It’s a common scenario that daylilies have spread over the garden beds and shade out weeds. Chances are you are facing something like that. However, there are ways to get rid of this.
So, that being said, how to kill daylilies?
In this article, we talked about 6 easy ways to kill daylilies. Let’s get to know them!
6 Easy Processes To Kill Daylilies
So, here you go with 6 possible and effective ways to get the job done.
Hand-Weeding Process
The basic way to kill daylilies is simply hoeing and hand-weeding. If you can do it regularly, this will be an effective weed control in your daily beds. You may dig out the area but it is not an option when it disturbs your daily plants.
However, if you use a scuffle hoe cut weeds down at the soil surface for hoeing open areas between plants then it can avoid daily lily roots. A scuffle hoe is a narrow, D-shaped, sharp blade that forms the straight line.
Also, you may do the hand weed job using a trowel in narrow spaces between daily plants. If you can go through the hand-weed process every week, it will kill weed seedlings as well as weaken perennial weed roots. This will make the weeds exhausted and let them die.
Process ‘In the Dark’
Well, what does this mean?! For this process, you have to deprive daylilies from light. Use landscape fabric and organic mulches to control weeds by depriving them of light. However, hand-weeding or applying herbicides before laying fabric or mulches will provide you the best result.
To set aside any emerging shoots, place the landscaping fabric on open areas while daylilies are growing strongly. To keep the landscaping fabric and the mulch, weigh them down with stones. A 3-inch layer of organic mulch (e.g shredded bark or cocoa hulls, wood chips) can also kill the weeds (by depriving air) emerging among daily plants.
Remember, if you keep the mulch near the stems of the daylily, it will cause rotting. Sometimes, weeds might appear from under the fabric or through mulches. Do not forget to remove them by hand or simply spray a systemic weedkiller (after protecting daylilies with a barrier).
Mowing the Area
Another option for you is to mow the area where daylilies have been invaded. To do so, you can use a mower blade and then put it at its lowest setting. Now, you may proceed to remove all of the growing plants.
What if the area where daylilies are growing cannot be mowed? Well, in such a case, you can use a string trimmer instead of a mower. You should mulch the area after mowing it. For this, you may cover the entire area with about 12 inches of mulch. As we mentioned before, this will prevent sunlight from being absorbed by daylilies. You can expect the mulch will kill off the daylilies in about a year.
Even so, keep this in your mind that daylilies will perhaps try to come back through the mulch itself. So, reapplying mulch again (when you see any green parts coming back through them) is an important job. Also, when you see any daily growth back, you can just add in a layer of newspaper. Besides, water it well before you add in another batch of mulch.
Using a Weed Barrier
You can cover areas or places that have been affected using a plastic weed barrier. This also works as an ‘in the dark’ process. Because in this way, the daylilies will be deprived of sunlight. Eventually, this will kill the daylilies themselves.
Using Systemic Weed Killers
In case, all the above-mentioned methods fail, you can use a systemic weed killer that will control perennial weeds in your daily beds. Systemic weed killers travel through weeds from their leaves to the roots and prevent them from regrowing.
Start working on a dry, still day to spray all the weed parts with a ready-to-use 2% glyphosate solution. Before doing so, use small cardboard or similar barriers to protect the ground or close other plants. Systemic herbicides take 2 to 3 weeks to kill the weeds. In addition, they will also control persistent weeds growing from beneath mulch or landscape fabrics.
Applying Pre-Emergent Weed Killer
Well, this is something like a line of defense, weed seeds lie dormant in the garden unless they are triggered to grow. However, if you apply a pre-emergent herbicide to daily beds in spring and fall, it will provide year-round weed germination control. So, the intention of this process is to prevent the germination of the weed seeds.
You may use a granular herbicide at a rate of 1 ounce/10 square feet or simply according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Remember to activate the chemical after application by watering the soil.
A point worth noting here is that pre-emergent weed killers form a chemical barrier on the soil surface. For this, hoeing may reduce their effectiveness. If you apply them under a mulch, they will be preventing weed generation at the soil surface but not on the top of that mulch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Especially which daily life is extremely invasive and difficult to control?
Answer: Common orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) also known as ditch lily or tiger lily.
Question: Can hot water kill daylilies?
Answer: Yes, it could be effective. Because though daylilies can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, boiling water will scald the plant tissues and cook roots. So, you may pour boiling water on them.
Conclusion
So, that’s all we wanted to say to you. We hope that at the end of this article, ‘how tokill daylilies?’ is not a big question for you.
As we showed you a total of six options of killing daylilies, pick one that you want to try the most. And, it’s better to try the natural way first before using chemical products.
Potato’s growing success will be in your touch if you just look after your plants from the very beginning. Potato plants naturally turn yellow at the end of its growing season, so, if your case is like this, do not fret.
But if the plant is yellowing before the tubers are ready for harvest, your plant is facing some difficulties. ‘What can be the difficulties and how you treat them?’ this question will rub-off from your mind at the end of this article.
Let’s go!
What Causes Are Potato Plants Turning Yellow?
We will talk about the symptoms and solutions, before that, you better have a look at this short list containing the common causes why potato plants turn yellow:
Verticillium wilt
Fusarium wilt
Insects
Fungal disease
Viral disease
How To Get Rid of Yellow Potato Plants?
Here you go with the details of problems with productive solutions.
Verticillium Wilt
If verticillium wilt attacks your potato plant, how will you find it out? Well, this disease causes the lower leaves of your plant yellow and wither. Generally, it infects through roots and then takes over the plant’s water-conducting tissues. Eventually, it will cause a wilt issue.
