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Old 04-29-2010, 10:46 PM   #4 (permalink)
Richard
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Default Re: "Industrial strength" fertilizer in nurseries?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardener972 View Post
Is it true that the fertilizer nurseries use is stronger than what the general public can buy? I was told this by a worker at one of the box stores.
No. The general public can buy all the formulas available to nurseries.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gardener972 View Post
She also told me to use fertilizer at a stronger rate than what's on the packaging. What do you think of this?
That is a poor generalization. As an example, consider a fruiting banana variety such as Dwarf Namwa that is past the juvenile pup stage. If it is planted with sufficient root space (4' x 4' x 18" deep planter) it can utilize up to 1.5 net pounds of potash per year. If you are using a banana fuel formula that is 30% potash (such as 15-5-30, 15-10-30, 20-5-30), then you would apply up to 5 lbs per year to obtain net 1.5 pounds of potash. Some packing will state this, others will state a lower level. The same is true of fertilizer products for other plants. Before you increase the stated amount, it would be best to find out the actual capacity of a particular plant.
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