Good liquid fertilizer

[Antipodean]

For seedlings, organic fertilisers aren't that effective as the nutrients are not readily available, it takes time for the micro organisms to break it down and most mixes do not have an much micro activity. Actually many people don't fertilise at all until planted out. If you must, as suggested above, very diluted wee will do.....cheap and easy!

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Antipodean

Actually many people don't fertilise at all until planted out. If you must, as suggested above, very diluted wee will do.....cheap and easy!

I'm in the opposite camp. If growing seedlings in 100% soilless medium (I go from DE to coir), then they get nothing in the way of nutrients unless I feed them. I always start a dilute fertilizing schedule as soon as the plants put out their fist true leaves, and continue right up until plant out.

[HudsonValley]

I've had success with Espoma's Start! liquid fertilizer for my seedlings: https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/up...Start_FNL5.pdf

I buy it at Home Depot, but lots of major chains carry it (WM, etc.). It's organic, doesn't smell terrible, and contains mycos, etc. On the downside, it's a little pricy, but I grow about 200 seedlings per year and only need one bottle. (I switch my plants to other fertilizers once they go outside.)

[Lindalana]

As always some great suggestions and something to learn!
I have a tendency to experiment with "alchemy" so often end up fussing too much.
Bower, thanks for bone meal suggestion! I tend to stay away from it much as of concerns on mad cow disease and such but am probably overthinking that topic entirely. As much as I do not like "blue stuff" I agree with Cole wisdom, in the beginning stage it is inexpensive, easy to use and simple. For container gardening I too have difficult time figuring "organic" way of doing it. Soil is a different matter though

[bower]

Originally Posted by Lindalana

As always some great suggestions and something to learn!
I have a tendency to experiment with "alchemy" so often end up fussing too much.
Bower, thanks for bone meal suggestion! I tend to stay away from it much as of concerns on mad cow disease and such but am probably overthinking that topic entirely. As much as I do not like "blue stuff" I agree with Cole wisdom, in the beginning stage it is inexpensive, easy to use and simple. For container gardening I too have difficult time figuring "organic" way of doing it. Soil is a different matter though

Must admit I didn't give mad cow much of a thought. But I have looked into the safety of bone meal otherwise, and was satisfied at least under Canadian regulations there's no risk of antibiotic residues, because it cannot be sold here unless it has been processed with heat levels that do destroy any residues of the kind (it is a steam process with specified temperature). This is why bone meal is approved for certified organic growers, but blood meal is not. The process is not the same, and it isn't clear whether drug residues are destroyed in the case of blood meal.

Both bones and blood are regular byproducts of the food industry, though, and the same screening for mad cow or other disease as in food can be reasonably assumed IMO. It is not like a "pet food" situation where unsaleable meat for human consumption is looking for a market. I wouldn't expect anything with 'mad cow' to get into that production stream, which comes after the processing for food.

[uno]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

I wish I could just get away with compost and starting mix but I think I need some liquid fertilizer until I put mp plants outside.

Jim

[bower]

Speaking of liquid fertilizer, I still have some of that Promix "organic based" soluble fert I bought last summer for late season feedings. Wasn't too thrilled with it.. Then yesterday I went to pick up a liter of fish fert but all they had was a gallon. One lone single gallon bottle, as in pass it up and it'll be gone, you'll get nothing until spring. I really need this for the winter greens I have started, so I bit the bullet and bought it. Will be using it in summer as well, I guess!

[kath]

Just ordered this for the first time this year, Jim, but everything I've used it on (herbs, greens, tomatoes) have been happy with it so far. It doesn't smell bad like fish emulsion, which is important because it's being used in our main living area.

https://www.harrisseeds.com/products...SABEgKLLvD_BwE

Not sure where else it's available but I didn't have to pay shipping on it, so it seemed reasonable to me. It calls for up to 1 Tbs./gal of water but I've been using it at half strength.

kath

[Bladefan]

Flora nova grow works great for me!

[hl2601]

Thanks everyone for sharing your tips. It is interesting to compare what works for different people. The whole DE concept especially is new to me and one I want to learn more about. Off to read old threads!

[hovermother22]

My tomato plants are flowering and I'm starting to pop some teeny tomatoes. I have been using Urban Texas Vegetable fertilizer. I'm going to switch over now to their tomato fertilizer. I just don't know how often to use it. I mixed in some Chickety Poo, I think it's called, into the ground before planting, but otherwise the soil is probably somewhat depleted because I have been planting tomatoes in same spot for years. Any and all recommendations and suggestion are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[DonDuck]

I use the lowest cost potting mix I can find for germination. I avoid potting mixes with perlite in them. It's probably okay, but I don't need anything that absorbs and holds water and it has no nutritional value. After germination, I water with distilled water which includes 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of the "blue stuff", sometimes known as Miracle Grow all purpose. Check the label, it has a very good combination of minerals plus some nitrogen. It even comes with a measuring spoon. It works well for me. I use no blue stuff after about three weeks. I use compost at plant out.

[garden patch]

I’m not sure if you can find this where you are at. I’m not even sure if it’s still available. But
I’ve used Plant-Prod seed starter. It should help promote root growth. I just stick with my red blue led lights and heat pad to get my seeds started.

[Vespertino]

For liquid fertilizer I've had good luck with Fox Farm Grow Big, Fox Farm Tiger Bloom and a little Cal Mag on occasion.

[b54red]

I have been using the DE planting method for all my small seeded plants from broccoli to tomatoes for a long time now. I have to give Ray a big thank you for posting about it years ago. It has cut my awful problems with damping off to nearly non existent. With DE you have no nutrients so feeding the barely germinated plants is more important than with potting soil. I try to bottom feed all the young plants and use a variety of things and they all seem to work. I use standard Miracle Grow diluted to about 1/4 strength early on and any of the Urban Farms fertilizers diluted the same. I prefer the Miracle Grow with the just emerged seedlings and will switch sometimes to one of the Urban Farms products once the plants are a bit larger or ready to be potted up into standard potting soil.

Bill