The very early symptom is characterized by unilateral leaf yellowing.
The symptoms of infection will continue spreading upward until the entire plant is yellowed and wilted. Moreover, the vascular tissue of your potato plant stems may also become light brown. This will be seen best at the ground level. Some of the tubers can be discolored near the stem end.
Solution: Cultural controls should be- rotating with weed and volunteer-free alfalfa or cereals. Apply nitrogen fertilizer to reduce the symptom’s severity. Also, try to keep the soil water availability 75%-100%.
For chemical controls, apply metam potassium or metam sodium in combination with Telone II.
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium wilt symptoms are almost the same as verticillium wilt. But hence, with fusarium wilt, the tissue between the leaf veins will turn yellow. Basically, fusarium wilt is a soil-borne pathogen. Fungi will enter through the roots of your plant. Then the infection will spread up into the stems and leaves that restrict water flow causing the foliage wilting and turning yellow.
Symptoms may appear later in the growing seasons and you will first notice them on the lower, older leaves. Over time, when the disease progresses, the younger leaves will be affected too. Symptoms of fusarium wilt are more severe during hot weather, especially when the plants are water-stressed.
In some of the cases, only one side or brunch of the plant shows symptoms.
Solution: To get rid of fusarium wilt, remove the stricken growth from your garden and sterilize pruning clippers between cuts. Applying organic fertilizers will decrease the susceptibility to the disease.
Insects
Potato psyllids are light grey-green or dark brown or black-winged insects (almost the size of an aphid). They are less than 1 inch long and resembles leafhoppers or aphid.
Potato psyllids can harm your crop in more than one way. This disease will severally affect potato plant growth and yield. The bacterium will cause sugar to accumulate in the tuber areas rather than accumulating starch. Therefore, these areas will turn into black and create a characteristic pattern named ‘zebra chip’.
Solution: To detect the very first movement of the first potato psyllids, you can use yellow sticky traps placed at the field margin near the tops of the plants early in the season. Otherwise, apply insecticides to get rid of it.
Fungal Disease
The most common fungal disease of potato plants is ‘late blight’ caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. According to its name, the disease happens later in the growing season with symptoms that generally not appear until after blossom.
At the very first days, late blight appears on the older, lower leaves as gray-green spots, water-soaked. Over time, the disease matures and the spots darken. However, the yellow border surrounds the lesions after a long time from the infection.
Solution: Apply a copper-based fungicide every 7days or less after heavy rain or when the amount of disease starts increasing rapidly.
Viral Disease
Potato yellow dwarf virus is widely transmitted by leafhoppers. Affected potato plants will show dwarfing and the necrosis of the upper axillary buds will be seen. The stalk will become yellowish-green. When the disease progresses, the yellow color will predominate.
The plants affected by yellow dwarf will produce fewer as well as smaller tubers on short stolons.
Solution: To prevent potato yellow dwarf virus, plant disease-free seed potatoes. Must destroy the diseased plan as well as control leafhoppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Are yellow leaves a sign of overwatering?
Answer: Both overwatering and underwatering can cause leaves turning yellow. When plants can’t get enough water, they drop leaves to conserve water. But, before the leaves drop, they will turn yellow. On the other hand, if you water too much then the soil will not drain well. Thus, the lower leaves will turn yellow.
Question: Is a lack of light can turn the leaves yellow?
Answer: Yes, plants that get too little light will start to yellow on the lower leaves, and over time, the leaves will drop.
Question: Is normal aging responsible to turn the leaves yellow?
Answer: Yes, many plant’s yellow leaves are just a natural part of their growth. In such a case, there’s nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
So, here we are ending today’s discussion. Thanks to you if you still are with us. We hope that after reading this article, you have a crystal clear idea about why your potato plants turning yellow and what is left to solve this problem.
Okay, you are welcome!
However, at the end of the article, we would like to suggest you take extra care of your potato plants from the very first days. It will reduce your future suffering.
It’s okay to be anxious seeing your green arborvitae turning yellow. But these trees undergo natural yellowing before dropping in the fall of their second year. So, if this is the case, there’s nothing to worry about.
But, yellowing at any other times hints that your arborvitae is suffering from some treatable conditions. However, since they are treatable, still, there is nothing to worry about. In this article, we are going to talk about why your arborvitae turning yellow and how to get rid of it.
Let’s dive in!
What Causes Arbovitae Turning Yellow?
Yellow foliage on arborvitae plants generally indicates a cultural problem or disease/pest that you should take care of to aid your plant in return to good health.
The most common causes of happening so are:
Cypress tip miner
Scale damage
Leaf scorch
Nutrient deficiency
Seasonal problems
How To Get Rid of Yellow Arbivorate?
In this section, we are going to talk about the problems in detail and provide effective solutions to them.
Cypress Tip Miner
Cypress tip miner is a silvery moth that gardeners are well known with. These moths are grayish-brown colored and they deposit their eggs on green leaves. The larvae of cypress tip miner chew inside the foliage and small twigs that cause foliage to turn yellow in early winter.
Over time, these yellow foliage will turn brown and eventually die. The foliage turns brown in late winter and early spring. However, the green color of foliage will be restored by a new green color in the spring and summer. So, it will not necessarily kill the plants. But when the plants growing in a nursery, the discolored plants become unmarketable.
Solution: To check tip miners, shake the branches in early spring and see whether moths fly out of the brunches. Then, remove and destroy infected branches. After that, spray the established arborvitae using acephate-based insecticides, it will minimize the discoloration when the moths emerge from cocoons (between March and May). Also, water regularly, it will help the plants to keep them vigorous.
