organic fertilizer for seedlings?

At 11:01 AM 1/8/2001 -0600, you wrote:
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 10:03:45 -0600
From: Mary R Wills <mrwill1@juno.com>
Subject: organic fertilizer for seedlings?

>Just found out they quit making my favorite fertilizer for seed starting.
>I'm wanting to try using a fish emulsion solution. However, I understand
>that organic fertilizers need the natural bacterial action of soil to
>release the nutrients in them and so are "slow-release". Since I'm
>starting in sterile soil-less mix, will the organic fertilizer do any
>good?

Your fish emulsion will work fine. For seedlings, dilute it to 1/4 (or more
if you're nervous) of recommended strength and gradually increase the
strength as the plant grows.

Whether organic fertilizers require bacterial action depends on the
fertilizer type. Liquid fish emulsion is a fast acting food in any soil -
organic or peat- based potting soils. (In other words, just because it is
organic based does not mean that the same rules hold true for all sources
of plant food.)

We used to use a weekly feeding of this to complement the regular nursery
food. Injected it right through the hoses along with the regular
constant-feed NPK blends. :-) (nurseries have machines to put the food into
the hoses so that when you water, you feed.  Constant feeding is exactly
that - whenever a plant gets watered, it gets fed.)

Fish emulsion does great things with potted roses and you won't believe the
blooms you'll get if you use it on a weekly basis with them (in peat based
soils).
Seedlings of perennials and annuals are fine as long as they don't get too
heavily fed.

It is a little high on the N and will tend to encourage leggy growth if not
enough light is present when used at full strength. As long as your light
levels are fine and your temperatures are in the proper range for the stage
of plant growth, you shouldn't have problems. Let one of those things get
out of range though and fish emulsion will drive your plants spindly. It is
a *very* effective plant food.  With a N starved plant, you can see the
difference in plant leaf colour very quickly - if you have the time to sit
and watch. :-)

Hope that helps.

Doug

Doug


Doug Green, 
Freelance writer - "You need it - I write it."
Syndicated columnist and Contributing Writer
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com


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