I want to fetilize my indoor plant but have a problem, I'm new to this.

[Mikenet82]

This being my first post, I wanted to say hello to everyone, there are a lot of forums here so maybe members here can help with issues I have along the way.

The plant I have is still fairly young and I planted it in Miricle Grow Moisture control soil a month ago, it was 3 inches when I planted it and now it's growing fast and I assume using up many of the nutrients in the fertilized soil. The directions say the fertilizer feeds for up to 6 months on the front but on the back the specific instructions say wait a month then fertilize, so I assume it's ready. This is a side issue I'm having, but if I should wait longer before giving it more nutrients give me the heads up, I don't want to kill the plant with too many nutrients, I don't know how much margin for error there is.

My primary concern and question.....

The fertilizer I'm going to use (actually plant food), is Espoma Plant Tone. It's supposed to be really good and has everything my plant should need but I'm a bit worried about using it because it says for established potted plants to..... "Sprinkle 1 tsp for every 3 inches of pot diameter into the soil along the outer edge of the pot. Water thoroughly" The issue is that the soil stays pretty moist so I rarely have to water the soil. It's a tropical plant that likes a humid and warm environment so I spray the leaves down with a mister 4 times a day, and spray the inside of the greenhouse that I made with water as well. This is enough to keep the soil moist without watering it.

My concern is that if I don't water the soil directly then the plant food won't absorb into the soil enough to reach the roots.
It's not like a lot of water is flowing into the soil fast, and only now and then do drops of water drip down the inside rim of the pot where I'm supposed to put the plant food. I don't want to over water the plant and cause root rot, instructions for it say the soil should stay moist but not like a swamp so I'm not sure what to do here.

Will it hurt to mix the plant food into the soil some, or get some of it a bit closer to the root system? I don't want to damage or kill it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Chuck]

Espoma is one of the best organic fertilizers there is. IMO the only thing you are doing wrong is using Miracle Grow, but since you have already used it time will fix the problem. You didn't say what the plant is. Some plants take more food than others, but, having said that most if not all young plants need food. I it were me I would use your espoma at 1/2 the recommended rate soaked in water overnight. Pour it around the base of the plant until thoroughly soaked. I would do this for 1 month and then use as directed. The main thing is to not over water. Most plants like to be damp, not wet. By saturating the soil medium you will eliminate the misting of the plant totally. You should only water when the plant needs it. A plant can survive with under watering but over watering will kill it. Just stick your finger into the soil all the way to your hand. When you remove your finger blow on it. If it feels cooler then don't water at that time as you soil is still damp, and dampness is all a plant needs.

 

[Beth_B]

Hi!

I confess that when I had a lot of houseplants, I fertilized just once a year in spring and all my plants (non-exotic ones mostly, such as pothos and snake plants) did fine and lived for years.

So it might help to know what your plant is...I'm sure some, such as orchids etc, are a bit higher maintenance.

Anyhow I think mixing the fertilizer into the soil will work fine...it would gradually feed your plant as it gets water. I think you are spot-on in not wanting to over-water.

 

[Mikenet82]

It's a Kratom plant, AKA Mitragyna Speciosa. It's a fairly fragile tropical plant (tree actually) that's rare for growers. I'm excited to be growing it and have learned a lot but there're some things I just couldn't find info on. To give some info it likes warm and humid conditions and likes a lot of nutrients.

Chuck, I'm a bit confused by what you're suggesting doing.when you say...

"If it were me I would use your espoma at 1/2 the recommended rate soaked in water overnight. Pour it around the base of the plant until thoroughly soaked. I would do this for 1 month and then use as directed."

Soaking the granules in water overnight makes sense, I'm confused on what you mean by rate, and if by base of the plant you mean the bottom of the pot or center near the stem. How often should I do this and should I do it with a full dose of the food?

Also, do you guys know how easy it would be for me to kill the plant by accident? How much room for error is there, generally speaking, if you add a little too much plant food in particular?

 

[Becky]

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum

 

[Chuck]

It's a Kratom plant, AKA Mitragyna Speciosa. It's a fairly fragile tropical plant (tree actually) that's rare for growers. I'm excited to be growing it and have learned a lot but there're some things I just couldn't find info on. To give some info it likes warm and humid conditions and likes a lot of nutrients.