Scale Damage
For sale damage of arborvitae plants, juniper, and minute cypress scale damage insects are responsible. The circular to oval, wingless, white, or pale-gray insects are easy to recognize.
The insects weaken a plant by colonizing the needles’ undersides and cause yellowing and branch dieback. Generally, the infested plants appeared water-stressed, leave start yellowing, and drop prematurely. Moreover, the plants that become heavily infested may die.
The main intention of attacking arborvitae plants of these insects is to feed on foliage sap. Also, the larvae or crawlers feed throughout the summer. They evolve a hard, protective coating and overwinter in place to mate as well as feed the following year.
Solution: For saving your plants from both of the pests, prune the heavily populated branches and spray the plants with horticultural oil during their winter dormancy. Also, provide your plants with proper culture care (especially, appropriate irrigation) to make them more resistant to scale damage.
Leaf Scorch
Leaf scorch is not an infectious but physiological condition caused by hot and dry summer conditions. This condition typically arrives in July and August as a yellowing between the leaf veins and the leaf margins.
The leaf parts are the last to get water supply from the roots, they get affected at first. Scorched leaves are usually most exposed to prevailing strong sunlight and wind. The entire plant may not be uniformly affected but leaves on the same branch sometimes show similar symptoms.
Solution: While dry weather conditions are going on over a long period of time, you should water the plants deeply every 10-15 days. Besides, the newly transplanted plants should get water every 7-10 days.
In early spring or late fall, apply fertilizers to minimize the potential injury. Besides, prune any dead or diseased branches.
Nutrient Deficiency
If there is a soil deficient in nitrogen, iron, potassium, manganese, or zinc then chlorotic needles on arborvitae may occur. Nitrogen deficiency on arborvitae causes producing yellow, short, and tightly clumped needles. Eventually, newly planted plants fail to grow side branches.
Potassium deficiency causes the plants to become deep-blueish green before paling to yellow and reddish-brown. Manganese and iron deficiencies cause chlorosis of the newer needles and the upper crowns.
Solution: The bad news is diagnosing the nutrient deficiency from symptoms are very difficult. Iron deficiency occurs in soil that contain high pH (above 7). To prevent it, apply elemental sulfur combined with ferrous sulphate. Apply nitrogen based fertilizer to fill up the nitrogen deficiency and potassium based fertilizers to prevent potassium deficiency.
Seasonal Problems
Yellowing leaves during a growing season indicates an effect of environmental stress. It can be happened for chilly weather or very windy conditions. However, most of the change of leaves color and leaves drop occur durning water stress in both drought and flooded conditions. Moreover, transplanting a shrub may also cause stress symptoms.
Solution: It may seems impractical to cover the tree with barriers (e.g burlap or plastic). But watering right before the ground freezes will help preventing winter dehydration.
Frequesntly Asked Questions
Question: Is overwatering responsible for foliage discoloration?
Answer: Yes, it is responsible. If there is no rain immediately after planting, let a hose drip for 24 hours. Repeat deep soaking at least twice a week.
Question: What is the best fertilizer for arborvitae?
Answer: Using slow release fertilizer that contains 50% nitrogen will be the best choice.
Conclusion
We are at the dead end. Hopefully, you got every single answer to why your arborvitae turning yellow and how you can solve this problem.
Try to water properly and let your plants getting proper sunlight. If you are careful about the maintenance from the very first days, you will suffer less in the future.
One sunny day, you’re walking in the precious garden that you took care of for all these years. The weather’s nice and all but all of a sudden you notice a pack of voles.
I don’t know about you but I’d take steps immediately. I mean, who wouldn’t, right?
For those people, we’ve prepared this article with our list of the best bait for voles. In this in-depth review, we’ll talk about the products that’ll actually eliminate the vole population in your yard.
However, we have to admit that there are drawbacks to each product as nothing is perfect. But let’s not waste any more time with these chitchats.
As our first entry, we have the JT Eaton 166004 709-PN. JT Eaton has been in the industry since 1932. For all this time, they only focused on making better pest control products.
And the JT Eaton 166004 709-PN is proof of that. This anticoagulant block bait was infused with a peanut butter flavor. If you didn’t know, voles go crazy for anything that’s peanut butter flavored.
But that’s where the twist is. Along with the peanut butter flavor, the baits have Diphacinone (0. 005-percent) as the active ingredient.
So, as soon as the voles eat the bait, the poison starts doing its work. After a few days of careful bait placement, you’ll see that the vole infestation is gone.
Apart from all that, the container it comes in is resealable. So, the baits will be just fine even if you don’t use those for a long time.
Next up, we have the Neogen Ramik Green Fish Flavored Weather Resistant Rodenticide Nuggets. This is a one of a kind product. I mean, have you ever heard of nuggets for rodents such as voles?
Well, Neogen came up with that idea. Even though we were a bit skeptical about this product but after seeing how good it was, we were convinced. Let’s break it down.
At first, we thought that voles won’t be attracted by fish flavor. But not only did the voles eat those but they also died in 4 to 5 days after eating the nuggets.
However, the thing we liked most about it was its weather resistance. No matter how damp or the weather gets, these things will stay intact. That means the voles will eat it too.
We have another from JT Eaton. When a manufacturer only makes pesticides for more than 80 years it’s normal they’d have a good share of the market.
But don’t think that they’re here only because of their fame. In fact, the main reason behind it is, this product was made for a different customer segment.
Remember our first product which had 144 baits? Well, both of these products are literally the same except the fact that this one’s a smaller size.
It has all the qualities and features of the bigger one just in a smaller package. Instead of 144 baits, it has 64 baits.
