"Hal" wrote:
On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 23:21:43 -0500, "~ Windsong ~"
wrote:
That is the reason I've been using stakes with numbers like 15-30-15
and 8-24-8. They work great, but require constant replacement to
keep up the nutrition the plants need for best blooming. The thing
that got my attention was to be able to fertilize once a season
instead of every two weeks like I had been doing.
=================================
Every 2 weeks? What were you using? I use the Rose Stakes broken into
thirds in a heavy clay soil no more than maybe 3 times over the growing
season here in zone 6 (central TN).
Now I don't mean to be rude when I say read the first two lines and
let me explain. Rose fertilizer, tomato fertilizer, azalea
fertilizer can all be several different compositions, but 8-24-8 is
specific in that it tells exactly the percentages of nitrogen,
phosphates and potash the fertilizer contains. The ones I used were
about 1/4" in diameter and 2" long and the whole package weighed 1.1
ounces. The last package I bought was 6-12-6, but that is still a
1-2-1 ratio fertilizer and that is what I like for lilies.
You can put a lily in good soil and it will bloom. You can add high
phosphate fertilizer and it will bloom better. I was attempting to
get all I could from the plants by feeding them every two weeks. My
reasoning for feeding 2 weeks is I wasn't sure how long a fertilizer
made for pots of dirt lasts in water. I've washed out water soluble
fertilizer by over watering, so that leaves a big question in my mind
as to how often I should fertilize with stakes meant for regular
flower pots. I did intend to fertilize enough and never found any
harm in fertilizing that much. I just got too tired to do it. 
Regards,
Hal
I've been using tomato stakes and the stuff sold as "lily fertilizer"
tablets, every month. As an experiment, I have also started dumping 11-54-4
"super bloom" directly into my pond. So far, I have seen no detrimental
effects from this, ie algae from the level of nitrogen. The question would
seem to be, though, how much of the dissolved fertilizer will be taken in by
the plants compared to the stakes.
San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.
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