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Old 20-07-2005, 09:02 PM
Bruce W.1
 
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Default Does fertilizer make plants grow faster?

Say you plant your plant in rich and fertile soil. Is there really any
point to fertilizing it? Would fertilizer make the plants grow faster?

Thanks for your help.
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Old 20-07-2005, 09:10 PM
Doug Kanter
 
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"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
m...
Say you plant your plant in rich and fertile soil. Is there really any
point to fertilizing it? Would fertilizer make the plants grow faster?

Thanks for your help.


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But, even if
the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd still need to
continue adding to the soil over a period of time. This could mean adding
compost, or mulches which contribute nutrients as they decompose. The soil
is not a static environment.


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Old 20-07-2005, 09:39 PM
Bruce W.1
 
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Default

Doug Kanter wrote:


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But, even if
the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd still need to
continue adding to the soil over a period of time. This could mean adding
compost, or mulches which contribute nutrients as they decompose. The soil
is not a static environment.


===============================================

Fair enough. Then maybe a better question would be how long does it
take a plant to deplete the nutrients in the soil?

Take for instance some fast growing house plant, in a pot, and with new
potting soil. This plant gets plenty of sun. How long before it needs
fertilizer? Without specifics and details it's probably difficult to
say. But in general, how long before the soil needs fertilizer? Weeks,
months, years?

Thanks.
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Old 20-07-2005, 10:18 PM
Doug Kanter
 
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Default


"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
.. .
Doug Kanter wrote:


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But, even if
the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd still need to
continue adding to the soil over a period of time. This could mean adding
compost, or mulches which contribute nutrients as they decompose. The
soil is not a static environment.

===============================================

Fair enough. Then maybe a better question would be how long does it take
a plant to deplete the nutrients in the soil?

Take for instance some fast growing house plant, in a pot, and with new
potting soil. This plant gets plenty of sun. How long before it needs
fertilizer? Without specifics and details it's probably difficult to say.
But in general, how long before the soil needs fertilizer? Weeks, months,
years?

Thanks.


I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but it all depends!

1) Potting soil: Not always fortified with plant food. But, let's assume it
is for the moment.

2) Size of the pot relative to the type of plant and how long it's been in
that pot. Why? Because some plants will become root-bound faster than
others, and water will pass right through rather than be absorbed by the
soil. So, you now have a situation where nutrients are being washed right
out the bottom of the pot. With a freshly potted plant, the soil will be
depleted less quickly than the same plant that's become root-bound.

3) Depends on the type of plant, of course. To confuse the issue further, a
house plant that flowers only at certain times of year may need to be fed
every few weeks during that season, and less often or not at all when it's
just making leaves. Others may only need food once or twice a year.

I don't always have the time to adjust to the various plants in the house,
so I compromise. I use Miracle Gro liquid, diluted 1/4 of what they
recommend (4 times more water, in other words), and use it with almost every
watering. Works for most of the plants, with the occasional exception, like
the cyclamen I abused horribly over the past couple of months.

If you really are concerned with house plants, I'd recommend you pick up a
copy of "Crockett's Indoor Garden". It's out of print, but you can get used
copies CHEAP at www.powells.com.


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Old 20-07-2005, 10:44 PM
Warren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Bruce W.1 wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But, even if
the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd still need to
continue adding to the soil over a period of time. This could mean adding
compost, or mulches which contribute nutrients as they decompose. The
soil is not a static environment.

===============================================

Fair enough. Then maybe a better question would be how long does it take
a plant to deplete the nutrients in the soil?

Take for instance some fast growing house plant, in a pot, and with new
potting soil. This plant gets plenty of sun. How long before it needs
fertilizer? Without specifics and details it's probably difficult to say.
But in general, how long before the soil needs fertilizer? Weeks, months,
years?


Is your question "how long before I need to replenish some nutrients?", or
is it "how long before I need to add fertilizer?" Those are two different
questions. The second is far narrower than the first, and the answer to the
second often can be "never".

It's like asking how long before a person needs to take a vitamin pill. Some
people live long lives without ever taking a vitamin pill. And a vitamin
pill doesn't necessarily mean that someone in need of nutrition will get
what they need.

Fertilizers are the vitamin pill of the plant world. There are situations
that are so foreign to the normal culture of a plant that the only way
they'll get nutrition is with fertilizer, but even if fertilizer is the only
way to get then the nutrients they need, it would still be possible to
overdose them.

There are so many variables, and you can't just start plugging values into
the equation, and solve it like it's a math problem. And even if you could
reduce the needs of a particular plant down to a theoretical number, that
doesn't address the delivery method. Fertilizer may not be the right way to
deliver those nutrients. Maybe compost is. Maybe repotting is. Maybe
different watering methods will allow nature to resolve the problem.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Have an outdoor project? Get a Black & Decker power tool::
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blackanddecker/





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Old 20-07-2005, 10:52 PM
Doug Kanter
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Warren" wrote in message
...

