Take the whodunit out of feeding your industrial plant by learning the pros and cons of liquid vs. coarse-grained fertilizer .
Even if your garden beds are rich in nutrients , most plant profit from a regularapplication of fertilizerduring the produce season . And houseplants also need feeding once in a while . But with all the fertilizer on the market , know which fertilizer to use can be a challenge . fluent and granular fertilizers can both be used on indoor and outdoor plants , but these two fertilizer type tender different benefit and are used slightly differently . Here ’s what you require to lie with to run all your plants correctly .
Pros and Cons of Liquid Fertilizers
you could find both conventional and constitutive liquid fertiliser made of rude materials , like kelp repast or Pisces meal . These products are ordinarily applied by hand with garden sprayers , hosepipe attachments , or lachrymation cans .
Pros of Liquid Fertilizers
Because they are in fluid bod , these fertiliser are easy to apply and they extend other benefitstoo , include :
Marty Baldwin
Cons of Liquid Fertilizers
From easy program to quick absorption , liquid fertiliser offer a wad of fringe benefit , but they do have a few drawback , such as :
When to Use Liquid Fertilizers
If youstart veggie seed indoorsin spring , you may feeddelicate seedlingswith a dilute liquid fertilizer when they ’re a few column inch marvellous . Liquid fertilizers are alsoideal for potted plantsand container garden since they ’re less probable to build up in soils . You may also want to use fluid fertilizers as a quick plant pluck - me - up if you notice your plant are struggling during the grow season or you see signs of plant want .
Since liquid plant food can be used as foliar sprays , they’re peculiarly beneficial forlettuceand leafy jet , although other vegetable also appreciate them . you’re able to habituate fluid fertilizers on new transplantation to abridge transplanting jar and apply these fertilizer throughout the growing time of year at two- to four - week intervals to provide your plants with a even source of nutrient .
While liquid fertilizer are prosperous to use , they should n’t be apply in hot weather condition or when the sun is gamey overhead . or else , use swimming fertiliser in the early morning or eventide toreduce the chances of leaf scorch .
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Greg Scheidemann
Pros and Cons of Granular Fertilizers
coarse-grained or ironical plant food include both conventional and organic plant food options , such asbone repast , parentage meal , and plume meal . However , some gardeners also considercompostand manure to be granular plant food . Granular fertilizer may come in pelleted sort or coarse powders , but they ’re usually applied by hand or with a broadcast spreader .
Pros of Granular Fertilizers
Since gritty fertilizers cave in down over clock time , they provide a ho-hum release of nutrients and offer particular benefit to garden , including :
Cons of Granular Fertilizers
While granular fertilizers certainly have some major advantage , they also have a few drawback , such as :
When to Use Granular Fertilizers
Granular fertilizers are often too strong for indoor seedling , but they are ideal for fresh garden bed . Pre - plant applications of grainy fertilizer can be broadcast over garden at the beginning of the season and then worked into the soil before germ and seedling are plant . or else , gritty fertilizers can be added to new planting holes prior to transplanting to give plant life the nutrients they need to grow .
When applied as a top dressing at the beginning of the time of year , granular fertilizers provide free burning feeding for plant for calendar week or months , but you could also reapply these fertilizers as a side dressingaround heavily - feeding plants at six- to eight - week time interval . They ’re particularly useful for slow growers like onions andfruit trees . granulose fertilizers can also be apply at the base of plant , like melons , when they begin to flower to further the works to produce a large harvest time of fruit .
After app , granular fertilizers should be irrigate into the soil to make the nutrients they contain more approachable to plants . Also , keep in mind that granular fertilizers are saturated and should never be applied directly against plant tissue . To fend off plant tissue burn , apply side fecundation of gritty plant food 3 to 6 inches aside from industrial plant staunch and folio and thoroughly conflate top salad dressing of granular fertiliser into the top 3 to 4 inches of soil before engraft seeds or seedling .
Credit:Greg Scheidemann
Frequently Asked Questions
Both melted and granular fertiliser can be used on houseplants ; however , liquid fertilizers are usually easier to work with . Beyond being simple to apply , liquid fertilizers can be diluted if needed , and they ’re less likely to make up in potting mix .
Yes . While you apply mealy and swimming fertilizer in different ways , one common way to utilise these fertiliser together is to implement a irksome - release , grainy fertiliser as a top fertilisation at the outset of the arise time of year . After that , apply a melted fertilizer every two to four week to offer spare nutrient to your plants as they get .
Compost , worm castings , or senior manure can be steeped in water to make a DIY liquid plant food know ascompost teatime . bring an airwave bubbler will aid you brew compost tea even quicker .
