FERTILIZER
Fertilizer is used to enrich soil or soilless mixtures for plants. There are 13 elements plants need for growth.
The major elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, listed in that order on packages of fertilizer. The secondary elements are sulfur, calcium and magnesium. Trace elements are zinc, copper, chlorine, manganese, iron, boron and molybdenum. The air and water provide the free elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Each element contributes to a specific part of the plant’s growth needs.
· Nitrogen is used by the plant to develop foliage color, promote leaf and petiole growth, improve the quality of plant tissue, encourage rapid growth, and increase the protein content of the plants.
· Phosphorus stimulates root formation and growth giving plants a vigorous start. It hastens maturity and stimulates formation of blossoms.
· Potassium makes vigorous plants that are resistant to disease, improves reproduction, and is necessary to the formation and transfer of starches and sugars throughout the plant’s system.
Growers use a balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, year-round on their plants. As show time approached, many growers switch to a fertilizer which increases the bloom production. Such formulas may be 12-36-14 or 15-30-15.
When using a constant feed method (wicking or capillary matting), violet growers use a weakened solution of fertilizer, or 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water to prevent burning of the plant.
Superthrive is added to the fertilizer water, one drop to one gallon of water. This fertilizer formula contains trace elements needed by the violets.
Bloom boosters are used by many growers as show time approaches. These formulas typically have numbers like 5-50-17. lp_2014
Source: Bartholomew, P. and AVSA. (2008). Growing to Show. Avsa.org
Fertilizer is used to enrich soil or soilless mixtures for plants. There are 13 elements plants need for growth.
The major elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, listed in that order on packages of fertilizer. The secondary elements are sulfur, calcium and magnesium. Trace elements are zinc, copper, chlorine, manganese, iron, boron and molybdenum. The air and water provide the free elements of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Each element contributes to a specific part of the plant’s growth needs.
· Nitrogen is used by the plant to develop foliage color, promote leaf and petiole growth, improve the quality of plant tissue, encourage rapid growth, and increase the protein content of the plants.
· Phosphorus stimulates root formation and growth giving plants a vigorous start. It hastens maturity and stimulates formation of blossoms.
· Potassium makes vigorous plants that are resistant to disease, improves reproduction, and is necessary to the formation and transfer of starches and sugars throughout the plant’s system.
Growers use a balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, year-round on their plants. As show time approached, many growers switch to a fertilizer which increases the bloom production. Such formulas may be 12-36-14 or 15-30-15.
When using a constant feed method (wicking or capillary matting), violet growers use a weakened solution of fertilizer, or 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water to prevent burning of the plant.
Superthrive is added to the fertilizer water, one drop to one gallon of water. This fertilizer formula contains trace elements needed by the violets.
Bloom boosters are used by many growers as show time approaches. These formulas typically have numbers like 5-50-17. lp_2014
Source: Bartholomew, P. and AVSA. (2008). Growing to Show. Avsa.org