There are so many variables, and you can't just start plugging values into
the equation, and solve it like it's a math problem. And even if you could
reduce the needs of a particular plant down to a theoretical number, that
doesn't address the delivery method. Fertilizer may not be the right way
to deliver those nutrients. Maybe compost is. Maybe repotting is. Maybe
different watering methods will allow nature to resolve the problem.

--
Warren H.


These are the things that make me scratch my head when people say gardening
helps them maintain their sanity. I find just the opposite, but it's a very
enjoyable form of insanity.


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Old 21-07-2005, 08:45 AM
Travis
 
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Default

Bruce W.1 wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But,
even if the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd
still need to continue adding to the soil over a period of time.
This could mean adding compost, or mulches which contribute
nutrients as they decompose. The soil is not a static environment.


===============================================

Fair enough. Then maybe a better question would be how long does it
take a plant to deplete the nutrients in the soil?

Take for instance some fast growing house plant, in a pot, and with
new potting soil. This plant gets plenty of sun. How long before
it needs fertilizer? Without specifics and details it's probably
difficult to say. But in general, how long before the soil needs
fertilizer? Weeks, months, years?

Thanks.


Commercial potting soil probably has zero nutrients.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5
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Old 21-07-2005, 01:27 PM
Doug Kanter
 
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Default


"Travis" wrote in message
news:QvHDe.20810$ph1.13207@trnddc06...
Bruce W.1 wrote:
Doug Kanter wrote:


Without a soil analysis, "rich and fertile" don't mean much. But,
even if the nutrient balance was perfect for a given plant, you'd
still need to continue adding to the soil over a period of time.
This could mean adding compost, or mulches which contribute
nutrients as they decompose. The soil is not a static environment.


===============================================

Fair enough. Then maybe a better question would be how long does it
take a plant to deplete the nutrients in the soil?

Take for instance some fast growing house plant, in a pot, and with
new potting soil. This plant gets plenty of sun. How long before
it needs fertilizer? Without specifics and details it's probably
difficult to say. But in general, how long before the soil needs
fertilizer? Weeks, months, years?

Thanks.


Commercial potting soil probably has zero nutrients.


Some contains fertilizer, actually. Doesn't mean it's as wonderful as you've
paid attention to outdoors until it's teeming with life, however.


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Old 21-07-2005, 06:18 PM
Bruce W.1
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Warren wrote:


Is your question "how long before I need to replenish some nutrients?", or
is it "how long before I need to add fertilizer?" Those are two different
questions. The second is far narrower than the first, and the answer to the
second often can be "never".

It's like asking how long before a person needs to take a vitamin pill. Some
people live long lives without ever taking a vitamin pill. And a vitamin
pill doesn't necessarily mean that someone in need of nutrition will get
what they need.

Fertilizers are the vitamin pill of the plant world. There are situations
that are so foreign to the normal culture of a plant that the only way
they'll get nutrition is with fertilizer, but even if fertilizer is the only
way to get then the nutrients they need, it would still be possible to
overdose them.

There are so many variables, and you can't just start plugging values into
the equation, and solve it like it's a math problem. And even if you could
reduce the needs of a particular plant down to a theoretical number, that
doesn't address the delivery method. Fertilizer may not be the right way to
deliver those nutrients. Maybe compost is. Maybe repotting is. Maybe
different watering methods will allow nature to resolve the problem.

=============================================

That helps. I thought fertilizer was like the meat and potatoes of a
plant's diet, rather than just a vitamin.
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Old 21-07-2005, 06:27 PM
Doug Kanter
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Bruce W.1" wrote in message
...
Warren wrote:


Is your question "how long before I need to replenish some nutrients?",
or is it "how long before I need to add fertilizer?" Those are two
different questions. The second is far narrower than the first, and the
answer to the second often can be "never".

It's like asking how long before a person needs to take a vitamin pill.
Some people live long lives without ever taking a vitamin pill. And a
vitamin pill doesn't necessarily mean that someone in need of nutrition
will get what they need.

Fertilizers are the vitamin pill of the plant world. There are situations
that are so foreign to the normal culture of a plant that the only way
they'll get nutrition is with fertilizer, but even if fertilizer is the
only way to get then the nutrients they need, it would still be possible
to overdose them.

There are so many variables, and you can't just start plugging values
into the equation, and solve it like it's a math problem. And even if you
could reduce the needs of a particular plant down to a theoretical
number, that doesn't address the delivery method. Fertilizer may not be
the right way to deliver those nutrients. Maybe compost is. Maybe
repotting is. Maybe different watering methods will allow nature to
resolve the problem.

=============================================

That helps. I thought fertilizer was like the meat and potatoes of a
plant's diet, rather than just a vitamin.


That's what the lawn service and fertilizer companies would have you
believe. Sometimes you do have to introduce some synthetic fertilizer, but
it's not the total solution it's made out to be. Neither is weed removal,
incidentally.


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