You might not think that it won’t be enough. But think for once, do you even have 64 voles in your yard?
Well, if you have then you should go for the bigger one. But if you don’t, this product is all you need. After using it for a week or so, you’ll notice that all the voles are gone.
Now, let’s talk about the JT Eaton 709-AP Bait Block Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait. After seeing JT Eaton in our for the third time, you have a good idea about the manufacturer.
But why the third time? The main reason behind this is quite simple. Their products work great even though they take some time.
When eliminating rodents, you have to keep one thing in mind. You shouldn’t focus on the fight. Your target is to win the war not the fight. So, the key points here are patience and consistency.
Even if you don’t see visible results at once, don’t lose hope. Wait for it, it’ll come knocking at your door. That’s the whole scenario with this product.
Nonetheless, let’s wrap up about the product here. The only difference this product has is in the flavor. It has an apple flavor instead of peanut butter.
So, you know how good the product is and you know what it has. The rest is up to you.
As our final entry, we have the Motomco Jaguar Mouse and Rat Bait. Don’t get skeptical about the name.
Just because it doesn’t have vole in the name, doesn’t mean that it won’t kill those. In fact, voles are small rodents that are much easier to kill than rats and mice.
With this product, you’re guaranteed to get good results. The active ingredient .005% brodifacoum is more than enough to eliminate any kind of vole infestation.
You can follow 3 different methods to keep away a vole infestation in your yard. While voles can’t really breed that quickly, the number is still alarming. So, before they set camp you should take care of this issue-
Kill the voles
For killing voles, you’d need a vole poison. Although any kind of rodent poison should work too. Similar to most pesticides, vole poison comes in various forms such as liquid, pellet, bait blocks.
All of the pesticides should work fine given that they have enough time. But if you want a fast and quick solution under 24 hours, you go for more potent pesticides.
Apart from these, you also have the option to use traps. Most of you are familiar with how these traps work. It’s quite similar to rat traps. The vole steps on the trap and it gets trapped. It’s as simple as that.
Drive those away
This is in fact the most humane way to keep away voles. The repellents protect your plants and trees, or you can put up a barrier around your yard or garden. That way they can’t get into the area.
For doing so, you need to sprinkle or spray the repellents in the fence line. By doing this, you’ll be ensuring that the voles don’t get the chance to even enter your property.
But most importantly, the pests that were already in the garden will also go away. Win-win situation, right?
You see, these repellents are something that voles want to stay away. Usually, it’s a kind of predator urine for creating a specific smell. This smell drives those voles away.
However, there’s one downside to this too. While the smell might keep away voles, other animals might be attracted to it. So, one way or another there’s always a problem.
That’s why we’d suggest you use these repellents occasionally. Because at the end of the day, it’s your house we’re talking about.
Capture and Release
Capture and release traps are the most environmentally-friendly trap there is. Most traps are generally made out of galvanized steel or some kind of thick plastic.
Although it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. Because both these traps do fine in any kind of weather. So, either way, they’ll serve you for a long time.
Similar to kill traps, you can reuse catch and release traps. But the difference is, with these things, you don’t need to be that careful. Simply take out the trap someplace else and release vole. You don’t even have to come in contact with the rodent.
How to Choose the Right Bait?
At the end of the day, all rodents go crazy for anything that has a peanut butter flavor. So, it goes without saying that voles too love these things. This makes it easier for you as you don’t have to search for a wide range of flavors.
Apart from the flavor, you need to take notes about the size and texture of the bait. We agree that bait blocks work great but they can get quite expensive. Sometimes, voles can’t fit those in their mouth.
So, other than bait blocks, you should also consider having pellets or gel bait. Nonetheless, you’d have to set the bait in the proper way for it to work.
How Do Vole Baits Work and Are These Effective?
Vole baits work in various ways. But no matter what way they work, at the end of the day, they’re designed to eliminate or eradicate the vole infestation from your yard or garden.
We all know how baits work. The animal eats it and goes to another to die. On the other hand, traps instantly kill or trap the animal. Although you can go for humane traps if you don’t want to kill it.
But the real question that you’ve been waiting to ask is, do vole baits work?
Well, manufacturers designed these things in such a way that it’ll eliminate any kind of light to medium infestation. However, the success rate really depends on how well you set up the baits.
So, you should have an idea of how many voles there are in your yard or garden. That way you can put enough bait based on that number.
Where to Put Vole Baits?
Being herbivores, it’s easy to predict their behavioral patterns. Most often they’ll go straight for roots, grass, seedlings, bulbs, and tree barks. In fact, this applies to all kinds of vole species.
So, naturally, it’s easy to set up the traps for voles. You can put those close to their food source or the path they use. The same goes for repellents. But don’t put repellents on the food.
In this case, you should put those near your fence, plant beds, around the trees, and seeds around it.
However, you should keep in mind that vole repellents aren’t usually toxic. So, placing those near your plants and trees won’t have an effect on those.
Nonetheless, you should always wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat those. Because you can’t really know if the castor is altering the taste of the fruit or not. So, washing is always the safest choice.
Verdict
While it’s essential to pick the right bait for perfect results, the way you set the baits is more important. So, even if you get the best bait for voles, you need to make sure where to put it.
We hope we make it clear how you should do that. But still, you might have confusion regarding that. So, head over to the comment section and we’ll see what we can do for you.
Whether you want to grow a better lawn or have better plants, phosphorus is something you can’t avoid. Even though phosphorus can harm the environment, using it in small chunks is absolutely fine.
But turns out it’s not that easy to find out the best phosphorus fertilizer in the market.
