Best overall fertilizer for household plants

Lantana · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Dripping Springs, TX

I'm a newcomer here; a friend recommended this site, looks like a great place with great gardening tips. Was wondering if anyone might suggest an overall basic fertilizer for household plants. I use Medina Soil Activator when I transplant but I feel I need something more to help my plants along. My plants are slow growers and have browning tips on the ends of the leaves. I use Garden Ville potting soil and I'm stumped as to what else I need to make my plants happier and healthier. :? Lantana

Mr. Clean · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 708 Location: Garland, Texas

Lantana,

Welcome to the forum. I'll watch this thread with you. For the last 5+ years the only "fertilizer" I have used for most of my potted plants is the recycled water from our fish tank and an occastional tablespoon /gallon of apple cider vinegar. Our containter grown roses do get the additional supplement of GreenSense's rose food.

Kathe Kitchens · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 829 Location: Dallas,TX

Welcome! :D
Just to share methods, my potted plants get watered once every other month with diluted Bioform liquid, Medina Hasta-Gro or some other liquid fertilizer. Once a year, usually in spring, I add in some earthworm castings or finished compost to their soil to give them a little boost and sometimes a handful of granular organic fertilizer. Depends on how much I want them to grow! And every year they get some cornmeal to protect them from fungus. I also spray them every so often, usually once a month during warm weather, with one of the liquid folar sprays mentioned above. They're healthy, beautiful and happy. I've never heard of using Medina SA for transplanting, just seaweed or Bioform or maybe a natural root activator. I always add cornmeal to the potting soil when I pot...it just works so well.

FYI - Sounds like your brown-tipped plants are having a hard time. Could they have a water pocket at their root tips or the bottom of the root ball? Or maybe the bottom of your pot just never dries out enough? I'd add some cornmeal and back off on the watering if they were my plants. Just a thought...doesn't hurt to mention it, I guess.

Lantana · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Dripping Springs, TX

Thanks for the tips. I wish I had some of that fish tank water; sounds like a great watering technique. Will try some of Kathe's mentions and watch what happens. Maybe I can recycle some of the water I use for other purposes around my house.

Mr. Clean · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 708 Location: Garland, Texas

Lantana,

I'm sure Kathe Kitchens methods will work for you. I used similar methods before getting the fish tank. I do still add the earthworm castings and fertilizer when repotting.

Good luck.

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

I have a lemon tree that has been neglected for 10 years before last year. In July 2002 I applied a handful of alfalfa and it shot out 6 inches in all directions. So this year I'm using a handful of both corn meal and alfalfa on the first of every month starting Jan 1st. Thus far it looks fantastic. It will be interesting to taste the lemons in December.

So I would do that for houseplants, too. For small plants a teaspoon of each every month. For larger plants a tablespoon/month.

Lantana · Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Posts: 3 Location: Dripping Springs, TX

David-Hi

Can you tell me where I might find Alfalfa and cornmeal. I've looked at Home Depot for cornmeal and what I find is corn gluten. I'm a little confused on the Alfalfa--is this liquid form (you referred to tsp) or some other form (as you referred to handfuls)?

I saw some lemon and lime trees at the Nautral Gardener when I was there last week and I wasn't aware that these trees would grow around here. Think I might try to grow one.

Thanks for the help!

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

You can get alfalfa pellets at any pet or feed store that sells rabbit food, gerbil food, hamster food, koi food, horse feed, or cattle feed. Alfalfa is the main ingredient in most animal feeds except dog and cat.

I get pure alfalfa pellets at feed stores. All the bags labeled for animals contain other stuff that is really good but they also contain salt lower down on the ingredient list. It probably is not enough salt to be concerned about, but I would rather have the purer stuff. A feed store should have the pure alfalfa.

So a teaspoon would refer to the smaller pellets like hamsters would eat. Cattle pellets are the size of my thumb. Hamster pellets are almost as small as a kindergartener's pencil lead in diameter. They fit into a teaspoon better.

Feed stores is about the only place where you'll find corn meal in bulk.