Green Living
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Fertilizer for Veggie seedlings
I'm reading everywhere that I need to start fertilizing the seedlings when they emerge, but I can't find anywhere what I should be using...
1) What kind of fertilizer?
2) How much and how often?
3) When watering, should I be using spray bottle instead of watering can (which would flood/kill the seedlings)?
4) I'm reading I should be using lukewarm water instead of cold water. Is this true?
Re: Fertilizer for Veggie seedlings
I don't know exactly what it's classified as, but I swear by Garrett Juice (compost tea, seaweed, apple cider vinegar & molasses - google it - check your local garden store). It did wonders on my plants last year - bringing them back to life after a hot Texas weekend w/o water.
1) What kind of fertilizer? Liquid vegetable fertlizer. You dilute it in water. We bought it from Home Depot, I want to say it was the Burpee brand? I can't find it online now. It's a small green jug of liquid vegetable fertilizer. It had instructions on the back of how much and when to fertilizer seedlings.
2) How much and how often? It was written on the back of jug. I don't remember exactly, but I want to say it was once a week? We started fertilizing after the second set of true leaves appeared. After germination, we water once every 3 days. So we fertlizerd during every other watering I think. I need to read the jug again....
3) When watering, should I be using spray bottle instead of watering can (which would flood/kill the seedlings)? Yes, spray bottle while the plants are little. Overwatering is just as bad as underwatering, and it's way too easy to overwater/fertilize seedlings with a watering can. We graduated to a small watering can with a narrow tip once the seedlings were 4-5" tall. We bought something like this from Home Depot. A full-size watering can (like 1 gallon or more) doesn't give you enough control for seedlings. That is better reserved for the garden.
4) I'm reading I should be using lukewarm water instead of cold water. Is this true? Yes. You want to mimic the temperature of rain. Rain isn't cold during the summer. The easiest way to do this is to use your spray bottle with lukewarm water, then refill it and let it sit and use that the next watering. This also lets the chlorine in your tap water (which is bad for your plants) evaporate. So I water with the spray can, refill, and use the filled bottle the next day. The water will also be room temperature by then, so voila! it's lukewarm.
Another idea is to find someone with a fish tank and ask for their old aquarium water. Fish poop is an amazing natural and free fertilizer.
We have a huge tank, so we do this and have for years. It makes a difference. The grosser the water looks, the better for your plants. Water it down a bit and water plants with it.