Thank you for this video. As a first time gardener I now understand why my seedlings stopped growing! I transplanted many yesterday in a seedling starter fertilizer and out of seeding soill. I'll be checking them today. What I needed to do was to just fertilize them where they were!! Never realized seedlings can handle the fertilizer .
As always an informative and timely video. Perhaps the half or quarter strength recommendations are based on as you said not really knowing what's in the soil or soilless mix from the manufacturer. Erring on the side of caution so as to not burn the plants? That being said, everything you stated makes perfect sense. Happy Easter.
One thing I read about adding fertilizer to seedlings is that larger plants uptake nutrients faster than seedlings and thus can take a regular feeding of nutrients. So, if you add the same amount of fertilizer to a seedling as you do larger plants, you can end up burning the plant as nutrients build up faster than they are pulled out of the soil. What do you think of this interpretation? Cheers.
That is possible. It is one reason you should water so that some of the water runs out the bottom. But what about two plants that are the same size but grow at different rates? Do you feed one more than the other?
i have always wondered about diluting fertilizer for indoor seedlings and i dont kno y? but then, i am easily discombobulated (sigh) but this approach jst seems right. i mean, the little guys grow up in the same environment as mama :) kudo's to Garden-Fun... for telling us what he thinks rather than what he thinks we wanna hear.
I was previously told by you, on another video, to use a 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer. I've looked all over and have been unable to find (3-1-2, 6-2-4, 9-3-6, etc). This is my first year and I'm at a loss, my seedlings look beautiful and I don't want to kill them. The few that have 1st + true leaves I've given a tea I made from partially composted kitchen scraps out of desperation and they seemed to have a jump in growth over night when I did! Should I just stick with that or can you point to a particular product? . Help please . Happy Easter/Passover or just Spring!
A ratio of 3-1-2 can be hard to find. Just get something close to it. This one has that ratio www.amazon.com/Miracle-Gro-1001233-Purpose-Plant-Food/dp/B000P6QYJK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1Z0M52113LBDY&keywords=fertilizer&qid=1650834556&sprefix=fertilizer%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-5&th=1
I am a beginner first year learning about seedlings. There are many little details I learned are crucial. Can you please advise how big true leaves need to be to start fertilizing. Reason I am asking is I do see very tiny tiny true leaves emerging but then they don't keep growing quickly so do I fertilize right away when true leaves are just barely visible or wait till they are more substantial?
Again you need to know if there is any fertilizer in your starting mix to know when to add fertilizer. I make my own soilless mix and always forget to add fertilizer. My seedlings were stunted for months until I planted them into the garden. Then they took off. That telling me I needed to add fertilizer as soon as those first true leaves started. I make my own fertilizer so I really have no idea what the ratio is. And the dilution is approximate. Keep at it, it gets better as long as you research mistakes!
Isn't lower nute strength simply because of EC? It applies to soluable (synthetic) nutrients? For example plant is forced to uptake NO3 unlike "organic" form which is mostly NH4.
"Isn't lower nute strength simply because of EC?" - no idea what that means? EC is a measure of total salts. "plant is forced to uptake NO3" - plants are not "forced" to take up nutrients. "unlike "organic" form which is mostly NH4" - organic means the nutrient is in organic form - mostly proteins. NH4 - is not organic - it is just a different form of nitrogen used by plants.
Miracle Gro is 24-8-16 and that’s a 3-1-2 ratio and I used a 25% strength solution for seedlings. When they get over 4” tall I use a 50% solution and right before I plant them in the garden I give them a 66% solution. Anytime you see any browning along the edges of the bottom most leaves of a young plant then that’s a sign they got too much fertilizer and it’s a fertilizer burn. So you would like to avoid that happening. The plant will not die but you know it’s too much. I had a few tomato plants get that and it only affected the lowest leaves on the plant (three out of 21 plants) and once in the ground all the growth was fine. It didn’t spread but I withheld additional fertilizing once on the ground because there’s plenty of nutrients in the soil. Only after they started fruiting did I give another 66% dose of the 3-1-2 Ratio Miracle Gro through my Drip irrigation lines using an EZ-Flo Fertilizer tank system.
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Love the “no BS” information!
I love you tube it captures people being genuine about passionate things for them and us.
Thank you for this video. As a first time gardener I now understand why my seedlings stopped growing! I transplanted many yesterday in a seedling starter fertilizer and out of seeding soill. I'll be checking them today. What I needed to do was to just fertilize them where they were!! Never realized seedlings can handle the fertilizer .
Thought the same as you did!
As always an informative and timely video. Perhaps the half or quarter strength recommendations are based on as you said not really knowing what's in the soil or soilless mix from the manufacturer. Erring on the side of caution so as to not burn the plants? That being said, everything you stated makes perfect sense. Happy Easter.
