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Topic: Plant Food for Seedlings?

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Subject: Plant Food for Seedlings?
Date Posted: 3/31/2009 12:04 PM ET
Member Since: 9/23/2006
Posts: 6,362
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Geez, I should know this but now I have a zillion things germinated and I'm not sure what to feed them.  (None are named Audrey...)

A lot of sites say nothing until they get true leaves but my starter mix has no nutrients so I'm wondering.  I know it's generally a weak fertilizer but not sure what.  I have tiny coleus, tomatoes, bacopa, zinnias, marigolds, portulaca, alyssum, nicotiana, salpiglossis, and obvious mental illness.

Nothing has 2 true leaves yet but the tomatoes look like they're trying.  I got some Hyponex and have Peters - they are quite different.  Everything we looked at had a different forumulation.

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Date Posted: 3/31/2009 7:53 PM ET
Member Since: 7/26/2006
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I use a 10-10-10 fertilizer watered down to half strength, normally, but I'm trying out a new thing this year -- Kricket Krap tea! :)
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Date Posted: 4/1/2009 12:59 PM ET
Member Since: 9/23/2006
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Hmm, I'm afraid to ask, lol.

I was reading and I do think I need to put something weak on them.  Thanks.  I have fish fertilizer but I don't think it's balanced and it also smells like sh   .  I have 3 or 4 other ones though.

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Date Posted: 4/8/2009 10:02 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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There is compost tea.  Add some of your compost to the watering can and let it sit in the sun for a day. Stir it up the next morning and water with it, before it heats up.  A slightly muddy water is the aim.  What ever you do use, make it really weak so the plant works on making roots.