Houseplants Tips - How to Feed Your Houseplant

The benefits to having an outdoor garden are the fact that for the most part nature takes care of most of what a plant needs to grow. An indoor garden however, does not have that luxury and relies completely on the gardener’s tender loving care.

Fertilizer is generally made up of NPK. These letters are the symbols used to recognize the chemicals used in fertilizer. In general; most fertilizer is made up of a ratio of 10-10-10. However, there are several variations available such as 10-20-10 or 5-2-7. These numbers provide the consumer with the relative amounts of each element present in that particular fertilizer.

Every plant species requires its own specific amount of these elements. It is very important to conduct thorough research to determine when to administer as well as how much. Flowering or fruit bearing plants for instance, require more fertilizer in early spring. In the onset of Fall, these plants become dormant, thus adding fertilizer at this time will in essence poison the plant, as it has no way to regenerate the excess fertilizer. At this time of season a routine of zero amounts of fertilizer is best.

Every plant absorbs the nutrients from the fertilizer at different rates. For the most part, a slow rate is recommended. Nitrogen helps the plant produce vibrant green foliage. This nutrient is found in salt form or Urea or bead form. The salt version of nitrogen readily absorbs moisture from the soil, while beads take a longer approach to deliver material below the surface.

The chemical element Phosphorus delivers material which enables flowering plants to produce blooms. This element is highly influenced by the PH levels in the soil. The Letters PH stand for the amount of acid present in the soil. The scale of measurement is 0-14 with water being 7-neutral. Number measurements closer to zero represent more acidic conditions while those closer to 14 represent a basic amount of acidity.

Phosphorus is very important to the healthy growth of a plants root. Therefore, soil that is too alkaline or basic, or soil that is too acidic can inhibit a plants ability to absorb and release Phosphorus.

Potassium is another very important element to plants, especially those that are fruit bearing. This element is present in oxygen and water and helps fight disease from claiming the life of the plant, as well as assisting the tissue delivery of these essential elements.

Although an all purpose liquid fertilizer has the advantage of working for most plants as well as delivering the elements evenly, it also has the potential to deliver excess amounts which can be detrimental to the health of your plants.

It is important to note, that no matter which method of fertilization you choose, always administer to wet soil. Adding these elements to dry soil can result in a much higher concentration of the elements and will result in the burning of the plants roots.

If you have purchased your plants from a reputable nursery or gardening center, you should not need to administer fertilizer right away. Cacti, almost never require fertilization. If in the spring you suspect you may have over fertilized, here are some signs to watch for. Wilting, stunted growth and dried tips are all sure signs of over fertilization, provided you have followed a proper watering routine.

If you discover that over fertilization has occurred, there is a method that can rinse away the excess. First be sure the pot has the proper drainage and then water the plant three to four times, at intervals of one hour.

The proper feeding routine along with sufficient water and sunlight will produce a garden of wondrous beauty for all to enjoy.

         

Indoor Houseplant Care