That’s why we prepared this in-depth review where we handpicked some top of the line products for you. Here we’ll show a head-to-head comparison between the fertilizers.
We’re doing it all because we want to help figure out the perfect fertilizer for you. So, without wasting another minute, let’s start the process-
Comparison of Our List of Best Phosphorus Fertilizer
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1. Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food
We’re starting off our list with the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food. If you’ve been gardening for some time, you already know about Miracle-Gro and it’s products.
Their Bloom Booster holds its reputation for that. This liquid fertilizer is one of our favorite fertilizers. Even though it’s a liquid fertilizer, you only have to apply it every 2 weeks.
During that time, it’ll continue to nourish your plants. And the end results come even sooner. In 4-5 days, you’ll notice that your plants have better growth and the flowers starting to bloom.
But the thing we liked most about is the formulation. For someone who was looking for the perfect phosphorus fertilizer, this product was amazing.
After using it for some time, the results were astonishing. So, if you need phosphorus in your soil, you can take a look at this product.
Next up, we have the Jobe’s Organics Bone Meal Fertilizer. This is in fact the first organic fertilizer on our list of products.
When you’re thinking about fixing a phosphorus deficiency in the soil, you can’t forget about bone meals. These things are made from 100 percent organic materials that provide nutrients for your plants.
In this fertilizer, the formulation is 2-14-0, which basically means that there are 2 percent nitrogen, 14 percent phosphorus, and 15 percent calcium.
For ensuring the proper root growth and plant color, this formulation is more than enough. But the most interesting part is, it doesn’t require frequent applications.
Once you use the fertilizer, it can nourish the plant for up to 3 months. That’s 3 months of not having to worry about fertilizers.
Apart from that, the fertilizer was made in granules for ease of use. So, all you have to do is put the fertilizer in the soil and it’ll do its job for 3 months.
Why did we add another bone meal fertilizer on our list? You see, bone meal fertilizers are great when it’s about organic sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.
These key ingredients provide all the necessary nutrients a plant needs. From promoting root growth to better-blooming flowers, this fertilizer does it all.
But hey, want to know the best part about this fertilizer?
You don’t have to apply it that often. Similar to other bone meal fertilizers, it can give food to the plant for a long time.
However, you should try to apply it in the early season when the roots are starting out. That way the plants will have an extra boost for better growth. Eventually, you’ll get better results.
You might’ve seen Espoma fertilizers in your local garden center or greenhouse. But have you ever thought about the quality of these products?
Well, let us brief you about that. You see, Espoma has been improving its fertilizer game stronger and stronger every year. With the Espoma RP7 Rock Phosphate, they really went overboard.
In this fertilizer, they used pure mined phosphate rocks that have 32 percent phosphate in them. They sized up the rocks into a usable form for plants. And the end results speak for themselves.
Anyone who wants a phosphorus fertilizer that’s filled with the element can surely buy this product. And that’s even more important if you have a flower garden.
You see, the pure phosphate in this fertilizer actively promotes flower bloom rate along with the boosted root development. So, flower lovers, this one’s for you guys.
Finally, let’s talk about the Voluntary Purchasing Group 32115. You might not have heard about this brand, we didn’t know about it too.
But after trying it out in our garden, we were quite impressed with the results. The fertilizer does exactly what it says. It promotes root growth and increases the flower blooming rate.
Before this product, our plants were suffering from discoloration. But after a month of using this, the plant suddenly got back its life.
Now it has better roots and growth. As people say, don’t judge a book by its cover. In conclusion, we can assure you that this fertilizer won’t disappoint you.
The role of phosphorus in plants is very important. It allows a plant to transform other nutrients into functional components so that they can grow.
Phosphorus is among the three primary nutrients most commonly present in fertilizers and is the “P” in the NPK balance of fertilizers.
Phosphorus is vital for plant growth, but what does that really say if you have excessive phosphorus or phosphorous deficiency in your root system?
Phosphorus shortage in the soil
Is there any way you can tell if a plant’s suffering from phosphorus shortage? Well, the easiest way to do that is to check the plants properly.
If you see that the plants aren’t getting bigger, being unable to produce flowers, and have a poor root system, you know that they’re suffering from a phosphorus shortage.
As most people grow plants in their gardens for fruits and flowers you know how important it is to balance the phosphorus rate in the soil.
There are a number of chemical fertilizers that can help to balance the phosphorus shortage. They’ll also add extra nutrients to your plant’s overall growth.
However, getting chemical fertilizers, make sure to get one that has a higher ‘P’ value. As a matter of fact, the ‘P’ in the NPK fertilizer rating is phosphorus.
On the other hand, there’s another option if you want a more natural approach to fixing the phosphorus shortage. There are organic fertilizers such as bone meal or rock phosphate for solving that.
Both of these are equally good. Although a lot of times, the plant allows itself to gather the phosphorus that’s already in the soil. So, before you try out any other experimental things, try this method first.
Nonetheless, you shouldn’t go overboard no matter which method you use to add phosphorus to the soil. In case you didn’t know, phosphorus can be quite dangerous for the environment.
Excessive phosphorus in the soil
This might sound weird but in reality, it’s quite difficult for a plant to absorb excessive phosphorus. They just don’t have that capacity.
Finally, all we have to say is without phosphorus a plant won’t be able to grow. But that’s only for the start. After it’s fully grown, there’s no need to add it.
Buying Guide
Now that you have the basic idea of what phosphorus does for a plant and the products for it. It’s time to know what things to look out for when you choose the right phosphorus fertilizer. Let’s start-
Know what the numbers mean
We’ve all seen the numbers on fertilizer bags. The fertilizer material ratio, also known as the NPK ratio stands for the basic elements a plant needs.
