What Type of Fertilizers Do I Put on New Plants?
New plants are delicate and must be fertilized with care. No fertilizer is required until the plants develops their second set of leaves. The first leaves, called cotyledons, contain all the food needed to nourish the first set of leaves. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types
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Use a water-soluble fertilizer for seedlings. Water-soluble fertilizer contains minerals, nutrients and other organic compounds such as humic acid. A combination of seaweed and fish emulsion fertilizer also works well with new plants.
Time Frame
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You can begin fertilizing seedlings as soon as they develop their second set of leaves.
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Application
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Apply fertilizer to new plants into the soil surrounding the plant or by spritzing the plants with a spray bottle. Apply the fertilizer twice weekly until the new plants are transplanted into the garden. Once transplanted, begin fertilizing once every seven to 10 days.
Considerations
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Make sure to follow the directions carefully in preparing the fertilizer solution. If the solution is too strong, you may damage the roots of a new plant.
Warning
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If you use too much fertilizer on new plants, the result can be spindly growth. If this happens, apply fertilizer less frequently and reduce the concentration.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit planting the seedlings image by starush from Fotolia.com
