Organic Fertilizer for Containers

This is my first year having a garden. About two weeks after I finished planting everything I found out I had to move. So now I am in the process of putting all my plants into containers and I'm wondering if there is an organic fertilizer I can buy that will be good for flowering plants and edible plants in containers. I used Plantone when I planted everything, mixing it into the soil, but I'm not sure what to do now. Can I just keep mixing it into the soil in the containers or would it be better to use a liquid fertilizer?

I live in an apartment in Brooklyn with a VERY small yard so getting bales of alfalfa or raiding the stable accross the way for manure is unfortunately not an option, and the garden stores and the Home Depots around here only seem to carry MiracleGro and Schultz. I'm guessing organic gardening is not a huge business in Brooklyn. I have a compost bin but it's not ready to use yet.

Thank you in advance for your help. This site has been an invaluable resource for a newbie like myself.

Hi NY, and welcome to DG!

A valuable resource would be an understatement for me!

I love plant-tone! Espoma makes some other, non-organic things as well, that are labeled "Rich in Organic Ingredients" Just off the top of my head, they have Holly-Tone for acid loving plants, Tomato-tone, and two or three others. I bet one would be great for your situation, but if all else fails, use the plant-tone again. I think it says on the label to use once a month? Or see if you can find some organic cottonseed meal. Another option I have seen is called Earth Juice, it is a line of certified organic fertilizers, all liquid concetrates: Earth Grow, Earth Bloom, and two others. I know www.seedsofchange.com has it, and maybe you could find it elsewhere. I like calling stores that don't carry these type of products and request it. I figure one day they will actually start giving shelf space to what we demand!

Good luck with your move, and good for you for taking your plants with you!

Edited to add a link to another similar post with good suggestions, including purchasing worm castings or compost tea & brewer from www.gardensalive.com:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/511734/

This message was edited Jun 11, 2005 3:42 PM

Thank you Tamara.
I checked out the Seeds of Change web site. I buy their food all the time-- I had no idea they sold seeds, garden tools, etc. And I asked the owner of our local hardware/garden store about getting organic fertilizers and he asked me for suggestions. I suggested PlantsAlive, EarthJuice, or PlantTone. He said he would look into it so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Thank you again for the help.
Cheers,
NYRB

Cottonseed meal, bone meal and blood meal are all easily found in most larger garden centers (I can find bone and blood meal at Wal-Mart; 3 lb. bags of cottonseed meal at Home Depot. Around here, it's packaged by Hi-Yield company in a distinctive yellow and red bag.) For liquids, seaweed extract and fish emulsion are also easily found in most larger centers/nurseries. I'd definitely recommend seaweed extract over fish emulsion for the sake of your nose. Here's some information on the N-P-K of each of these: http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2112.html

I've never used the [fill-in-the-blank]-Tone products, but I have wondered about them. Thanks for the info ;o)

Just an FYI to who-ever: Unless cottonseed meal comes from Certified Organice Cotton, it will be INCREDIBLY HIGH in pesticide residues. They can use more on it, since it is not a food crop. But if you use it on your garden, well, then it is going into a food crop. Bone meal and blood meal may still be listed as approved for Organic use, but not in my garden. I live close enough to slaughterhouses to know where that comes from, unless it is otherwise labeled.

I have even read in the Classics Threads here on DG, that the blood and bone meal products have been linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in gardeners. The research was not finished. But basically it is related to mad-cow disease.

Not trying to open another can of worms (please), just a reminder about the concept of organics...

I received a mailer recently from Spray-N-Grow, Rockport, TX that offers products safe for people, plants and pets. Looks interesting, and 3 positive reviews thus far. http://www.spray-n-grow.com

Point taken - however, the -Tone products also contain cottonseed meal and bloodmeal. Don't know in what quantities vs. the other ingredients, but they are listed there. Since I'm not a certified organic grower (or a commercial grower of food products), I've tended to favor products that are generally organic, but not necessarily certified - mostly alfalfa tea for my veggies. BSE hasn't been an issue in in domestically-produced blood meal, but with the latest news release, it may become a concern. My use of it is more as a rabbit-deterrent than a fertilizer.

Yes, I use the bloodmeal in a bucket or galss jars to deter rabbits. Don't know what BSE is. I won't use even the Plant-Tone that isn't organic, as it has lots of bloodmeal in it. The Toamto-Tonw I got only had a small percentage listed as Organic, so I gave it away to someone who didn't care. If I'm gonna grow it, I wanna know that what's in it is safe to eat... wasn't trying to step on any toes, Terry, just letting people who don't know, know enough to ask more questions and always read their labels... :-)