Re: fertilizers, Please help
I was under the distinct impression that ammonium sulfate was the
preferredsource of nitrogen for acid loving plants.
Is there any evidence beside anecdotal that this ins not so!
Bill Plummer
Painted Post, New York USA
Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: "margaret lauterbach" <mlaute@MICRON.NET>
To: <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sent: Friday, 28 April, 2000 2:34 PM
Subject: Re: [SG] fertilizers, Please help
> What is the pH of ammonia? Margaret L
>
>
> At 07:24 PM 4/27/2000 EDT, you wrote:
> >Many of the plants I grow are acid loving plants and non
tolerant of Nitrogen
> >in the form of Ammonia. I have found it really hard to find
fertilizers that
> >don't have most of their nitrogen in the form of Ammonia. I
found a bulb
> >fertilizer that sounds good. The nitrogen is 75% from urea and
only 25% from
> >ammonia. Do you think that this would be good to use on
Rhododendrons and
> >Japanese Iris. Luckily Rhododendrons don't need a lot of
feeding, but I
> >killed off most of my Japanese Iris because I couldn't find a
fertilizer with
> >out ammonia Nitrogen and resorted to what I could find. Since
then I just
> >haven't ferilized the survivors.
> >
> >The pH of my soil appx 4.5. I was thinking I should put some
lime on some of
> >my Clematis, and other non acid loving plants, but was afraid
of the run off
> >onto the Rhododendrons which are my specialty. Would the
runoff hurt them
> >with my pH so low? How about my acid loving Irises? Also will
the bulb
> >fertilizer be likely to cause an adverse reaction due to
Calcium or
> something.
> >I had a rudimentary soil test done at a nursery because there
are no labs
> >that do it here and the county extension doesn't do it either.
They said my
> >soil was very low in minerals. I have been adding Epson Salts
which have
> >helped many of my plants, but could there be other minerals
that I should add
> >for Rhododendrons and my Iris? My other plants are thriving so
I am not
> >worried about them.
> >
> >Would appreciate any advice.
> >Thanks
> >
> >
>
