Does anybody use phosphorus fertilizer to promote flowers
Hello, I was curious if anybody uses a high phosphorus fertilizer to promote flowering and budding? If so what kind? I see Alaska makes a morbloom fertilizer that is 0-10-10. Thanks
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pepperhead212
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I don't usually use things like that in my garden, to avoid adding it to the water table, but with all the SIPs I have out there, I occasionally add a little of a high PK fertilizer to the reservoir, if a plant seems to be a little slow flowering, or too few flowers. It doesn't take much - only 1/2 tsp or so of a 0-35-10 fertilizer (I've gotten different ones that I've found on sale at various places) - and it works FAST!
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Gary350
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Wood ash ia a good fertilizer = no nitrogen = N=0, P=1, K=4, it makes a very good fertilizer if you need mostly K, it also contains 20% to 30% calcium plus, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, zinc.
Last edited by Gary350 on Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
I used to use superphosphate, but I have since done soil tests and my phosphorus was off the scale about 8 years ago. It is still in the very high range so I try to avoid phosphate fertilizers. I cannot avoid all phosphates because I still add compost and compost does contain some phosphorus.
Moreover, Michigan did a study on blooming plants. The results of the study was that is was not actually the phosphorus that promoted blooming, but actually the relative lack of nitrogen. The study concluded that while plants do require enough nutrients to maintain healthy tissues, more was not better. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus eventually gets into the water table, and leaches into streams, lakes, and oceans causing problems with algae blooms and low oxygen levels. High nitrogen promotes leaf growth over blooming. Most plants do need more nitrogen in early growth but nitrogen should be limited as plants mature.
Over fertilizing with nitrogen leads to vegetative growth instead of blooms. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are essential nutrients and are required in relatively large amounts by plants and can be limiting factors of growth, if there are deficiencies . Phosphorus does affect plant metabolism and helps with blooming, but a large amount is not needed. Over application can lead to ground water pollution, but would not necessarily have a greater impact on plant blooming, if the plants have adequate phosphorus levels to start with.
PH and soil factors are important in determining nutrient availability. Excess of any one nutrient can affect the uptake of others. A healthy soil needs to be balanced. If things are doing well, then you likely are in balance, but if you are having problems, then a soil test would be the better option to understanding what is going on with the soil and how to get the best yields.
https://msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/ferti ... t_gardener
https://nrcca.cals.cornell.edu/nutrient/CA5/CA0539.php
https://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/all_fertil ... ated_equal
https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/IPAFinal.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Amy/Downloads/21_LC_UnderstandingSoilNutrientInteractions_TechBulletin.pdf
Moreover, Michigan did a study on blooming plants. The results of the study was that is was not actually the phosphorus that promoted blooming, but actually the relative lack of nitrogen. The study concluded that while plants do require enough nutrients to maintain healthy tissues, more was not better. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus eventually gets into the water table, and leaches into streams, lakes, and oceans causing problems with algae blooms and low oxygen levels. High nitrogen promotes leaf growth over blooming. Most plants do need more nitrogen in early growth but nitrogen should be limited as plants mature.
Over fertilizing with nitrogen leads to vegetative growth instead of blooms. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are essential nutrients and are required in relatively large amounts by plants and can be limiting factors of growth, if there are deficiencies . Phosphorus does affect plant metabolism and helps with blooming, but a large amount is not needed. Over application can lead to ground water pollution, but would not necessarily have a greater impact on plant blooming, if the plants have adequate phosphorus levels to start with.
PH and soil factors are important in determining nutrient availability. Excess of any one nutrient can affect the uptake of others. A healthy soil needs to be balanced. If things are doing well, then you likely are in balance, but if you are having problems, then a soil test would be the better option to understanding what is going on with the soil and how to get the best yields.
https://msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/ferti ... t_gardener
https://nrcca.cals.cornell.edu/nutrient/CA5/CA0539.php
https://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/all_fertil ... ated_equal
https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/IPAFinal.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Amy/Downloads/21_LC_UnderstandingSoilNutrientInteractions_TechBulletin.pdf
We take care of several flower containers in our small village and every third or fourth watering "higher" P and K soluble fertilizer is added to the water. The blue powder comes from several producers and is called "bloom booster" or similar names. This has N included but at a much lower amount. These containers have soilless mix as the medium and need to have the nutrients replaced as rain or plain watering flushes out the nutrients. Works for us.