These are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you see a fertilizer has a ratio of 7-9-5, it means there is 7 percent nitrogen, 9 percent phosphorus, and 5 percent potassium.
But why are these elements essential for a plant?
Well, nitrogen makes sure that the plant stays green. While phosphorus helps in the root development process. On the other hand, potassium protects the plant from drought and various diseases.
Depending on the area you live, you’ll need one element more than the other. Your soil and the area you live in plays a huge role in this matter. So, before you try out anything, test your soil.
Choose your type
Once you find out the combination, you need to figure out what type of fertilizer you want. You’ve got 2 options, one is chemical fertilizers and the other one is organic fertilizers.
Chemical fertilizers are obtained from various minerals, gas, and waste that can deliver faster results with their nutrients. The only problem with chemical fertilizers is that they have a tendency of burning the plants if used heavily.
Other than that, there are environmental impacts too. But at the end of the day, they work the fastest.
On the other hand, you have organic fertilizers. These are often produced from living organisms. From cottonseed, peat moss to blood, bone meal, there are a number of ways you can get these.
However, they do make you wait for some time. So, if you want to see the results, you’ve got to give it a few weeks.
Nonetheless, the environmental impacts are far less than chemical fertilizers. At the end of the day, you won’t be damaging mother nature.
Pick your formula
Finally, you have to pick what formula you want. Generally, you have 2 ways you can go. You can either go for liquid fertilizers or you can choose granular fertilizers.
However, there are a few differences between these two. You see, liquid fertilizers need to be mixed with water as these are basically powder. So, each time you apply a little and the frequency needs to be a bit high.
Moreover, you’ll always have the risk of contaminating the local water supply of your area. Liquid fertilizers can pose some serious threat to the local aquatic organisms.
Although we have to admit that it’s the quickest way to see results. After 4 to 5 days of applying, you’ll see that the plant is showing increased growth.
On the other hand, granular fertilizers are slow-release fertilizers that work for a long time but they do it slowly. Even the results can take up to a month to show.
Nonetheless, it’s way better in terms of health risk. You don’t have to use these that often and the results are fine too. So, unless you have a hurry, you should opt for slow-release fertilizers.
A final word
So, that’s all we had to say about our list of the best phosphorus fertilizer. Before we go, we have one final piece of advice for you.
We all know plants need phosphorus for proper root growth and everything. But you should never overdose phosphorus fertilizers as these have the potentiality to harm the environment. Happy gardening!
Blueberry or Vaccinium corymbosum is a popular fruit that is rich in antioxidants. Healthy blueberry leaves put on a fabulous red color in the fall and that’s totally okay.
But in the spring, leaves should be bright green. So, if you are facing red leaves in the spring and ask why blueberries leaves turning red? We are going to discuss the most common cases about reddening blueberry leaves.
Moreover, there is an FAQ section in the end to rub-off your confusion.
Let’s go!
What Causes Blueberries Leaves Turning Red?
If you notice blueberries leaves turning red in the fall, then there is no problem. It is a natural response to the cool weather. But, if you notice the same thing in the growingseason (spring or summer), then yes, there’s a problem with your plant.
Let’s see what problem may be facing your blueberry plant:
Phosphorus deficiency
Magnesium deficiency
Fungal disease
Bacterial disease
Cultural & nutrient problem
Cold exposure
How To Stop Blueberry Leaves From Turning Red?
In this part, we are going to discuss the reasons why blueberry leaves turn red with effective solutions.
Problem 1: Phosphorus Deficiency
If your blueberry leaves are turning maroon to red in the spring, the reason can be phosphorus deficiency. Blueberries need acidic soil, pH should be 4.5-5.0. In case, your soil is over 5.2 of pH, the blueberry bushes won’t uptake enough phosphorus.
In such a situation, you will need to increase the acidity of your soil that will lead to alleviate the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency.
Solution: To increase soil acidity, add these following organic matter to your soil:
Composted manure
Coffee grounds
Pine bark mulch
Alfalfa Meal
Dried leaves
Peat moss
Problem 2: Magnesium Deficiency
The indication of magnesium deficiency is the veins of your blueberry leaves turning red. In case, your blueberry bushes can’t take in enough magnesium, they are in the lack of chlorophyll production.
In the very first place, the leaves’ veins will be turning yellow and over time, they will become bright red. The young leaves got affected firstly.
Solution: Applying Epsom salt around the blueberries will increase the magnesium levels in your soil.
Problem 3: Fungal Disease
Blueberries widely get affected by fungi, viruses, and bacteria. A point to be noted here, these are only concerns for a commercial grower Because there are large tracts of plants at risk of becoming infected.
There are many diseases that lead to red mottling or splotching of your blueberry leaves. Two of them are:
Phomopsis Twig Blight
In the very first few days, the twig (around the blighted bud) gets affected by a necrotic, brown lesion. After that, the leaves spots develop and the stems that are infected will wilt during summer. Also, their leaves will change color, from fresh, green to red or brown.
The final state of this problem can be a fruit rot at harvest, infected fruits split very easily and seem soft.
Solution: When it’s dormant season, prune and destroy the infected twigs. To limit the spread of the pathogen, avoid overhead irrigation. When leaf buds start breaking, applying lime sulfur can be effective.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease. A fungus named ‘Erysiphe vaccinii’ is liable for this. The first few days on the upper or lower surface of leaves are filled with white fluffy growth. Over time, leaves will start developing chlorotic spots with red borders and finally, will drop from the plants.
Solution: Powdery mildew is favored by warm and dry conditions. Apply foliar fungicides to prevent the disease.
