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crab_grass

Fertilizer

crab_grass
10 years ago

I have 15 tomato plants and about ten sweet and spicy peppers planted in large pots. All are growing an starting to flower. How often should I fertilize? I am currently using organic bone meal with a higher phosphorus to nitrogen ratio. Do peppers also require higher phosphorus levels to set fruit? And any advice on feeding squash and pumpkins? They are in ground and mulched with about 3 inches of clean straw. I know they are heavy feeders but I am not sure how often they need it and what they prefer. Living in Denver suburbs and the temps this week are going to be near 100

Comment (1)

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Since these are containers they will require regular feeding as the nutrients leach out every time you water. Many on the container forum recommend feeding weekly using a 1/2 strength dilution of nutrients. Some dilute it to 1/4 strength and feed it with every watering.

    Bone meal like most granular organics doesn't work well in containers as there is no active soil food web to convert them to useful nutrients as there is in dirt. Liquid organic fertilizers work well but not dry or granular.

    Plus bone meal is very slow acting - like 6 months from now. So it pays to understand your fertilizer and how it works for best results.

    Peppers are even less tolerant of high nitrogen fertilizers than tomatoes are. Fortunately most liquid organics are well balanced.

    Pumpkins and squash are both fairly high P demand plants but again a granular organic is going to be slow acting.

    You can learn much more about growing in containers and the unique needs of container plants over on the Container Gardening forum here.

    Dave