[pbs] Bulb Mix Curses
J.E. Shields
jshields at indy.net
Thu Nov 9 19:18:49 EST 2006
Linda,
Eventually you are going to have to feed those bulbs. However, something
with a balance like 6-12-12 is the wrong fertilizer mix.
Bulbs use lots of nitrogen (N) and lots of potassium (K), but only a little
phosphate (P). I suggest you use something like N-P-K 15-5-15 or 20-10-20.
Len Doran was an agricultural engineer for years whose hobby was collecting
wild Hippeastrum all over South America. He worked out many years ago that
Hippeastrum species need a lean potting mix (which is what Alberto has
described) and feeding with high N (as nitrate), very low P, and high
potassium (K). Len recommended using a very dilute liquid feeding every
time the bulbs were watered.
You can use the same methods with Haemanthus and many other bulbs from arid
climates as well.
Dutch hybrid "amaryllis" (Hippeastrum) may well be a different story. In
South Africa, Hadeco Pty. grow them out in open fields in what looks to be
a sandy loam soil and with plenty of irrigation. They did not tell me
their fertilizer program!
Best regards,
Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA) where today has been beautiful Indian Summer
At 02:44 PM 11/9/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>.............
>I wonder if I should be fertilizing them? Would a tomato fertilizer work,
>like a 6-12-12? Would one application worked into the mix when I repot them
>suffice?
>
>Linda Foulis
*************************************************
Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA
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