Problem 4: Bacterial Disease
A very common bacterial disease that causes blueberry leaves turning red is ‘Blueberry leaf scorch’. Xylella fastidiosa bacteria are responsible for this disease. The bacteria sap restricts the flow of water and nutrients in the plant. Infected plants are seen stunned and less productive. Flowering becomes irregular, leaves turn into red, and eventually die.
Solution: Must remove and destroy infected plants. Never make cuttings from infected plants. Applying neonicotinoid products such as thiamethoxam will be effective to prevent this disease.
Problem 5: Cultural & Nutrient Problem
As we discussed before, nutrient deficiency causes your blueberry leaves to turn red. Also, improper planting can cause reddening of blueberry leaves. However, these troubles are easier to shoot than the diseases.
Low levels of nutrients (e.g phosphorus or magnesium) causes leaves to turn red or purplish. And, nutrient shortage varies widely from location to location.
Solution: The plants growing in soggy and poorly drained soil should be relocated. Otherwise, amend the soil with pine bark and compost.
Problem 6: Cold Exposure
As we mentioned before, the leaves turn red in the fall because of a natural response to the cool weather. So, this type of discoloration will gradually fade when the temperature is warm.
But in case, the red leaf colors persist in spite of returning to the normal seasonal temperature, then another issue is likely to blame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How often should I fertilize my blueberry plant?
Answer: You better do it once in late March, again in late May or early June. Also, foliar feed every other week after the weather is warm until June.
Question: Should I prune my blueberry plant?
Answer: Usually, there’s no need to prune blueberry plants about 3-4 years after planting it. But if you catch any disease, dead tips, or broken branch, then prune it.
Conclusion
So, that’s all we wanted to say to you. At the end of the article, you may no longer have any confusion about why your blueberries leaves turning red and how you can solve it.
Before closing, we want you to give a piece of advice. Always take extra care of your plant and be very careful about the maintenance.
Tall fescues, also known as quack grass, are intrusive grass that everyone wants to get rid of.
And why won’t they? Tall fescues have an intrusive nature that gives them the tendency to invade into your garden.
They are like a disease that must be stopped so it does not spread and kill all your plants. So the main question is how to get rid of tall fescue?
If you are seeking the answer to this troublesome question then stick around. Because here we’ll show you an excellent method to eradicate the annoying plants once and for all.
As a bonus, we’ll also answer some of the frequently asked questions by all of you. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
How to get rid of tall fescue?
You must have seen that the tall fescue slowly takes over your garden. These annoying pests do not leave any space for other vegetation.
On top of that mowing them gives them the extra strength to conquer all the land.
Don’t fear because if you follow the steps that we are about to show you then you’ll be free of those quack grass in no time.
Things you’ll be needing
Now, before diving into the central theme let’s have a quick look at what you’ll need.
Sponges
Gloves
Glyphosate-based herbicide
Bucket
Shovel
Mask
Once you have all these you can get started with the process.
Procedure
You see, this method is quite lengthy because you’ll be doing a lot of manual labour but every hard-work has its reward.
So, why go through these steps even though it’s time-consuming?
The main reason is it’ll make sure your green grasses are not harmed in the process. And in the end, you’ll only have fresh grass in your garden.
With all that out of the way let’s talk about the steps for this process.
Step 1- Mow the lawn.
Yes, you read that right. The first and foremost step is to use a lawnmower to give the grasses a new haircut.
Now you must be wondering why would you mow the garden if mowing does not affect tall fescue.
Well, you see, tall fescue can grow twice as fast as the regular grass. Thus the quack grass will grow quickly and be double the size of regular grass.
Hence you’ll be able to separate both of them more easily.
Step 2- Dip the sponge in herbicide.
Once you can distinguish between the two grasses, you need to dip your sponge in a bucket full of herbicide.
But make sure that the herbicide has glyphosate in it. That glyphosate will give the herbicide an extra boost.
At the same time make sure you carry out this process away from your garden. The sprinkles can harm all your other plants. We don’t want that, now do we?
Step 3- Rub the sponges over quick grass.
It’s time to reveal to you the hardest challenge of this entire process. But once you overcome this hurdle, you’ll have a bright and beautiful garden again.
So, eyes on the prize.
With that being said, let’s talk about the third step. In this step, you have to manually rub the herbicide filled sponge all over tall fescues to eradicate them.
However, if you have a vast garden don’t be afraid. Just take out a wagon, staple some herbicide soaked sponges under it and run all over the places.
The sponge will do its work on its own.
Step 4- Wait for the results.
The fourth step is to wait a few days until the unwanted guests die due to the chemical. Yes, give yourself some rest because you earned it.
However, if you want to know the exact amount of time, then check the instruction page that came with the herbicide.
It will give you an idea of the waiting period.
Step 5- Dig the grass.
After the quack grass passes on peacefully, you got to shove them out with your shovel. Don’t worry; the fescues won’t be hard to dig out like some stubborn, strong-rooted plant.
One firm push of the shovel will pop them out of the ground. So make sure you dig out the root of the problem.
Step 6- Fertilize your garden.
For the final step, you need to shower your garden with fertilizer. The main reason behind doing this is to make sure the tall fescue can never set foot in your yard again.
But as a bonus, your garden will love you for it. Moreover, as a gesture, it will provide you with savory fruits and sweet-scented flowers.
How to Get Rid of Tall Fescue – FAQs
Question: How to get rid of wide blade fescue?
Answer: The most effective method to eradicate the wide blade fescue is to stop the seed from turning into a plant. The best way to achieve this is by taking care of your garden daily. Other than that, you can also use herbicides to keep the wide blades fescue away.
