What are you using for fertilizer?

This che plant is prob starving. Its planted in 50/50 mix of well composted wood chips and native sand.

Contacted seller and hes telling me to flood the plant with water and then add a 141414 fertilizer.

I don't want to put this stuff on any of my plants so what would work and please keep in mind these are not cheap plants that can be easily replaced.

Im hoping that maybe topping the plant with cow manure might help?

I know nothing about organic fertlizers.

Thank you

Jason, can you get your hands on some compost? That would be my preference if it was me. The cow manure would have to be well aged and not fresh. The yellow leaves seem to speak of nitrogen deficiency.

Leigh Tate wrote:Jason, can you get your hands on some compost? That would be my preference if it was me. The cow manure would have to be well aged and not fresh. The yellow leaves seem to speak of nitrogen deficiency.

It is planted in compost, how would I fix a nitrogen deficiency? Thank-you

You need to add a source of nitrogen such as compost, well-rotted manure, fish emulsion. Some people add fresh grass clippings or coffee grounds, but I'd research these before adding, to make sure you get the best amount for your particular plant. Too much fresh nitrogen can be a problem too. The other option would be slower, but to plant a ground cover around the tree such as clover.

If you’re worried about nitrogen deficiency, you might try this and get a badge bit in the process. :)

https://permies.com/wiki/113116/pep-greywater-willow-feeders/Give-Urine-Growies-PEP-BB

Leigh Tate wrote:You need to add a source of nitrogen such as compost, well-rotted manure, fish emulsion. Some people add fresh grass clippings or coffee grounds, but I'd research these before adding, to make sure you get the best amount for your particular plant. Too much fresh nitrogen can be a problem too. The other option would be slower, but to plant a ground cover around the tree such as clover.

Thanks yes ive seen these suggestions but I see nothing about quantities for a single plant. The bag direction might as well be in french

Jason, is the surrounding soil pretty much just sand?  It looks like the area amended is pretty small, I'd probably have amended something like a 4' circle of the native soil to try and increase the volume for water retention.  Well composted wood chips should help for a while with water retention, but I don't think it would help with nitrogen as wood chips generally have very little.  Getting composted manure ought to help with that.  I'd add biochar for long term water retention as well if you can make or get your hands on some.  Then I'd water it all in well and mulch over it.  If you did amend out to a 4' circle there's plenty of space for nitrogen fixing herbaceous perennial support plants to help jack the soil food web.  I'm up in Maine though, so I'd also advise looking closely at advice from folks like David the Good who has a ton of great Florida experience.

Jason Walter wrote:Thanks yes ive seen these suggestions but I see nothing about quantities for a single plant. The bag direction might as well be in french

I agree, bag directions are often too generalized for specific applications. I've added this thread to the composting and soil forums, in hopes that you'll get information that will be helpful for your plant, soil, and region.

Here's a great example of how biochar is working for David:

Cliff from Englands orchard nursery sells che plants. I have purchased 4 of them from him.
He did not sell me the 2 that are suffering now.
He explained that the mulch is sucking the nitrogen into itself and so now the plant is starving for the same.
I believe this.
Im gonna start or have started to collect my own urine.
Ive read alot about this online. Supposed to be the next best thing to sliced bread as an organic fertilizer for your plants.
Many other countries are and have been experimenting/ using it for years with super positive results.
Cant remember the name but we here in the u.s are buying bags of it as an organic supplement.
Large scale farmers here in u.s are using it evidently as well.
Anyway I have seen already firsthand positive results on some bamboo I planted years ago

I use fresh horse manure as a mulch/ fertilizer for all of my fruit trees, I pile a nice amount around the base and for me it seems to last 2 years before needing a top up.

Marc Dube wrote:I use fresh horse manure as a mulch/ fertilizer for all of my fruit trees, I pile a nice amount around the base and for me it seems to last 2 years before needing a top up.

I like this idea because my property is within the self proclaimed horse capital of the world so I could prob get all I want but I have been told horse manure no good and cow manure much better ( as long as they arent eating arsenic tainted grasses ) Cow better cause of multiple stomachs that filter out bad stuff?

Anyway thanks for adding to this

You guys may enjoy this new clip from our Garden Master Course looking at the benefits of a living mulch and active root system in the soil year-round. One of the benefits being handy fertilization in situ.