Dear all,

Maybe because I just start my gardening life, I try to make sure the
care I give to my plants is correctly done, sometimes maybe care too
much about the details.

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

I also try to keep the habit of soaking + draining Azalea and orchid
every Saturday. That means if I want to feed Azalea and orchid, it
will be after soaking. Or, do you actually soak them in plant food
solution? That means I have to make a large volume of food solution
every weekend!

My question may sound silly. But as you can see, I'm quite
enthusiastic about my new gardening adventure. :-) Could you please
share how you do the feeding/soaking/watering etc.?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff

Fertilizing container plants is different than those growing in the
ground (usually the container dosage is much less). Follow the
manufacturer's directions carefully. Don't forget about organic
fertilizers too--compost/manure teas, fish emulsion, etc.

On 27 Feb 2004 10:39:30 -0800, (Frank) wrote:

Dear all,

Maybe because I just start my gardening life, I try to make sure the
care I give to my plants is correctly done, sometimes maybe care too
much about the details.

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

I also try to keep the habit of soaking + draining Azalea and orchid
every Saturday. That means if I want to feed Azalea and orchid, it
will be after soaking. Or, do you actually soak them in plant food
solution? That means I have to make a large volume of food solution
every weekend!

My question may sound silly. But as you can see, I'm quite
enthusiastic about my new gardening adventure. :-) Could you please
share how you do the feeding/soaking/watering etc.?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff

Fertilizing container plants is different than those growing in the
ground (usually the container dosage is much less). Follow the
manufacturer's directions carefully. Don't forget about organic
fertilizers too--compost/manure teas, fish emulsion, etc.

On 27 Feb 2004 10:39:30 -0800, (Frank) wrote:

Dear all,

Maybe because I just start my gardening life, I try to make sure the
care I give to my plants is correctly done, sometimes maybe care too
much about the details.

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

I also try to keep the habit of soaking + draining Azalea and orchid
every Saturday. That means if I want to feed Azalea and orchid, it
will be after soaking. Or, do you actually soak them in plant food
solution? That means I have to make a large volume of food solution
every weekend!

My question may sound silly. But as you can see, I'm quite
enthusiastic about my new gardening adventure. :-) Could you please
share how you do the feeding/soaking/watering etc.?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff

On 27 Feb 2004 10:39:30 -0800, (Frank) wrote:

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

There is more than one way to skin a cat and several ideas on watering
plants. I prefer to use the saucer under the pot for several plants,
watering until the saucer fills. Coleus like plenty of water and
African violets don't like water on the leaves and I like a saucer for
both of these plants. Other pots I simply measure the amount of
water so I don't overflow the pot tray built on the bottom of the
pot, and don't use a saucer. I sometimes use 1/2, or 1/4 strength
fertilizer mix instead of watering, some use as directed fertilizer
strength mix instead of watering every other week, or once a month.
Not much point in fertilizing immediately after watering, or watering
after fertilizing, the fertilizer is washed out with the overflow.

Regards,

Hal

Actually, that's a bit incorrect. Fertilizing plants in containers is done more
frequently because it's their only source of fertilizer. Plants can stretch
much farther in the ground for fertilizer or nutrients.

In my containers, I use Osmocote. It's not a organic fertilizer, but it's a
prill which releases a small amount of fertilizer each time I water.

For food plants, like tomatoes in containers, I use manure tea, seaweed, and
fish emulsion. I also amend the potting mix using compost before I plant to
assure there are plenty of bacteria and fungi in the container. These organisms
make any fertilizer or nutrients more available to the plants in containers, and
in the ground.

v


On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 20:00:40 GMT, Phisherman opined:

Fertilizing container plants is different than those growing in the
ground (usually the container dosage is much less). Follow the
manufacturer's directions carefully. Don't forget about organic
fertilizers too--compost/manure teas, fish emulsion, etc.

On 27 Feb 2004 10:39:30 -0800, (Frank) wrote:

Dear all,

Maybe because I just start my gardening life, I try to make sure the
care I give to my plants is correctly done, sometimes maybe care too
much about the details.

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

I also try to keep the habit of soaking + draining Azalea and orchid
every Saturday. That means if I want to feed Azalea and orchid, it
will be after soaking. Or, do you actually soak them in plant food
solution? That means I have to make a large volume of food solution
every weekend!

My question may sound silly. But as you can see, I'm quite
enthusiastic about my new gardening adventure. :-) Could you please
share how you do the feeding/soaking/watering etc.?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff

Actually, that's a bit incorrect. Fertilizing plants in containers is done more
frequently because it's their only source of fertilizer. Plants can stretch
much farther in the ground for fertilizer or nutrients.

In my containers, I use Osmocote. It's not a organic fertilizer, but it's a
prill which releases a small amount of fertilizer each time I water.

For food plants, like tomatoes in containers, I use manure tea, seaweed, and
fish emulsion. I also amend the potting mix using compost before I plant to
assure there are plenty of bacteria and fungi in the container. These organisms
make any fertilizer or nutrients more available to the plants in containers, and
in the ground.

v


On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 20:00:40 GMT, Phisherman opined:

Fertilizing container plants is different than those growing in the
ground (usually the container dosage is much less). Follow the
manufacturer's directions carefully. Don't forget about organic
fertilizers too--compost/manure teas, fish emulsion, etc.

On 27 Feb 2004 10:39:30 -0800, (Frank) wrote:

Dear all,

Maybe because I just start my gardening life, I try to make sure the
care I give to my plants is correctly done, sometimes maybe care too
much about the details.

My question is about the feeding. I water my plants once a week on
Saturdays and plan to feed every other weekend. I do not have land so
all the plants are in the containers. Should I feed after watering or
just count feeding watering as one watering? During the normal
watering, I can see a lot of water coming out from the bottom, I just
keep on adding water. Sometimes the plants will suck the water back
from bottom saucer. The suggestion I got from this board is that I
should discard the excess water after say half an hour. But if I do
this for the feeding watering (the every other week one), that means I
have to make a large volume of plant food solution to afford the same
level of water consumption as the normal watering and discard the
excess volume (or save for next time?). Is this what you normally do
for pot plants? How much nutritional solution do you let pass the
roots?

I also try to keep the habit of soaking + draining Azalea and orchid
every Saturday. That means if I want to feed Azalea and orchid, it
will be after soaking. Or, do you actually soak them in plant food
solution? That means I have to make a large volume of food solution
every weekend!

My question may sound silly. But as you can see, I'm quite
enthusiastic about my new gardening adventure. :-) Could you please
share how you do the feeding/soaking/watering etc.?

Thanks a lot,
Tiff