Chuck, I'm a bit confused by what you're suggesting doing.when you say...

"If it were me I would use your espoma at 1/2 the recommended rate soaked in water overnight. Pour it around the base of the plant until thoroughly soaked. I would do this for 1 month and then use as directed."

Soaking the granules in water overnight makes sense, I'm confused on what you mean by rate, and if by base of the plant you mean the bottom of the pot or center near the stem. How often should I do this and should I do it with a full dose of the food?

Also, do you guys know how easy it would be for me to kill the plant by accident? How much room for error is there, generally speaking, if you add a little too much plant food in particular?

I didn't know what a kratom plant was so I did a little research. I would still do as I advised earlier for the first month so as to get an established root system. At 1/2 the rate that would be 1 tsp for every 6" of pot diameter every time you water. You will not have any problem with root burn using espoma. After a month I would go full strength. As espoma is 5-3-3 I would put a layer of it so as to cover the soil and every time I watered it I would also use it dissolved as well. From what I read about the plant it requires more than average nitrogen and by dong this you will more or less double the amount of nitrogen. Organic fertilizers such as espoma are extremely user friendly. It is really hard to cause any damage by using too much. Good luck

 

[Mikenet82]

Thanks, Becky, It's been tough keeping this type of plant healthy, but interesting.

Chuck, I just want to verify, I'm a bit ADHD and the plant was 120 dollars so I have to get it right. It actually almost died once due to having an infestation of what looked like Aphids. I fought those little suckers for over a week then repotted, by the time it was in the new soil it didn't look like it would survive.

It's good to know I won't have a problem with root burn but I want to verify the feeding process.

You're recommending to add an entire diluted teaspoon for every 6" every time I water, then a full regular dose every time I water? As well as having the top layer of soil covered in it? That would probably be over 100X the recommended amount so I want to be sure.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks, Becky, It's been tough keeping this type of plant healthy, but interesting.

Chuck, I just want to verify, I'm a bit ADHD and the plant was 120 dollars so I have to get it right. It actually almost died once due to having an infestation of what looked like Aphids. I fought those little suckers for over a week then repotted, by the time it was in the new soil it didn't look like it would survive.

It's good to know I won't have a problem with root burn but I want to verify the feeding process.

You're recommending to add an entire diluted teaspoon for every 6" every time I water, then a full regular dose every time I water? As well as having the top layer of soil covered in it? That would probably be over 100X the recommended amount so I want to be sure.

What I recommend is to cover the top all of the soil in the container about 1/8" deep with espoma. Then a month from now instead of the 1 tsp for every 6" go to 1 tsp for every 3". You probably won't have to water but every 10 days or so to keep the soil damp.
Let us suppose that your pot is 12" in diameter. That means you would now dissolve 4 tsp of espoma in whatever amount of water it takes to dissolve or liquefy the espoma and then when you water, mix this solution into ever how much water it takes to saturate the soil. And after you do this do not water again until the soil is dry, about 2 or 3 inches deep and then do the same thing again..
With this particular plant I think keeping it warm enough will be you biggest concern. As for insects a spinosad based insecticide is all you will need unless you somehow get scale insects and if that happens use Neem Oil.

 

[Mikenet82]

Got it.

As far as the rest, I have it in a greenhouse I made out of a large clear storage container, it has a High Pressure Sodium light above it that keeps it warm. When the HPS light is off I also have an internal heat source that makes just enough heat. For the humidity, I spray the inside walls of the greenhouse and the leaves of the plant, so it's in its own ecosystem basically.

I added the fertilizer like you said, but I'm worried it won't soak into the soil since it doesn't need watering. I never need to water the plant because spraying the leaves and container keeps the soil moist (not drenched) at all times. I'm trying to do less spraying to dry it out though, I think it'll take a few days.

No pest now thankfully but I have insecticide on standby just in case. I used Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Dust because I heard that the main ingredient is less toxic than chemical sprays. It worked so I'm mostly worried about fungus of some kind since the soil and plant stay moist and warm. All I have for that is Garden Safe Fungicide3 that my mom gave me, hopefully spraying that now and then will help.