One thing I read about adding fertilizer to seedlings is that larger plants uptake nutrients faster than seedlings and thus can take a regular feeding of nutrients. So, if you add the same amount of fertilizer to a seedling as you do larger plants, you can end up burning the plant as nutrients build up faster than they are pulled out of the soil. What do you think of this interpretation? Cheers.
So just not fertilizing as often should solve that problem.?
That is possible. It is one reason you should water so that some of the water runs out the bottom.
But what about two plants that are the same size but grow at different rates? Do you feed one more than the other?
Well now I know why my seedlings were stunted! They picked up after I planted them in the ground. I did add fertilizer to the new seedlings!
I guess I always thought full strength fertilizer would burn the young tender roots on a seedling. 🌷💚🙃
I agree on the way you approach seedlings. I start my seeds in the same soil I intend to grow them in and they do well.
What do you use for fertilizer?
I have been wondering about this since I started my seeds. Thank you!
Great video and perfect timing for us!
Very informative, thank you 🙏
May is coming 🍁
i have always wondered about diluting fertilizer for indoor seedlings and i dont kno y? but then, i am easily discombobulated (sigh) but this approach jst seems right. i mean, the little guys grow up in the same environment as mama :) kudo's to Garden-Fun... for telling us what he thinks rather than what he thinks we wanna hear.
Yes same nutrients/EC as mother plants works for me👍🏻👊🏻
Ty for explaining weekday true leaves meant. Subbed
So glad I am subscribed to this channel!
Thanks for all the info you share. I have lavatera seedlings and the leaves have chloroses, do I need fertilizer? Thanks
I would think a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen would help? When I see that happening to my plants I add fertilizer.
Yellow leaves can be a nitrogen deficiency, or many other nutrient imbalances. I would fertilize.
I was previously told by you, on another video, to use a 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer. I've looked all over and have been unable to find (3-1-2, 6-2-4, 9-3-6, etc). This is my first year and I'm at a loss, my seedlings look beautiful and I don't want to kill them. The few that have 1st + true leaves I've given a tea I made from partially composted kitchen scraps out of desperation and they seemed to have a jump in growth over night when I did! Should I just stick with that or can you point to a particular product? . Help please . Happy Easter/Passover or just Spring!
A ratio of 3-1-2 can be hard to find. Just get something close to it.
This one has that ratio www.amazon.com/Miracle-Gro-1001233-Purpose-Plant-Food/dp/B000P6QYJK/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1Z0M52113LBDY&keywords=fertilizer&qid=1650834556&sprefix=fertilizer%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-5&th=1
How often do you fertilize them?
I fertilize every time I water. Maybe once a month they get just water.
OK, thanks!
I am a beginner first year learning about seedlings. There are many little details I learned are crucial. Can you please advise how big true leaves need to be to start fertilizing. Reason I am asking is I do see very tiny tiny true leaves emerging but then they don't keep growing quickly so do I fertilize right away when true leaves are just barely visible or wait till they are more substantial?
Jennifer Chu, ".....as true leaves start to form" (at 1:45 and 5:29)
Again you need to know if there is any fertilizer in your starting mix to know when to add fertilizer. I make my own soilless mix and always forget to add fertilizer. My seedlings were stunted for months until I planted them into the garden. Then they took off. That telling me I needed to add fertilizer as soon as those first true leaves started. I make my own fertilizer so I really have no idea what the ratio is. And the dilution is approximate. Keep at it, it gets better as long as you research mistakes!
Fertilize when they start growing.
Thank you for your video.
Thank you
Great
Isn't lower nute strength simply because of EC? It applies to soluable (synthetic) nutrients? For example plant is forced to uptake NO3 unlike "organic" form which is mostly NH4.
"Isn't lower nute strength simply because of EC?" - no idea what that means? EC is a measure of total salts.
"plant is forced to uptake NO3" - plants are not "forced" to take up nutrients.
"unlike "organic" form which is mostly NH4" - organic means the nutrient is in organic form - mostly proteins. NH4 - is not organic - it is just a different form of nitrogen used by plants.
Miracle Gro is 24-8-16 and that’s a 3-1-2 ratio and I used a 25% strength solution for seedlings.
When they get over 4” tall I use a 50% solution and right before I plant them in the garden I give them a 66% solution.
Anytime you see any browning along the edges of the bottom most leaves of a young plant then that’s a sign they got too much fertilizer and it’s a fertilizer burn. So you would like to avoid that happening. The plant will not die but you know it’s too much. I had a few tomato plants get that and it only affected the lowest leaves on the plant (three out of 21 plants) and once in the ground all the growth was fine. It didn’t spread but I withheld additional fertilizing once on the ground because there’s plenty of nutrients in the soil. Only after they started fruiting did I give another 66% dose of the 3-1-2 Ratio Miracle Gro through my Drip irrigation lines using an EZ-Flo Fertilizer tank system.
If you use organic fert. should be no problem, using synthetic is a different ballgame.
I planted my seedlings and didn't even GET a chance to fertilize em..........that gat darn squirell.