Re: fertilizers, Please help
I was under the distinct impression that ammonium sulfate was the
preferredsource of nitrogen for acid loving plants. Ammonium
sulfate would ahve a low pH - the salt of a weak base and a stong
acid.
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
> >
> >
>
