Potted plants and flowers growing in containers may be looking a little ragged as we get into September. They still have several weeks before cold weather hits and maybe could use some “pick-me-up” with a shot of nutrients.
Container plants had a hard time this summer. Confined to a pot, their roots dry out quickly. The constant cycle of not enough water, then a heavy irrigation, followed by another round of drying out and heavy irrigation causes stress to the root system. Plants this summer needed an almost constant source of water. Nutrients that traveled with every watering dripping through holes in the bottoms of pots, left plants needing replacement nutrients.
Applications of fertilizer is called, in everyday vernacular, “feeding the plants.” Some plant need regular feeding; others can make do with sporadic fertilizations.
Newly planted containers will benefit with a slow-release fertilizer of pellets, like the brand Osmocote. Slow-release fertilizer pellets are coated with polymers that dissolve over time. As the polymer coating is dissolved, the fertilizer is released. Slowrelease fertilizers give nutrition for the first several months. After they have completely dissolved, it is time to feed with additional nutrients. There are organics that have similar action, fertilizers like alfalfa pellets and fish meal pellets. Animals may be attracted to the fish meal, so precautions may be necessary.
The best fertilization is with a regular application of a dilute water-soluble, liquid fertilizer. These are hugely and immediately effective because the nutrients are dissolved in the irrigation water and are distributed directly to the root system. There are several brands on the market. Look for formulations that say “balanced,” which means that in the product are the three major nutrients plant use the most. MiracleGro is a popular brand that has formulations for foliage plants and for fruiting plants. Always follows package directions. The proven adage “less is more” is appropriate when fertilizing plants.
There are organic fertilizers that can be delivered as a liquid. These are, again, fish meal emulsions, and one gaining popularity has extracts from the seaweed kelp.
Generally fertilizers are delivered to the soil rather than foliage. Some plants will have margin burns if fertilizers touch the leaves, or more commonly, a residue is left behind after the solutions dry. Remember, all fertilizers are salts. The white residue that is left behind is actually a salt deposit, which could damage tender leaves.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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