Sophomore Care Chronicles/Year 2010

[davidwood]

Charlie,the iron chelate i get from you can i mix it in water.I have been making a hole and putting in half a teaspoon a month[i have run out and am waiting on the bigger jar].
Jordan's idea seems to be a bit easier so would it be ok.
The leaves on Night magic[the picture makes them look much darker than they actually are] which gets a lot of sun each day have gone a  very pale yellow,same as Acapulco Gold[they have both had a Spider Mite bath this week].Will the Iron bring them back green or is it just the sun.

I did have this theory that the hotter the sun the paler the leaves,and generally that seems to be the case but Magnifique blows away that theory,it could not be a darker green and its in full sun all day.

[davidwood]

charlie.....when you mix a gallon of fertilizer and whatever else you add....super nova or booster....do you put that entire gallon on 1 plant...if not how many plants do you feed with 1 gallon.....and how often do you recommend feeding...I hear some say they feed at every watering???..thanks..lynette

I hope Charlie answers this as i am also cofused. What i do is water my plants and then 30 mins later re-water with the  fertilizer added usuing about 1 gallon for 8 plants.  We will know soon.

[Charlie]

Good question - it is clear that generally speaking growing hibiscus with some shade causes larger and greener leaves with no other special care. The opposite of that would be smaller and lighter colored leaves in full intense sun. As you noticed with Magnifique, each variety is genetically unique and can react in different ways.

Some people find it easier to mix the chelated iron in water, or even mixed with their fertilizer water, and that works fine. I think Jordan is trying a technique where she mixes it in water and then fills a saucer with the water/iron/fertilizer. The pot is set in the saucer where it wicks up the water and nutrients as the pot dries out. This provides maximum feeding for the plant and has shown dramatic results for me, especially when nothing else seems to work for a particular plant.

I haven't seen Lynette's post yet but will look for it and answer that part as a reply to her. Thanks for bringing it up.

Charlie

[Charlie]

Hi Lynette, this question comes up for everyone when they start using water soluble fertilizer. Once the fertilizer and other ingredients are mixed in a gallon of water each plant is given just enough to saturate the root zone of that plant. It's fairly easy to tell with pots because some comes out the bottom when saturation is achieved but a little harder with in the ground plants. You vary the amount with the size of the plant and the root ball. Just make your best guess and you will be close enough for in-ground plants.

We've found that hibiscus and many other plants do best when given a small dose of fertilizer often, rather than a large dose at more widely spaced intervals. The way many nurseries do it is to inject fertilizer into the water all the time so that each time the plants are watered they are also fed. After all, plants drink their food and a steady diet is good for them. You can do the same if you have the time and want to. Just mix a lower dose, such as half a teaspoon of the HVH Special Blend, into a watering can every time you water. When the number of plants grows so that is too time consuming you can use a hose end feeder or another device such as the E-Z Flow injector that sucks fertilizer into the hose at the proper ratio or fertilizer to water.

If any of this is not clear, please ask again. Thanks.

Charlie

[motherof4]

Thanks charlie....the way I am doing it now is 1 teas per gallon once a week...and I apply to about 4 plants....I think I will try 1/2 teas...more often...what about the booster...most of my plants have buds now...thanks lynette

[Charlie]

There are many ways to use the Booster. I like keeping it simple which in this case would mean just substituting 2 teaspoons of Booster once per month instead of one of the regular fertilizer treatments. You can mix it up with other ingredients, or use it more than once per month, and see what happens, but I like the simplicity of using it once or twice a month instead of other ingredients. Problems from use can come when it is used in tablespoon amounts rather than teaspoon amounts. There are some people with experience in using it who push the envelope but I don't recommend it. Nitrogen is the "hottest" ingredient in fertilizer and the most likely ingredient to be used at too high a level. Since Booster (potassium and nitrogen) has less nitrogen than HVH Special Blend you are not likely to overuse nitrogen if you replace the Special Blend with the Booster. You have to be more careful if you combine Booster with HVH Special Blend.

Charlie

[Pachrian]

There's no worry about drowning the roots in a shallow saucer like you are using. The water and nutrients will continue to wick upward through the potting mix and be absorbed by the roots. Drowning occurs when the air spaces throughout the root ball are filled with water and the air driven out. This does not happen when water is wicked up from the saucer. As a general precaution don't refill the saucer constantly, but allow the mixture to be absorbed until none or almost none is left and then refill it.


Charlie

Charlie, I'm a bit confused by this statement because I've read you say many times that one needs to make sure pots don't sit in saucers filled with water that comes out of the pot during regular watering, that this could lead to root damage? How is this situation differnt?

[Charlie]

Watering is one of those tasks that requires changes in strategy depending on conditions. As long as water is moving through the plant, in through the roots and out through leaves as transpiration, as it does in summer conditions it is almost impossible to overwater hibiscus. When Cindy first got involved with hibiscus I proved this point to her by filling a deep saucer with 3 inches of water and placing a suitable hibiscus in an 8 inch pot into the saucer. She was pretty sure that would kill it, based on her experience with houseplants in colder, darker WA state, but in warm and sunny southern California the plant just sucked up the water over the next week or so and flourished. But, I would not do this in winter conditions when the water would not be used and could stagnate. Fungus and bacteria grow in stagnant water and can cause problems.

The way water works in a saucer is that the rootball is flooded up to the height of the water in the saucer. The rootball above the water level is not flooded because the water only wicks upward through the parts of the soil that absorb it well, such as the peat moss and coco coir, and does not flood the pot above the level of water in the saucer. The air spaces are preserved when water is wicked upward and roots remain healthy. It is best to allow the water in a saucer to get used up so even the small amount of roots at the bottom of the pot are aerated as the water level in the saucer falls. Once the saucer is dry more water can be added to it.

Remember, many plants are grown hydroponically, which means their roots are submerged in water all the time and there is no soil. Hibiscus can be grown this way, too. There is nothing wrong with water as long as the oxygen content is adequate and disease organisms are controlled.

Charlie

[Darkhorse]

Thank you for clarifying this, Charlie.  Regarding the amount of water hibs need in the summertime, I too made the mistake of underwatering last year.  I was terrified of overwatering, so I tried to let the top portion of soil dry out before I would water again.  All too often I would test the soil with my finger in the morning (very high tech test this is), leave for a half day, and come back to a wilted plant.  They really do get thirsty in summer.

It's cooler here now, but a few weeks ago when the temps were in the low 80s I was watering each of them every day.  They're only in half sun, too.  I am already planning to water at least 2x a day when it really heats up here.