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Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=
Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=
Wed Jun 7 14:53:28 CEST 2006
hardy Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL> Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
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From: "Mellard, David (ATSDR/OA/OD)" <dam7 at CDC.GOV>
Subject: Fertilizers
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> Should I fertilize my Arisaema's ?? or is that Arisaema. If so what
does everyone use? Manure, Miracle Grow, 12 12 12, or anything at
all. Im interested in hearing what everyone has to say.
I fertilize all my garden plants at 100 ppm nitrogen. For garden
plants, the brand of fertilizer probably doesn't matter because elements
in soil will make up for what's not contained in the fertilizer.
Having said that, I live in Atlanta where the water has low alkalinity
(not to be confused with alkaline, meaning above a pH above 7). Because
Atlanta has low alkalinity water, it has very little calcium and
magnesium so I've chosen a fertilizer that's supplemented with those
macroelements that plants require. I use the Michigan State Reverse
Osmosis fertilizer (or MSU RO fertilizer) (13-3-15-8Ca-2Mg with added
microelements). As the name implies, this fertilizer was developed for
people who use RO water. To give you an idea of how Atlanta's water
compares to RO and rainwater, here's the alkalinity: RO water, 0 ppm;
rainwater, about 10 ppm; Atlanta, 35 ppm. Medium to high alkalinity
would have readings in the 100, 200, and 300 ppm. Other brands that
include added calcium and magnesium are CalMg and Excel (so I've heard).
The MSU RO fertilizer is a nitrate based fertilizer that helps maintain
the pH in 6's when used with low alkalinity water, although this is less
important an issue for garden plants compared to potted plants. Because
I use a peat based mix for potted plants, it's important for me to use a
nitrate based fertilizer to prevent the pH from becoming too acid over
time. Other parts of the country with medium to high alkalinity
shouldn't use a nitrate based fertilizer for potted plants (it will
drive the pH above 7 over time making some elements less available to
plants) but rather should use an acidic fertilizer (that is, one that
has high amounts of ammonium or urea as the nitrogen source). This
year, I've become more diligent about fertilizing during the spring and
have noticed a big difference in the plants. Many of my plants are
spring ephemerals and the consistent watering this spring along with
added fertilizer have allowed them to perform their best.
Studies of nursery grown plants have shown that plants perform their
best at 125 ppm nitrogen. I reduced the nitrogen concentration slightly
just as a precaution because I grow a lot of native plants along with
Arisaema and Amorphophallus, both in the garden and in pots.
Because the nitrogen concentration varies from fertilizer to fertilizer,
the amount added to a gallon of water varies slightly but is usually
somewhere around 1/2 to 1 tsp per gallon. Here's the formula for how to
mix a fertilizer to a desired concentration:
Volume fertilizer in tsp = desired N concentration x # gallons =
water
/ % nitrogen in fertilizer x 75 x 0.2 oz/tsp
Here's an example using 30-10-10, 2 gallons of water and a desired N
concentration of 125 ppm:
Volume fertilizer in tsp = 125 x 2 / 30 x 75 x 0.2 = 0.55 tsp=or
about 1/2 tsp.
Because I have a large garden that would require mixing 100 gallons to
water everything, I now use a concentrated fertilizer solution that is
diluted using a Dosmatic, which is then hooked up to a regular garden
sprinkler. I now make up a 40X concentrated solution of MSU RO
fertilizer, set the dosmatic to a 1:40 dilution rate, turn the hose on,
and the entire garden gets fertilized in about 30 minutes. I then use
just the garden hose to fertilize parts of the garden that the sprinkler
doesn't reach.
For my potted plants and occasionally for garden plants, I water with
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) once a month just to make sure plants are
getting enough magnesium and sulfur, another macro element that plants
require that's not found in Atlanta water. The dilution rate for Epsom
salt is 2 and 1/4 tsp per gallon to yield 200 ppm sulfur and 150
magnesium. This is probably not needed for garden plants but in my case
is needed for potted plants since some of my potted plants are in a
peat-based mix and some are in an epiphytic mix for orchids.
>From what I've read, seedlings do better at lower nitrogen
concentrations (e.g., 50 ppm) but I do not have enough experience here
to offer sound advice.
