Low nitrogen fertilizer - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

bloomingreens · 03-12-2008, 06:29 AM

As a new gardener, I'm learning about fertilizers and other things I need for my plants. I'm wondering what kind of low nitrogen fertilizers to use for my tropical foliage plant that i just bought. Also would i be able to use the same type of fertilizer when i start planting herbs and other plants for food? I appreciate any responses.

gbronner · 03-12-2008, 07:06 PM

Generally a good water soluble balanced fertilizer once a month is a good rule of thump for house plants. Indoor plants do not require as much fertilizer as they are not growing as actively. I would suggest a deleted down version so that the fertilizer salts do not build up in the soil and end up burning the plants.

A good rule of thumb is the nitrogen will increase the leaf growth but if you are growing flowering plants too much nitrogen will actually be detrimental to the plants growth.

As a licensed pesticide applicator part of the training and testing processes has to do with reading the label. In fact a good portion of the test revolves around the labels.This applies to fertilizer as well. The bag will tell you how much you need and how much area it will cover and what types of plants it is intended for.

As a final thought it is not just the nitrogen fertilizer but the soil it's self the will be important.I would recommend you have the soil tested and then you will have a road map to improve your soil and add all the nutrients that are lacking. Soil test are relatively inexpensive and can be performed by county agriculture extension offices or universities in your area. Soil types and ph effects the storage and release of the nutrients to the plants roots so a soil test would be very helpful .

03-12-2008, 06:29 AM	#1
bloomingreens Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Silver Spring, Maryland Posts: 6	Low nitrogen fertilizer As a new gardener, I'm learning about fertilizers and other things I need for my plants. I'm wondering what kind of low nitrogen fertilizers to use for my tropical foliage plant that i just bought. Also would i be able to use the same type of fertilizer when i start planting herbs and other plants for food? I appreciate any responses.

03-12-2008, 07:06 PM	#2
gbronner Green Gardener Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Crest Hill, Illinois Posts: 19 Blog Entries: 5	Generally a good water soluble balanced fertilizer once a month is a good rule of thump for house plants. Indoor plants do not require as much fertilizer as they are not growing as actively. I would suggest a deleted down version so that the fertilizer salts do not build up in the soil and end up burning the plants. A good rule of thumb is the nitrogen will increase the leaf growth but if you are growing flowering plants too much nitrogen will actually be detrimental to the plants growth. As a licensed pesticide applicator part of the training and testing processes has to do with reading the label. In fact a good portion of the test revolves around the labels.This applies to fertilizer as well. The bag will tell you how much you need and how much area it will cover and what types of plants it is intended for. As a final thought it is not just the nitrogen fertilizer but the soil it's self the will be important.I would recommend you have the soil tested and then you will have a road map to improve your soil and add all the nutrients that are lacking. Soil test are relatively inexpensive and can be performed by county agriculture extension offices or universities in your area. Soil types and ph effects the storage and release of the nutrients to the plants roots so a soil test would be very helpful . __________________ Please stop by and visit my home page for some of the greatest gardening links resources and articles! http://www.glenns-garden.com

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