I used to mix my own version of FP by adding STEM soluble micro-nutrient preparation + Sprint 138 iron chelate to MG 12-4-8, but am just as happy with the FP ..... happier, if you consider it eliminates a few steps. I haven't found a better all-purpose fertilizer.

Al

I have only had it for a couple of months. I am using it in my propagation program. Rooted seedlings and cuttings are immersed in a weak solution and allowed to wick it up from the bottom of the container. So far the results are promising with good coloring in the new foliage. Al

This year I experimented with it on tomatos. Normally I would have added Pro Tekt 0-0-3 to boost potassium relative to N for tomatos, but instead I just used the 9-3-6 fert. It seemed to work fine with no noticeable loss of yield. As a disclaimer, I didn't count/weigh fruits or compare to previous years in any formal manner I simply eyeballed it wondering if providing more N to a plant that would ideally have slightly reduced N would result in disappointment.

It didn't.

I am with Al in that I haven't found a better all purpose fertilizer.

Thanks, guys!

FP is at the top of my Christmas list! ;)

Josh

I haven't used it yet... I'm still working through a bottle of regular old MiracleGro all purpose liquid. However, I'm willing to give it a try, as long as it's not too expensive.

Try and encourage a local dealer to stock it. I paid $12 shipping from the nearest dealer I could find. The Dyna Gro company is closer. Al

Thanks! I'll see what I can do... we have a nice local garden center that might be talked into carrying it... next time I'm there, I'll ask.

Early this summer I almost lost my Meyer Lemon due to very wide fluctuations in temperature, a salt build up, not watering enough and using a variety of fertilizers and Epson salts. I lost 98 percent of the leaves and over 25 lemons. What was left was not very attractive...a poor relative of Charley Brown's Xmas tree.

I ordered Foliage Pro and Pro Tekt 0-0-3 from Dyna Gro. I then flushed the pot heavily twice, corrected the watering schedule (shade from really hot afternoon sun) and from that time on, only used Foliage Pro and the Pro Tekt along with a 1/2 cap of vinegar....nothing else.

The difference is amazing. The trunk thickened and all the stems are very sturdy. The leaves grew back in abundance, larger, dark green and very glossy. It's way healthier than when first bought in early March.

So a big thank you to Al, Mike and others that talked about this product way back when. It sure deserves another mention.

FP & Protekt been working great for me so far (since May). Other than the crusty salt buildup on the container and dropper I use to extract it.

If anyone sees any specials/discounts online it'd be great to share with the rest of us!

Jodi, I found several online sources to be quite reasonable. it's the shipping that can get you; fortunately I needed other things, too. I also used the ProTekt this summer outside and will continue to use it next year.

I agree, I HATE paying shipping! It's a shame they don't sell this locally near me. I've had wonderful results also and will continue to use it. Al, we appreciate you sharing this info on this great fertilizer with all of us!

Thanks, you guys... and thanks for the vote of confidence in the product! I guess I'll just have to eat a shipping charge and get the stuff... I've done it before for other items I've needed, and I'm sure it won't be the last time!

First, I'm going to see if I can find someone who will order it in locally... but if I must, I will order it online. Some things are just worth that little extra money spent.

I used it pretty much exclusively last year, and saw no reason not to this year. I am not an expert!

I got mine on ebay for about $35/gallon, and about $12 shipping but I can't find that price ANYWHERE now. Even with shipping it's cheaper than the near $60 most places list it.

Maybe we should all chip in for a big wholesale order to share. hmmm.

I just ordered a gallon of FP 9-3-6 and had it shipped to CA as a Christmas gift for a dear friend. As I was looking for the best deal, I stopped looking when I found it at $39, which was less expensive than the other sites I'd found. The only reason I abandoned my search was because I found it at Oak Hill Gardens near CHI, which is where I buy my bark. They're a small husband/wife operation and have taken good care of me in the past.
Copy/paste to your browser:
http://www.oakhillgardens.com/htm/supplies_fertilizers.htm

Hope that helps.

Merry Christmas!!

Al

Santa left some FP 9-3-6 in my stocking....!

Josh

What a nice Santa!! Lucky you...you must have been a very good guy this year,lol...

Santa is always kinder to me than I feel that I deserve....

I hope Santa brought you some lovely gifts, too!

Josh

Al, do you mind sharing which item you purchase for your bark, at that Oakhill garden sites?

Is it "FIR BARK - white fir bark for orchids; available in medium and fine (3 cu. ft. bag)" -- fine for $17/bag?