A source for MSU RO fertilizer is Hilltop Orchids (765-795-6016). I do
not get kick backs <grin>
David
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FA=MILY: =
Arial"><SPAN
class=828221212-07062006><FONT
color=#0000ff> > </FONT></SPAN>Should I fertilize my =
Arisaema’s ??
or is that Arisaema. If so what does everyone use? Manure, Miracle ==
Grow,
12 12 12, or anything at all. Im =
interested in
hearing what everyone has to say.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT size=2></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>I fertilize all=my =
garden
plants at 100 ppm nitrogen. For garden plants, the brand of =
fertilizer
probably doesn't matter because elements in soil will make up for what's ==
not
contained in the fertilizer. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>Having said tha=t, =
I live in
Atlanta where the water has low alkalinity (not to be confused with ==
alkaline, meaning above a pH above 7). Because Atlanta has low =
alkalinity
water, it has very little calcium and magnesium so I've chosen a =
fertilizer
that's supplemented with those macroelements that plants require. =
I
use the Michigan State Reverse Osmosis fertilizer (or MSU RO =
fertilizer)
(13-3-15-8Ca-2Mg with added microelements). As the name =
implies, this
fertilizer was developed for people who use RO water. To give you =
an idea
of how Atlanta's water compares to RO and rainwater, here's the
alkalinity: RO water, 0 ppm; rainwater, about 10 ppm; =
Atlanta, 35
ppm. Medium to high alkalinity would have readings in the =
100, 200,
and 300 ppm. Other brands that include added calcium and
magnesium are CalMg and Excel (so I've heard). </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>The MSU RO =
fertilizer is a
nitrate based fertilizer that helps maintain the pH in 6's when used =
with low
alkalinity water, although this is less important an issue for garden =
plants
compared to potted plants. Because I use a peat based mix for ==
potted
plants, it's important for me to use a nitrate based fertilizer to =
prevent the
pH from becoming too acid over time. Other parts of the country =
with
medium to high alkalinity shouldn't use a nitrate based fertilizer for =
potted
plants (it will drive the pH above 7 over time making some elements less ==
available to plants) but rather should use an acidic fertilizer (that =
is, one
that has high amounts of ammonium or urea as the nitrogen source). ==
This year, I've become more diligent about fertilizing during the =
spring
and have noticed a big difference in the plants. Many of my plants ==
are
spring ephemerals and the consistent watering this spring along with =
added
fertilizer have allowed them to perform their best.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>Studies of nurs=ery =
grown
plants have shown that plants perform their best at 125 ppm =
nitrogen. I
reduced the nitrogen concentration slightly just as a precaution =
because I
grow a lot of native plants along with Arisaema and Amorphophallus, both ==
in the
garden and in pots. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006><FONT face==Arial =
color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>Because the =
nitrogen
concentration varies from fertilizer to fertilizer, the amount added to =
a gallon
of water varies slightly but is usually somewhere around 1/2 to 1 tsp =
per
gallon. Here's the formula for how to mix a fertilizer to a =
desired
concentration:</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN =
class=828221212-07062006> Volume
fertilizer in tsp = desired N concentration x # gallons water / % =
nitrogen in
fertilizer x 75 x 0.2 oz/tsp</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>Here's an examp=le =
using
30-10-10, 2 gallons of water and a desired N concentration of 125
ppm:</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN =
class=828221212-07062006> Volume
fertilizer in tsp = 125 x 2 / 30 x 75 x 0.2 = 0.55 tsp or about 1=/2
tsp.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>Because I have =a =
large garden
that would require mixing 100 gallons to water everything, I =
now use a
concentrated fertilizer solution that is diluted using a Dosmatic, which ==
is then
hooked up to a regular garden sprinkler. I now make up a 40X =
concentrated
solution of MSU RO fertilizer, set the dosmatic to a 1:40 dilution
rate, turn the hose on, and the entire garden gets fertilized =
in about
30 minutes. I then use just the garden hose to fertilize parts of =
the
garden that the sprinkler doesn't reach. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>For my potted =
plants and
occasionally for garden plants, I water with Epsom salt (magnesium =
sulfate) once
a month just to make sure plants are getting enough magnesium and =
sulfur,
another macro element that plants require that's not found in Atlanta=2=0
water. The dilution rate for Epsom salt is 2 and 1/4 tsp per =
gallon to
yield 200 ppm sulfur and 150 magnesium. This is probably not =
needed for
garden plants but in my case is needed for potted plants since some of =
my potted
plants are in a peat-based mix and some are in an epiphytic mix for
orchids.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006>From what I've ==
read, seedlings
do better at lower nitrogen concentrations (e.g., 50 ppm) but =
I do not
have enough experience here to offer sound advice. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006></SPAN> </=P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006><FONT face==Arial =
size=2>A
source for MSU RO fertilizer is Hilltop Orchids (765-795-6016). I =
do not
get kick backs <grin></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006><FONT face==Arial =
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=828221212-07062006><FONT face==Arial =
size=2>David</FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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