Food & Soil

we're tropical

1. Cheap fertilizer is not good and good fertilizer is not cheap

   Usually it is best to buy the most expensive fertilizers (per pound of weight) that is available.  Do not buy brands (cost more) but buy contents so the most expensive bag of an unknown brand is likely better than the same price compared against a brand name product

   Why? Because expensive fertilizers have more plant food value and less bulk (filler). Many better fertilizers are time released formulations that feed over 60-120 days rather than washing away after 1, 2 or 3 rains

   Fertilizer bags are labeled with contents such as 8-2-10 or some other set of 3 numbers. The first number is nitrogen content, the second is the phosphorus content and the third number is the potassium content. There are more essential foods  (see below)

   Do not think that a bag that says 20-20-20 is automatically 10 times better than a bag labeled 2-2-2. No plant would want 20-20-20, except maybe lawn grass. You will want to get the right fertilizers for your plants

   Fertilize often. Once a year is (sorry to say) stupid. Use the same amounts but spread the feedings into smaller meals. Feeding 3, 4, even 6 times a year is way better, e.g. U-Florida recommends 6X a year

   Apply granular fertilizer like salt and pepper.  Sprinkle at and somewhat beyond the drip line.  Apply enough to see the fertilizer on the soil but not much more.  Apply a width depending on size of plant, e.g. a tree you might apply a foot wide, small shrub, a few inches

   The time to feed is when it's warm and hot.  In South Florida, feeding #1 would be late winter, perhaps March 1st or so.  Why feed then?  Because that is when plants start their growth period.  Feed often, all the way to September or October in Florida zone 10.  Last feeding is August or September zone 9.  Last feeding in zone 8 would be August

   If you live in cooler climates, follow the same rules.  Feed right at the start of warm weather and quit about a month before cool weather returns

2. Buy "acid forming" fertilizer for your Ixoras and Gardenias and all other acid (soil) loving plants. Read labels and find one that usually says "for acid loving plants" on the bag

   If you have an Ixora hedge (and who doesn't?), you'll probably need to buy 2 or 3 bags. If you don't use proper fertilizer on Ixora, your plants will have very poor blooms and yellow foliage
    

3. If you have citrus trees, you'll want to buy at least one bag of citrus fertilizer. Use palm food if citrus is not available

   The latest recommendation for citrus is a bag labeled 8-3-9 or 8-2-10 and it should have at least 3% magnesium. See the back of the bag for other nutrients (minor elements) and their quantities.  Minor elements are critical for citrus health.  See our citrus article for more information

   Citrus is not a tropical (as most people believe) but a Mediterranean plant. South Florida soils are terrible for citrus. For good fruit and healthy trees, buy a bag of citrus food

4. The only remotely "universal" fertilizer type is palm fertilizer

   Palm fertilizer is now the ONLY remaining fertilizer you can buy that reliably has "minor elements" in the mix. Minor elements include iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, boron, etc..

   In the past two years, even palm fertilizers have degraded in content. Many palm fertilizers now are almost "junk" in quality.  Remember, cheap price = cheap contents (food value)

   The latest University of Florida recommendation for palms is to use 8-4-12.  Palm fertilizer should automatically include 3-4% of both magnesium and manganese

   Critical:
   
   Extra  sensitive palms like pygmy date palms, sagos, queen palms, royal palm, foxtail and paurotis will probably die without these critical nutrients.  To be 100% sure, go ahead and by both magnesium and manganese as separate supplements to apply when you apply regular palm fertilizer

   Be safe. READ THE BACK LABEL and get as many minor elements included as possible in your bag of fertilizer

   You may end up with a bag labeled "Rose Food" or a bag labeled "Bloom Booster" or something else. Don't let these labels influence your purchase

   The more different minor elements, the better

   The more quantity of the minor elements, the better

   The more usable minor elements, the better. For example, there's iron and there's chelated iron, which is far more available to the plant. Expect to pay more for the chelated iron content

   Buy a bag with at least 6 minor elements. A bag with 8, 10 or 12 minor elements is even better

   >>>>> The point is you can use good quality palm fertilizer on everything else in your landscape and be pretty safe you're doing the right thing

   Follow label directions for quantity

   If you want to be 100% sure you've done all the right things for your palms, also buy a manganese and a magnesium supplement (more bags). ALL PALMS (except native Florida palms) demand added magnesium and manganese for health. Follow label instructions.  To add magnesium you may purchase Epsom Salts at your drug store.  Epsom Salts is magnesium sulfate.  Always apply with a dose of your regular fertilizer for that plant (to prevent imbalance)

   
   
5. In South Florida, plan on fertilizing at least 4 times a year from Spring through October. As of 1997, The University of Florida recommends 6 times a year is better, especially for palms


6. If you have flowers, you'll also want to buy some time release chemical fertilizer and/or some organic fertilizer

   Buy time released pellets as the best chemical time released fertilizer. There are now many brands of pellets so look for the contents - read the label.  For example, most stores stock a lot of high nitrogen time release pellets.  Formulations like 25-10-10 or any other 3 numbers with a high first number = a high nitrogen formulation.  The ONLY time that would be correct is on foliage plants (nothing but leaves).  For fruit and flowers, you want a low nitrogen formulation.  Something like 5-10-10 or similar.  You can't burn plants with time release pellets

   Milorganite, we believe, is your best granular organic fertilizer. Use Milorganite on delicate plants and all plants which respond well to organic nutrients. Never use Milorganite in potted plants

   
   
