Citrus > Citrus General Discussion
Looking for a good controlled release citrus fertilizer with micronutrients
Millet:
The reason that organic fertilizers work for in ground citrus trees and plants but not for container citrus is due to:: organic fertilizers are slower to become useable by plants because they have to first be broken down by soil microorganisms and fungi in order to feed plants. Organic fertilizer has to essentially decompose before the nutrients are available to plants. This process can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on many factors including soil temperature and moisture levels. In container growing the essential soil microorganisms and fungi are absent, therefore the fertilizer is not available.
Tortuga:
--- Quote from: Millet on January 14, 2023, 01:58:47 PM ---The reason that organic fertilizers work for in ground citrus trees and plants but not for container citrus is due to:: organic fertilizers are slower to become useable by plants because they have to first be broken down by soil microorganisms and fungi in order to feed plants. Organic fertilizer has to essentially decompose before the nutrients are available to plants. This process can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on many factors including soil temperature and moisture levels. In container growing the essential soil microorganisms and fungi are absent, therefore the fertilizer is not available.
--- End quote ---
I haven’t found any studies that lead this to be true. My organic compost (rabbit, quail, llama fecal matter) added to my containers contains billions of beneficial bacteria and funguses species. Your logic may have some weight to it in a sterile medium
Millet:
Tortuga, it is not my logic, I learned it from Dr. Manors of Florida Southern University. However, you are correct in that if you add all the manures you listed to a container mix, then n organic fertilizer should work. However, most all container mixes contain no organic mixtures other than sterile peat moss and bark, perlite etc.
Vegan Potato Man:
--- Quote from: pagnr on January 13, 2023, 03:47:33 PM ---In containers I use a combo of regular and organic, to get the higher NPK on one hand and the availability / biological benefits on the other.
It can be hard to get the high Nitrogen from organic without using a large amount of fertiliser which can clog or crust the pot surface.
Also hard to find one organic type that matches the nutrient % profile of these regular fertilisers pictured.
That said, this is a big topic on its own.
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Neem seed cake has a fairly high amount of nitrogen. Usually labeled as 6-1-2
pagnr:
--- Quote from: Tortuga on January 20, 2023, 12:13:29 PM ---
--- Quote from: Millet on January 14, 2023, 01:58:47 PM ---The reason that organic fertilizers work for in ground citrus trees and plants but not for container citrus is due to:: organic fertilizers are slower to become useable by plants because they have to first be broken down by soil microorganisms and fungi in order to feed plants. Organic fertilizer has to essentially decompose before the nutrients are available to plants. This process can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on many factors including soil temperature and moisture levels. In container growing the essential soil microorganisms and fungi are absent, therefore the fertilizer is not available.
--- End quote ---
I haven’t found any studies that lead this to be true. My organic compost (rabbit, quail, llama fecal matter) added to my containers contains billions of beneficial bacteria and funguses species. Your logic may have some weight to it in a sterile medium
--- End quote ---
If you have sterilised soil less media, it should be free of pathogens and have a reduced set of microorganisms, only those types that got thru the process.
It would take time to rebuild to activity that could process fertilisers requiring breakdown ( includes some synthetic types also ).
In a way this is also an argument to add biological activity, or ingredients that promote beneficial flora for plant nutrient absorption and root disease suppression.
Tortuga, as you say, you are adding compost to the pots, which has been processed by microorganisms in a controlled method, and includes both nutrients and microbes to further process.
This is generally the favoured method of adding "organic" fertilisers to most systems as the results are predictable by analysis, and reduces bulk application.
The soil has a huge buffer to deal with raw fertilisers, but composted forms are still preferred in recent moves to sustainable Agriculture.
I did try adding some Guinea Pig dung to some pots, mainly because the reminded me of chicken manure pellets in size.
Seemed to go ok, but I didn't overdo it ay once.
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