Baby cactus update and EarthPods Cactus Food?

[Angelina]

Has anyone had any experience with this? I bought it on Amazon before I started posting on the forum, and now I’m wondering if it’s the right choice. My baby cactus which I’ve been posting about was previously in a cactus mix from Miracle gro which supposedly has a slow release fertilizer in it. However, my cactus was planted in it for a year and now it’s been in a clay and pine bark mixture for about a month.

The product recommends 1-2 pods for small plants. I’m thinking of using half an earth pod every two weeks. You can open the pod and sprinkle it on top of the mix then water. I plan on watering some right before I sprinkle it so I don’t shock the roots. I know my cactus has been without fertilizer for a while, but would it hurt to wait a few more weeks? I would like to test it first on a different type of cactus though they’re around the same size.

For those that have been following along with me and this cactus, I haven’t seen much of a change in it. It still hasn’t filled out and it still has the purple discoloration on the reverse side, but the fertilization must be the last step to restoring it.

[greenknight]

Don't know this product, but I searched for some info. With some difficulty I found what the analysis is, 2-2-4 - not very strong,shouldn't be any danger of burning the roots using that amount. Those numbers are just the soluble nutrients that are available immediately - this is an organic fertilizer, it should gradually release more nutrients as it breaks down, as the maker claims.

They are keeping their proprietary formula a secret, so can't tell exactly what's in it, but they do say it doesn't contain urea, which is in its favor. It's said "It uses a mix of trace minerals, nutrients, natural growth hormones, and beneficial soil microbes to stimulate strong growth." That's all fine, but the microbes really only need to be applied once, and they're probably what makes this stuff so expensive. The rest you could get a lot more cheaply, for instance with a mixture of cottonseed meal and kelp meal (kelp provides minerals and growth hormones, I'd be willing to bet it's a major part of this product). Except for being expensive, I don't see any problem with this stuff (and its reviews are mostly positive).

That a current picture of the cactus? It has filled out a little, I think, just have patience. I expect it's been putting most of it's limited energy into growing roots. It won't hurt to wait a while to fertilize, the main thing it needs right now is water. The pine bark does provide some potassium and phosphorus, just not nitrogen - but it doesn't need nitrogen to grow roots. It can trans-locate nitrogen from the older parts of the plant to the growing tip for a while, when the top actually starts growing.

Are any new spines beginning to emerge? That's what will tell you that it's growing.

[TimN]

Can't provide anything useful on the food, but keep in mind that not all cactus grow vigorously all year. I always look at the apex of the plant for signs of new spine growth to tell me if a plant has "woken up" from it's winter slumber.

[Angelina]

Don't know this product, but I searched for some info. With some difficulty I found what the analysis is, 2-2-4 - not very strong,shouldn't be any danger of burning the roots using that amount. Those numbers are just the soluble nutrients that are available immediately - this is an organic fertilizer, it should gradually release more nutrients as it breaks down, as the maker claims.

They are keeping their proprietary formula a secret, so can't tell exactly what's in it, but they do say it doesn't contain urea, which is in its favor. It's said "It uses a mix of trace minerals, nutrients, natural growth hormones, and beneficial soil microbes to stimulate strong growth." That's all fine, but the microbes really only need to be applied once, and they're probably what makes this stuff so expensive. The rest you could get a lot more cheaply, for instance with a mixture of cottonseed meal and kelp meal (kelp provides minerals and growth hormones, I'd be willing to bet it's a major part of this product). Except for being expensive, I don't see any problem with this stuff (and its reviews are mostly positive).

That a current picture of the cactus? It has filled out a little, I think, just have patience. I expect it's been putting most of it's limited energy into growing roots. It won't hurt to wait a while to fertilize, the main thing it needs right now is water. The pine bark does provide some potassium and phosphorus, just not nitrogen - but it doesn't need nitrogen to grow roots. It can trans-locate nitrogen from the older parts of the plant to the growing tip for a while, when the top actually starts growing.

Are any new spines beginning to emerge? That's what will tell you that it's growing.

Hello, greenknight. I very much appreciate your research into this. My number one concern was the product burning the roots so it’s reassuring to hear that it’s not likely. I may give it one pod, I’m not sure. In the future I’ll probably see if I can find other types of fertilizer like you mentioned. Yes, it is a current picture. I did a test to really see how long it takes for the mixture to dry out completely using a same size pot and it only took a few hours. I’m still watering once a week but maybe I should bump it up to every 4-5 days. It’s difficult to tell about the spines. I think they’re the same but I could be wrong.

[Angelina]

Can't provide anything useful on the food, but keep in mind that not all cactus grow vigorously all year. I always look at the apex of the plant for signs of new spine growth to tell me if a plant has "woken up" from it's winter slumber.

Thank you for the advice, Tim. I’ll try and see if I can find new spines on the cactus.