Or is this the place you bought a pallet at discount on-site (w/out shipping charges).

TIA

I buy the white fir bark in fine grade. The last load I bought was 20 bags (I share with friends) and I paid $15/3 cu ft bag. The regular price is $17. I picked it up when I traveled to a bonsai convention in CHI this summer. A friend who has a summer home in WI usually alternates with me in picking it up so we always have a good supply on hand.

Al

Well, Al, you'll have to let me know when you're going to be coming down Chicago way... or more to the point, Oakhill Gardens way... Oakhill is just a tiny hop, skip, and a short jump from my son's house, which we visit rather frequently in nicer weather. I'd love to meet up with you over there... Larry and I could take you to lunch, and say thank you in person. He's quite happy that I'm so happy, and rather impressed with all I've learned and applied to my indoor gardening!

He loved Oakhill Gardens last time we were there... and I know he'd be up for another trip. In fact, he was disappointed that we didn't get to go to the Orchid Festival this past fall.

So, keep that in mind if you plan on traveling down next spring or summer!

I usually hit the Midwest Bonsai Show at the CHI Botanic Garden each Aug. It's unlikely that I'll need to make a trip to Oak Hill, but lunch or dinner sounds great, if you guys are around. We can talk more about it as the show approaches.

Al

Sounds great, Al... I'd actually enjoy attending a bonsai show, and I'm pretty sure Larry would, too... I'll look into it further as spring approaches. Maybe we could meet up at something like the Chicago Botanic Gardens for the bonsai show. There's a lot of time between now and then!

Hi Al,
I am looking for a fertilizer that can be used in tissue culture. The fertilizer should has at least 2 critical conditions: NPK ratio should be closed to the ratio of plants/seedlings/tissues uptake; during and after uptake nutrients media should not change pH a lot. I enjoy reading your writing and have few questions:
From what article/research do you get the 10:1.5:7 ratio?
After trying FP and 3:1:2 fertilizer do you see pH of media change a lot or not? Thanks. Kelvin.

I don't know enough about tissue culture to be of much help to you. I can say that FP 9-3-6 does not have the same pH lowering affects that fertilizers based on urea as their N source do.

I had to go look, but the information on the 10:1.5:7 came from the work of Professor Tom Ericsson, a respected researcher in plant nutrients at the Swedish Agricultural College in Ultuna.

Al

For anyone wishing to send FP to California as a gift, the best source I found was Southwest Plantscape Products in Oxnard Ca. 800 333 7977. They also have a web site for ordering but I mislaid it. $29.33 with a shipping of $12.80 within Ca. as of September this year. If you need an address to send it to, I can suggest one!
I have been looking for granite fines and yesterday found at a landscape supply what they called 1/4 inch gray granite used for paths. Actually 1/4 inch is the largest rock in the mix, the majority is sized about right for the gritty mix. Al

Thank Al,
I'm able to find information of Professor Tom Ericsson with the 10:1.5:7 ratio. Link:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/mastergardener/midland/association/newsletters/2006-11-Midland-TheGreenScene.pdf
I currently use 20-10-20 fertilizer in vitro. In first few weeks, seedlings (orchids) grow well but later they are not good because pH get too low. I have a box of MG 24-8-16 fertlizer; unfortunately, ~20% N is urea and ~4% N is ammonium. When N is uptake media could become too acidic. I will check FP 9-3-6. Thanks again.
Kelvin

What size FP for that price of 29.00 dollars? Is it a good size bottle?

I can get it locally for 18 dollars and they ship to your area...

The FP I buy is in the one gallon size. My closest source is about 300 miles away and must be shipped. The plant that makes it is about 100 miles away, but does not sell retail. Al

Just an update on this post. As I mentioned previously, I used both Foliage Pro and Pro Tekt from Dyna Gro. Winter over, we always get rather hugh fluctuations in our temperatures.
I've used both products, plus a cap of vinegar for each watering and have not had one leaf drop since last fall.

Also using the Pro Tekt has resulted in sturdier growth from my viewpoint, both in stem and leaf development.

Would love feedback from Al as he brought up the original source and thanks to Mike for the continued thread.

