"Feeding: Contrary to most popular beliefs, cacti and succulents do need to be fed in
order to obtain the best results, as with all living plants. Nutrients must be supplied
regularly in order for the plants to reach their full growth potential. This is better
accomplished by feeding a lesser amount on a continuing basis as opposed to full
strength feedings as is often recommended. Check the instructions on your plant food
container. If the manufacturer suggest a full strength feeding every month. You may wish
instead to feed your plant one quarter of the recommended amount each time you water.
In this way the plant will have a more stable supply of nutrients on a continuing basis.
Most professional growers are well aware of this fact and feed on a regular basis."

Also I'd like to know if many of you use rain water to water your plants as an alternative to clorinated tap water.

And do you wait to water until the medium is dry from top to bottom? Even so do you wait even longer to water? I know there are many variables as many plants differ, therefore, take a Jade or Aloe for example and go from there, TY,
Micki (newbie)

This sort of thing is like soil - there is no one answer, but I think it's easy to overfeed cactus and succulent plants, and overfeeding can cause bloated growth.

The 1/4 ratio is what I follow when I do feed my plants (and I do so only when the plant's in active growth) - 1/4 of Miracle-Gro. Some folks use Osmocote in their soil - I don't do this because I don't want the plant fed each time I water it, and I don't use liquid fertilizer, either, each time I water. In short, I'll water three times for every time I use water-soluble fertilizer.

I know a number of professional growers (if by this the statement means 'nursery owners') who feed every time they water - this will mean a plant that goes to market faster. If they mean 'experienced C&S person' by that, though, I also know folks who grow plants much, much better than I do who don't ever fertilize.

And how do you get away from the clorinated water?
A person who raises fish told me if you let c. water stand for 3 days it de-clorinates itself, is this possible? Anyone, heard of this?

For now I'm catching rain water in a barrel. The water is screened before entering the gargage can that is covered at all times unless I'm feeling jugs. Is there any problem with water coming off the roof? I'm going to melt snow too, if I can keep it up,
Micki

I used to catch rain water in the winter and use it in the spring and summer - there was a laundry nearby which would let me get its 15 and 25 gallon containers for soap - I converted these to rain barrels, so I'm a great fan of rain water. If you're keeping it long-term keep it out of the sun and put a capful of bleach in the barrel.

As to the chlorinated water, whatever water I use has been sitting in a watering can for several days, so it's undergone chlorine burn-off. I don't know to what degree that happens, but it does.

You should let the rain run off of the roof for a half hour or so before you start collecting it - that's what I did with the rainwater from gutters.

Could you pls. say the source of that quote.

I grow indoors only (so no rainwater for me).

My watering jugs get filled weekly & sit on the sideboard 'til I use them. They've been sitting at least 30-4 days before I use them, I don't concern myself w/ things like chlorine, the water temp is always fine from sitting out.

There is only 1 "ideal" level of fertility and combination (ratio) of nutrients for each plant at any given time. For best growth and vitality to occur, it's essential that all nutrients are available at all times in the most favorable concentration and in the right ratio - the 'right' ratio being the ratio in which the plant actually uses the nutrients, and the 'right' concentration being that which allows you to keep the level of EC/TDS (basically the fertility level for our purposes) concentrated enough
to prevent deficiencies yet low enough to ensure the plant won't have difficulty absorbing water and the nutrients dissolved in water. (The more dissolved solids [fertilizer] in the soil solution, the more difficult it is for the plant to absorb water.)

Because of what I just mentioned, and to facilitate its implementation, I'm a strong proponent of more frequent applications of nutrients at low doses. In the summer, I have so much going on that I can't afford the time to fertigate every time I water, but in the winter, I do fertigate with every watering - some 150 plants of all stripes that are tended under lights. Everything grows exceptionally well, and I virtually never have spoiled foliage, so I feel pretty confident that I've validated the idea I've just set down.

Of course, you can't fertigate at every watering if you're using a soil that doesn't allow you to water profusely and flush the soil each time you water with impunity against root rot, because then the specter of a high EC/TDS (fertility) level raises its head as a result of accumulating dissolved solids in the soil.

FWIW - the chlorination method favored by municipalities these days uses a form of chlorine that isn't volatile, so it doesn't dissipate if you leave the water rest for any given period, and the fluoride never was volatile.

