Fertilizer on flowers?

[BlueRose]

I was wondering if I could use the fertilizer that I'm using on my squash and tomatoes on my flowers (Morning Glories & Bachelor Buttons)? I'm going to be starting them from a seed. I'm not sure what kind of fertilizer it is, I just found it in one of our big pots that my dad used for past tomato plants.

 

[lesa]

I would not expect that you would need fertilizer on these plants. Morning Glories actually prefer "bad" soil. If you fertilize you will get huge leaves and little to no flower. So, go ahead and plant them in a corner of your garden that has less than perfect soil...You shouldn't fertilize any seedlings. They will probably burn, if you do....Good luck!

 

[Forget-me-not-lover]

i wouldnt think you would need any for those plants
and i think some fertillizers are for flowers only

 

[patandchickens]

Agree that you don't need fertilizer on those and shouldn't fertilize seeds or seedlings anyhow.

That said, honestly this business of selling a bizillion different fertilizers with different NPK numbers is basically a marketing racket. They want you to end up with a bunch of half-used bags of six different things, rather than just buy ONE bag of generic middle-of-the-road fertilizer that you will actually USE all of it.

In the great majority of situations in life, if fertilizer is needed at all, almost anything will do as well as anything else, mainly according to the nitrogen analysis since that is what does the plants the vast majority of the benefit. So something with the first number larger than the other two is probably the most useful.

If you have had soil analysis done and KNOW that you are particularly deficient in potassium or phosphorus, there are ways of addressing that, but as far as I know, research supports what I'm saying here from personal experience -- that in a garden setting, it is mainly the amount of N you are applying that matters, so the "different kinds" of fertilizers are largely pointless. (again, barring known deficiencies, esp. of trace minerals which are not included in normal chemical fertilizers *anyhow*)

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

Those flowers do just fine with no fertilizer added! They are naturally wild, self-sowing types so they don't need any special additions to keep them going.

If they are growing in a bed for several years, it would always be nice to add compost after they've self-sowed themselves for several seasons. I don't think that it is very needed either, but its just like giving them a boost every few years.

For now you are good to go... those all sound very easy to grow.

 

[BlueRose]

Everything planted and accounted for, lol! Now the waiting begins. I'm guessing the yellow squash will probably perk up first according to package. I marked everything in one of my calendars. I'm SO excited! This is the first time I've planted vegetables since my grandfather passed away.