Fertilizing African Violets
African Violets respond best to a method of feeding where you give them a
small amount of plant food at each watering. This is called the constant
feed method. It eliminates the need to remember whether or not it is time
to fertilize since it is always time. Whatever brand of plant food you use
it can be used as a constant feed fertilizer. Just read the instructions,
then cut the recommended amount in half and use the plant food at that
strength at each watering. For example, if the directions call for you
to use 1 teaspoon in a quart of water once a month, then use 1/2 teaspoon
in a quart of water every time you water. This is true whether you choose
to wick water or water
traditionally either from the top or bottom. The middle number of the
three that tell the analysis of your fertilizer is the important one.
It tells you the percentage of phosphorus which is important to heavy
blooming plants such as violets. A fertilizer which has a middle number
lower than either the first or last of the three numbers in the analysis
is not going to help your violet produce as much bloom as a fertilizer
that does have a higher middle number. Fish emulsion is not suitable as
a constant feed fertilizer to be used in wicking containers. Your plants
would love it, but your nose wouldn’t. We recommend and use on our
plants the Dyna-Gro brand line and the Peters brand line of fertilizers.
Dyna-Gro products are liquid fertilizers. Peters products are powders.
Both brands make solutions that can be poured into wicking reservoirs
or wicking trays. We sell various formulas of both lines.
Go to the section on Air, Temperature and Humidity
Go back to the section on Watering
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