Container media breaks down very slowly, and because of it's low bulk density, doesn't hold nutrients well; so I think it's a wise grower who shoulders the entire responsibility for ensuring that all elements essential to normal growth are ever-present in the soil instead of depending on the soil to supply anything nutritional, and an even wiser grower who makes the attempt to ensure these nutrients are present in a ratio as close as possible to the ratio in which plants actually utilize them.

Al

http://www.gardencentersofcolorado.org/pdfs/care_sheets/Cacti_Succulen t_Care.pdf

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FROM THE GARDEN CENTER OF COLORADO

I'll be responding today and thank you.

Oh to Jeff,
I cannot easily do what you suggest because of my hook up, but I might be able to try to let it rain half an hour before catching. It has to do with the rudimentary way I have everything connected. The gutter is permanently connected to the garbage can led and strainer. To get water I take off the lid. I could possibly just take the lid off when it starts to rain. I did notice my last batch was dirty looking.

Perhaps you could take a pic of how you collected in buckets?? I have an ample supply. I guess in winter there's no worry of misquitos so could I just leave the buckets out in the weather?

I haven't read all responses yet, just got through Karens.

Oh, t/4 Jeff due to convenience perhaps I'll just use tap water and let it sit a few days. Let me read what Karen said again too.
THX

Posted by tapla z5b-6a MI (My Page) on Fri, May 21, 10 at 0:34

Fertilizers are good indefinitely, even if they get wet, but it'd difficult to get the solution strength correct if they DO get wet.
ALL plants use nutrients in VERY close to the same ratio. The ratio in which they use nutrients is also reflected in the ratio of nutrients contained in their living tissues (no surprise there). For every 10 parts of N plants use, they use about 1.5 parts of P and 6-7 parts of K. I could walk you through the factoring we need to do because the P and K % on fertilizer packaging are not the actual %s of P and K, they are reported as PO5 and K2O. The actual P is .43 of what's reported and the K is .83 of what's reported.

Anyway, when the math is done, it comes out that fertilizers with a 3:1:2 ratio (24-8-16 MG/Peters, 12-4-8 MG, 9-3-6 Foliage-Pro are all examples) supply nutrients in almost exactly the ratio in which plants use them. This is a considerable advantage because it allows you to fertilize at the lowest levels possible and still not have nutritional deficiencies. This low level of salts in the soil facilitates water uptake, as well as the nutrients dissolved in water.

1:1:1 ratio fertilizers like 20-20-20 supply too little K in relation to N, and 6X more P than the plant can use, in relation to N. This unnecessarily raises the level of salts in the soil and is wasteful/more costly because so much extra P and K need to be supplied to get enough N to the plant.

You might have to go to the net to get it, but Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 is about the best all-purpose houseplant fertilizer out there. It has ALL the essential elements in the correct ratio to each other. It doesn't get any better.

I know we should never say never, so I'll say 'ever' ..... I cannot imagine a scenario where any of us could 'ever' benefit from using a fertilizer for plants in containers with the middle # (P) higher than either the 1st or 3rd #s (N or K). The extra P is a total waste, the plants can't use it, and it causes several issues related to pH and inhibiting uptake of other nutrients (N, Fe, and Mn in particular, but others, too).

Al"

Finally, are you using a quarter of the strength each time. I also have so many varities and bordering on more plants than I can care for (per light quality) (of course my succulents get the best of it), so having a ready mix would be dandy.
Micki

Micki: There is truth behind what Al said about chlorine. At least in my water, neither that or the fluoride dissipates so therefore I can't use it no matter how long it sits on a shelf for any of my carnivorous plants.
Just a drink here or there and they die right of. The only thing I can use is rain water or distilled water.
I say this because I know you like these plants too:-)

By the way, I am a Foliage Pro user at the using it just as Al does and my plants are thriving because of it. I was a bit lazy about fertilizing my succulents, but that has all changed now.

I forgot, do you live in a place where things freeze?

Mike

Al's mesages are so detailed I missed this the first time through.

Freeze oh yes.
We get very cold winters. Our first snow this weekend.
Micki
I'll be working on my mix and obtaining foliage pro. Do you have a link for foliage pro?

I use three 30 gallon buckets you can get anywhere and fill these with water.The barrel outside is obviously going to freeze and then it's all over.

Once you get a warmer day in the winter when the outside barrel thaws or a nice rain storm, you can collect the water again for the future until spring comes. This has worked well for me.

I syphon the water out of the barrel outside into the ones in the basement with the garden hose. It can be a pain at times, but well worth the effort. It's cool, because I also have immediate access to fresh rain water for my plants under lights right next to the barrels.

Mike