Looking for advice on fertilizers, micronutrients, and soil

[zagoric]

I currently have 2 different fertilizers:
Schultz 2-7-7 Cactus Plus that also includes: Iron .1%, Manganese .05%, and Zinc .05%
Grow More Cactus Juice 1-7-6 that also includes: Calcium 1%

Am I providing enough micronutrients? If not, what do you recommend?

I have also read suggestions to add lime, gypsum, and/or epsom salts to regulate pH and...? I'm going to start adding vinegar to tap water to increase acidity, so I'm not sure if I need the others.

With all the different opinions out there, I'm not sure where to start. Do you fertilize all of your plants or do different plants get different solutions? I read acid-loving plants don't get Calcium since it raises pH, so I might need to stop adding the fertilizer with calcium to aloes and such. Or will the vinegar cancel out the raised pH of Calcium?

Looking to get an optimum routine that is thorough but relatively easy to implement.

Thanks.

[DaveW]

It really depends what you are growing them in. If soil mixes then that should supply all the micronutrients needed unless it is deficient in some way. In fact with a soil mix you should not need to fertilise the first year after repotting at all. If you are growing in mineral mixes however it is rather like hydroponics and you then need to supply most things the plant needs through weak fertilisation, micronutrients included, though some will be provided by the break down of the minerals.

Micronutrients, as the name implies, are only needed in very minute quantities, giving a lot more will not improve growth and may be counterproductive, just as with general over fertilisation.

http://succulent-plant.com/fertiliser.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.new-mexico.cactus-society.or ... inegar.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If your plants are growing OK don't worry about the chemistry, just continue with what your doing.

[zagoric]

Thanks, Dave.

I potted all of my plants this spring. They are all in mixes that include some soil (15-50% depending on the plant), so I guess I am getting ahead of myself.

I'll incorporate the vinegar if my pH needs adjusted and gradually incorporate fertilizer as needed.

[DaveW]

If your using rain water there is no need to acidify it more. However tap (faucet) water can be variable, but I believe most water companies around the world usually reduce it's acidity in order to stop it corroding the pipes, therefore you may need to add your vinegar for acid loving plants. The easy way to test is to just get some cheap PH test strips off EBAY. Fancy PH meters are not really necessary since you only need to test occasionally.

Can't get American EBAY as it keeps switching me to the UK, but these are what I mean, so search your own EBAY:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... tpos&gbr=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't use water from a water softener though to water your plants since it usually contains too much sodium:-

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-p ... plants.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://valleycresttakeson.com/watermana ... ned-water/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[toadstar]

Any pet fish store will sell pH test strips as well.

[greenknight]

Not all forms of calcium raise the PH, by the way - for instance, gypsum is calcium sulfate, and does not raise the PH (the calcium and sulfur neutralize each other). I looked up Grow More Cactus Juice, it contains calcium nitrate, which also doesn't raise PH - so no worries about using it.

[zagoric]

Good to know, Spence.

Thanks for clarifying for me.