I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for in the way of feedback, but I can say that I believe I'm seeing the same thing. Over the last couple of years, my plants, especially the bonsai, seem to be more resistant to insects, disease, and heat. Since I started using the ProTeKt about the same time I started using the FP 9-3-6, it wouldn't be fair to give credit to one or the other, but before I started using the FP, I was adding STEM (soluble micro-nutrient supplement) and Sprint 138 (Fe chelate specifically for high pH applications) to MG 12-4-8 and using that as a fertilizer - with excellent results. Essentially, the MG was much like the FP, other than the fact that FP derives the largest fraction of its N from Nitrate sources while MG is urea-based. Would that change make a significant difference? I tend to doubt it because the MG tends to acidify as it breaks down - more so than the FP, and I have relatively high pH water.

So, though I have no concrete evidence, in the back of my mind it's most reasonable to attribute the improvement in resistance to disease, insects, and heat to the ProTeKt, but who knows? ;o) I'll keep using it and maybe one day enough evidence will emerge so I can offer something more defined.

Al

Here it is a year or more or less using Foliage Pro on my plants and I thought I would show you the leaves on my plants I took pictures of just now.

Thank you Al for what you shown us..:-)

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Some nice neat lookin' plants, mike! =) I love the heck out of FP & have only been using it for like 2 months now...lol. Great stuff!

Thanks Steve!

It feels great to use a fertilizer that you know plants love to live by! I wish they sold this stuff at Home Depot for sure!

By the way, I went by Logees for you, and they didn't have the vanilla you wanted and the Limon was way to bitty to even bother with. I am waiting for them to root some 4 inch potted ones and come up with some more vanilla..
I was there for you and my peace of mind, since being there is better and more peaceful than being in a book store, sort of a therapy for me, and I will go back as soon as I get word of better plants.

Take care,

Mike..:-)

Ok, that's fine. Thanks though! =) Some of those places have only small windows of opportunity to get certain plants within, so I understand (especially semi-tropicals). LMK when they do have them.

- Steve

Meyer Mike: Where do you get the Foliage Pro for $18.00 a bottle. What size do you get for $18.00?

Al I will be trying Foliage Pro for the first time for my tomatoes. My question is how much for the initial feeding at time of planting in container. I know you say use weakly weekly I believe correct me if I miss read. Thanks for all your help to us it is very appreciated.

Hi Gg...I get it at "Worms Way" which is a place local for me..

There is 32 ounces in it..You might be able to purchase it cheaper on the internet..

Mike..:-)

Hope this stuff works. Just received 2 gallons from Trade Winds Bamboo Nursery, Gold Beach OR

$34/gallon $15 shipping for the 2 gallons.

You have to call them to give them your credit card number.

Try http://southwestplantscape.com/swpp/index.htm
$29.33 / gal plus nominal shipping

Oh well. I couldn't view/download their catalog, should have called them.

Greetings fellow gardeners!

My name is Ryan and I am the sales rep. for Dyna-Gro. I came across this discussion board and it looks like there is an excellent exchange of information taking place which should be very beneficial for the growing community.

I was a bit concerned because it looks like some people are having a difficult time finding foliage-pro at their local gardening stores. I wanted to encourage everyone to ask the store owners to begin carrying Dyna-Gro products because without your input they will never know what they are missing!

You should also stop by www.dyna-gro.com and take a look at all of the excellent gardening information we have available.

I would also like to make everyone aware that we will be offering a 10% discount to anyone that mentions this forum when placing an oder with us directly at 1-800-DYNAGRO. We pride ourselves on happy customers and happy plants and I see this as a way of thanking everyone for benefiting the growing community by spreading accurate information and informing people about the amazing results that can be achieved when plants receive the complete nutrition provided by Dyna-Gro.

I wish everyone continued success with all of your gardening endeavors. Please feel free to contact me at 1-800-DYNAGRO with any questions you may have.

Here is a link that might be useful: www.dyna-gro.com

Thank you Dyna Gro!

I will myself take a gander....Please thank the makers for putting "Ca", a very rare ingredient in the fertilizer, which citrus crave for, in tyhe right ratio, which I have discovered that no other fertilizers do..Not even some of the so called citrus fertilizers...

Mike..:-)

Hey, Mike - you got the Dyna-Gro guy to notice your thread - pretty cool, eh? ;o)

Al

Really cool my friend.:-0) Hope you have been ok lately.

Thanks for the e-mails..Enjoy this warm weather!

Mike..:-)

Hey, Mike!
I hope it's as sunny there as it is here!
I hope to hear from you soon....

Josh

I found Foliage Pro on Amazon with free shipping! Thanks for the tip!

Great! It's easy to use and reliably effective. If you have your other cultural ducks in a row, there is good reason to expect a stellar grow season! At least that's what we're all hoping!

Best luck.

Al