7. Another good supplement is IRONITE. Ironite really greens up plants (fast), but especially on plants which tend to yellow out. Use on trees is also very good, but may be harmful to palms and cycads. Try to find the dry, granular form of Ironite.  Use a little per label instructions.  Over use is a killer and iron is not a substitute for overall good fertilizer ingredients.  Always use only on plants with wood (not fiber, like palms and cycads


8. If you have bromeliads, orchids, staghorn ferns or other air plants, consider using Fish Emulsion fertilizer

   Fish Emulsion is another organic fertilizer (ground up fish parts) and works wonders on all plants. You can use "fish" anywhere and everywhere, except maybe indoors. You won't like the smell, but Alaska brand we buy locally can be used for indoor plants as well.  It's a sure thing as you can not burn or overdose using fish
   
   We ignore the label which says 3-4 tablespoons per gallon every 3-4 weeks.  Instead we 1-2 tablespoons  per gallon and use it with every watering on potted plants.   We also use it as a "tonic" for sick plants 2x or 3x strength over 2-3 waterings.  You can also plant plants watering them into your soil with fish instead of plain water to promote quicker adaptation
   
   There are also seaweed concoctions usually sold in highly concentrated formulations.   We used to be able to buy Roots Organic brand which was a marvel.  It cured every sick plant we every tried it on and always used it in delicate transplants
   
   We can not recommend any specific seaweed supplement but all the ones we have tried work just fine.  Some are used in the soil, other as a foliar spray, some both.  Read the label

9. Keep all your fertilizers dry and away from children and pets. You know why


10. Use liquid fertilizers indoors if you must. Using time released pellet fertilizer is better, but liquids are OK for occasional use. All (chemical) liquid is bad because most products contain large quantities of salts that will build up in your soil and on the surface of your pots (a white hard residue that doesn't wash away)
    
    We get tons of email from people who are killing their plants with liquid fertilizer, especially Miracle Grow (it's very advertised so many people buy).  We guess they believe the ads or use too much, but rapid decline is the common complaint
    
    We can also say that professionals in South Florida do not use Miracle Grow.  Almost all growers and nurserymen use Peters liquid, but NEVER as a main food.  Almost all use time release pellets and an occasional boost using Peters liquid fertilizer (blends).


11.  Almost as bad as using Miracle Grow the wrong way is buying potting soil with fertilizers included
    
    Yes, we know the claims about great growth, but we can say every test we have made with these "soils" has killed every plant of every variety we have tried (in pots).  We also get lots of email from folks using other brands of bagged soil with fertilizers included ...very often with immediate leaf yellowing, leaf drop & other problems or death
    
    Must be too strong; too fast a release.  Sadly, most store shelf space is now devoted to the soils injected with crystals of chemical fertilizers, so you have to shop even harder to find "clean" soil.  You might consider mixing fertilizer soils with Canadian peat moss to dilute the concentration
    
12. We have one more point about fertilizer and that is about soil
    
    In the wild, there is no fertilizer (added) and Nature's plants have been doing just fine for millions of years.  Wild plants get 100% of their nutrition from their (native) soil.  Nature's soil is a highly complex mixture of decayed plants, live and dead insects, bacteria, fungi, enzymes, hormones, etc.  Where people run into trouble is planting non-native plants and using incompatible soils (compared to the native soil for each plant you want)
    
    First, never buy the cheap soils.  You see heavy 40 pound bags of "potting soil" or "composted soil" as low as $1.29 a bag.  This stuff is awful for tropicals and deadly for almost all potted plants

    You must buy something labeled "nursery mix" or "pro mix" and the bag must weigh very little for its size. Never buy the cheap stuff because it's no good. Expect to pay about $8-$12 for two cubic feet of quality soil

    The soil you want to buy should contain
    some or all of these parts:
     

    • Canadian peat moss
    • Pine bark chips
    • Charcoal chips
    • Composted manure
    • Dehydrated composted manure
    • Mushroom compost
    • Perlite
    • Vermiculite

    The soil you buy should NOT contain:

    • Top soil
    • Fertilizer
    • Anything that came from a sewer plant
    • Insecticide
    • Fungicide

    
    What you want is a Canadian peat moss based soil mix with added ingredients such as pine bark chips, charcoal chips, perlite, seed hulls, composted manure or dehydrated manure, etc.   In general, the more ingredients, the better.  However, know that many of these soils are sterile...having no insects, no bacteria, no fungi, no enzymes, no hormones, etc
    
    These quality soils are used by 100% of professional growers here in South Florida.  Soil is a major expense for growers, but they know you can not grow good plants without good soil Here we see a sign at Fairchild Tropical Gardens that talks about the acidic mix for acid loving (soil) plants.  This mix is 50% silica sand, 35% peat moss and 15% composted pine bark.  By the way, the sign also says they dug down 2-5 feet
    
    Commercially in bags, these soils are harder to find and are the most expensive per bag and certainly per weight of bag.  Like fertilizer, the more expensive, the better.   Locally, we like Lambert's pro mix at about $8.50 for 2 cubic feet at Home Depot.  Soils to avoid are sold by the POUND, e.g. $1.49 for 40 lbs
    
    Often we will add coarse sand to professional soil and as much as 50%.  We do this with true tropicals as they are used to a sandy (native) soil and the resulting good drainage is always welcome.  If coarse sand is hard to find, use Perlite instead

Please shop for your fertilizers locally, but
we offer some top quality foods here only
because some folks can't find good fertilizers