Is it possible to "burn" your plants with fertilizer?

[Powerflower]

My pepper plants were look thin so I put some extra plant food around them but I don't think I diluted it enough and they all wilted! Well they come back?

 

[sissy]

They may if you soak the ground well to get rid of some of the fertilizer .But don't soak them to the point where you will get root rot .

 

[maddie]

I am glad you asked this question. I have done this a couple of times with my orchids, although I removed the barks and the coal and replaced them with fresh potting material they did not survive. Sometimes you could get over zealous and do something like that.. those were some very rare plants that I killed.

 

[Jed]

It sound to me you may have killed them with kindness. There's a tendency to water too much or over fertilize.If you used a water-soluble fertilizer it may be too late.

 

[iluvmario]

Yes, it is possible. I did this to strawberries and squash this year and the flowers all turned black. I threw the squash away but the strawberries recovered with time.

 

[Powerflower]

It has been a couple of days now and I don't think they are coming back. I'll be heading out to the store today for some replacements. This time I will let nature do what it does best and won't be killing them with love this time lol.

 

[taskeinc]

Pepper plants are annuals not perennials, and must be replanted. You can get the seeds started indoors, a couple months before Spring. You can then transplant the seedlings outdoors after the last chance of frost. So don't feel so bad about over-fertilizing your Pepper Plant because if you are in an area where you get 4 seasons, chances are it would not have survived the winter months.

 

[Powerflower]

I'm in Florida and growing season is in full swing!

 

[ChanellG]

I've never done it personally, but I have read about it. Maybe you could try using compost or compost tea on the next batch of pepper plants so that you don't worry about the potential for burn.

 

[dhrynio]

It is so sad when your plant babies die. I did this to one of my alpine strawberry plants. I got lazy and decided to just pour some fertilized on instead of walking back for more water to mix it with. I killed it. Over doing fertilizer can be just as bad as not fertilizing at all. Sorry you lost them but with your long growing season maybe you can get more started to replace them?

 

[LindaKay]

It is definitely possible to kill plants with fertilizer. I have done it many times myself. A plant that already isn't healthy is probably even more likely to be killed from too much fertilizer because it's weak.

 

[Pat]

Over fertilizing is a problem we all have at some time or another. I try to under fertilize when I feed my plants, I just will feed them more often. Sorry to hear they do not look like the will bounce back. Give it a few more days before you throw them out.

 

[Chuck]

It is almost impossible to over fertilize with manufactured Organic fertilizer. All chemical fertilizers leave salts and over time will deplete the soil of organic matter, organic fertilizers add organic matter. Too much high nitrogen fertilizers will definetly burn plants. Raw organic fertilizers like poultry manure and bat guano should be thourghly composted before using and then use sparingly. I am a totally organic gardner now. A long time ago I used chemical fertilizers but finally realized I was having to buy more and more every year to maintain the same amount of yield. After years of using organics and rebuilding the soil I now use less each year with a higher yield. Also gardening organically saves water, a big plus here where we have been in a drought for years.

 

[Meowmie]

It's easiest to over-fertilize if you are mixing small amounts and it gives you directions for large amounts. I wish they would give you measurements for a pint or quart, which is what I need when growing my seedlings inside. With a little math I can get close, then I put in less, and go for under fertilizing rather than burning them.

 

[Chuck]

It's easiest to over-fertilize if you are mixing small amounts and it gives you directions for large amounts. I wish they would give you measurements for a pint or quart, which is what I need when growing my seedlings inside. With a little math I can get close, then I put in less, and go for under fertilizing rather than burning them.

Seedlings are a little bit different. Personally I do not fertilize them at all until they get their first set of true leaves and then very lightly, otherwise there is a big risk of what is called Damping Off, and you sure don't want that.