all my cliches in one fell swoop

i am cheap ... if it costs money.. i dont spend it... except on plants ...

i am always leery of the guy selling the plants.. wanting to sell me other stuff ...

if a soil test indicates something is missing ... then act accordingly ... which might loosely translate into... NO GUESSING .. and just whipping stuff around ...

they are not children.. plants do not need to be FED ... presuming you have any kind of non sterile soil ... and newbs need to clearly understand such ... as with any chemical.. or organic.. it is used/applied.. in reaction to a known problem ... if you dont have a problem... it would follow.. that you dont need it... see above re: soil test ...

all said.. a little of this or that ... IN MODERATION... most likely.. isnt going to harm things ... all i am saying is.. it probably not REQUISITE ...

its more of a psychological issue.. and a plant physiological need ... [meaning.. dont treat them like babies... they arent]

ken

Mindy - good question.

And my answer is -- not particularly helpful, probably not necessary and potentially harmful.

Before you add anything that potent in the fertilizer/amendment realm, you should have identified a specific need, either through soil testing or poor plant performance.

The theory that you need to add phosphates to stimulate root development has been rather thoroughly disproved. With healthy plants and proper planting techniques, the roots manage to grow all by themselves!! Excess phosphorous can limit plants' ability to take up other necessary nutrients and can even be toxic to some species. And probably the most compelling issue of all is that the unnecesary use of phosphate fertilizers and phosphate-heavy manures is one of the leading causes of water pollution.

This article from a local horticultural researcher and educator explains it well.

Here is a link that might be useful: The myth of phosphate fertilizers.

Another thing to consider about phosphates is that they are a terrible problem in run-off, contributing to the algae bloom that pollutes so many of our lakes and ponds. My understanding is that their use is commercially restricted in some areas of the country now, to try to put a damper on this big problem (If you remember, this summer residents of Toledo, Ohio were told not to use their tap water because of the toxic levels of an algal fungus bloom.)

hmmmm, I just KNEW I was in for egg on my face.
Thanks youall.
mindy

Yes, because of the run-off/pollution issue, phosphorous has been eliminated from most lawn fertilizers. Of any application, these tend to be the most widely used and overused fertilizers.

If you have egg, I've got a half a ten pound bag of superK on mine. In the shed. And I read whatever I find written by Linda Chalker.

I swear as recently as a few years ago a really competent nurseryman said to put a handfull of super-K in the planting hole. Myths don't dissipate as quickly as they they multiply.
We all just want to take care of our plants. I concur with ken about profit motivation of agri-business, but at the local level we all just want our plants to thrive.
I'll continue to be part of the problem if I feel compelled to use up that 5 pounds of algae food.

What can I do with it? Put it on my cereal?

marie

Some of my past soil test results have shown a need for phosphate on my lawn and around a tree. And it is expensive. So don't get rid of it. Save it for when you might need it.