Question: Does vinegar destroy fescues?
Answer: The answer is yes. However, the ones used for cooking purposes don’t affect the fescue. To kill them, you need to use more concentrated vinegar.
Question: Does tall fescue come back each year?
Answer: Sadly, these annoying grass keep on coming back every year although they’re not welcome. The remedy to the problem is the constant maintenance of the garden.
Parting words
Guess what? Now you know how to get rid of tall fescue. The best part of this is that you can do it all by yourself.
So, why not give it a try? If you follow the process one step at a time you’ll see an enormous change in your garden.
To top it off you’ll have more space to plant your favourite plants once the tall fescues are out of the picture.
Once you’re done, don’t forget to share your final output with us. We’ll love to hear how it went.
The lily of the valley is a beautiful flower with a savory scent. But their intrusive nature makes them an unwanted guest. They have a tendency to take over your garden and leave no space for your other plants.
Are you also tired of those irritating plants and to know how to get rid of lily of the valley?
Guess what? In this article, we will show you two easy methods to throw away those irrational plants once and for all. To top it off we will also answer some frequently asked questions.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump straight into the main topic.
Types of equipment required
We all know gardening requires a few instruments that aren’t usually found in every household. Then again we tried to include some common equipment on our list to make things easier for you.
Even if you don’t have the instruments at your home don’t worry. You can just drive down to the local hardware store and buy them in a flash of a second.
So let’s look at the equipment we will be needing. Shall we?
List of items:
Shovel
Rake
Cardboard or Newspaper
A herbicide that contains glyphosate
Gloves
Face mask
Once you have all these items you can start cleansing your beloved garden.
How to get rid of lily of the valley?
You see, the process to remove the lily of the valley is actually quite easy. The hard part is to make sure that they never come back to haunt you again.
Both the processes that I’m about to show you will make sure that the annoying plant never sets foot in your garden again. However, to obtain the best results you must follow the instructions thoroughly.
Do you think you’re up for the task? If you are then let’s get started.
Organic method
For all you nature lovers out there I’m about to show you how to get rid of lily of the valley without harming nature.
Hence, for destroying lily of the valley just follow the five easy steps.
Step 1- Dig with a shovel
The first thing you need to do is push the shovel deep into the ground. Now, make sure you go beyond the root level.
Once you reach the tip of the root make sure you uproot the entire plant. One hard push and you’ll see that the entire plant is out of the ground.
Step 2- Rake the place
The next thing to do is to make sure all the rhizomes are taken care of.
Hold on, what are rhizomes? Well, they’re the smallest part of the lily of the valley that they leave behind to invade into your garden again.
You see, to fight against those pesky little sections you need to rake the whole area that was once covered with lilies.
Once you do that you can proceed to the next stage of the procedure.
Step 3- Use a hand to confirm
The third step is to make sure that all the leftovers from the plant have been removed.
To do this you have to use your hand. It sounds horrible, we know. However, once you’re done you can be completely sure that the plants will never bug you again.
So, to complete this step you need to speculate the ground with your hand and look for any rhizomes that you might have missed.
Step 4- Throw away the waste
Once you’re confirmed that everything is done it’s time to throw away the garbage. To do this just pack every last piece of the lily that you picked and wrap them in a plastic bag.
Once it’s tied in a neat bag just throw them into the garbage can.
Step 5- Cover the ground with newspaper
For the final step, you have to cover the area you dug with newspaper or cardboard. Next, you need to weigh them down using something heavy like some rocks.
This will help you prevent the lily from growing again since you see the manual is not a hundred per cent effective.
Once you’re done with that give yourself a break because you deserve it.
Chemical approach
Another method includes using herbicide to kill lily. But make sure that chemical contains glyphosate.
Step 1- Take safety precaution
Before starting the process make sure you wear a mask so that you don’t inhale the harmful fumes. Try to use a glove as well to prevent skin irritation.
Step 2- Spray the herbicide
Once you have taken all the safety precautions, get ready to spray the herbicide onto the lilies.
However, before directly spraying on the lilies ensure that the nozzles allow the chemical to come out properly. You can check this by spraying it on a piece of paper
Once you’re done with that start spraying the herbicide on the lower part of the plant and work your way to the top.
This will result in an even distribution of the herbicide and will be more effective on the plant.
The worst part is you may have to apply the herbicide two or three times. You see the lilies of the valley are stubborn creatures that will try to give you a hard time.
But don’t worry you will be the champion at the end of the day.
Step 3- Wait for the chemical to work
After finishing the spraying part you have to leave the lilies alone for the herbicide to do its trick.
Step 4- Throw away the dead plants
Once the lilies die just remove them with a shovel. You can also use your hands to uproot them at this point.
That’s all you have to do to destroy lilies of the valley.
To sum it all up
Guess what? Now you know how to get rid of lily of the valley. All you have to do now is pick up a shovel and start the process yourself.
Soon you’ll see that those invasive plants are no longer in hogging up your garden. Then you’ll be free to pick any vegetables you want and start planting again.
Sounds fun, right? So why not give it a try? Once you’re done let us know by commenting below. We would love how your garden turned out to be.
As a gardening hobbyist myself, I have a few Junipers of my own. The calm yet classy look of the Juniper plant makes it anyone’s favorite.
But when searching for the best fertilizer for juniper, I couldn’t decide what to buy. Even though I was too scared to put a bad fertilizer on my favorite plant, I knew I had to do something about it.
After doing my in-depth research, I got the best products for my plant. Moreover, I thought this can actually help out a lot of other people.
So, here I am writing my in-depth review of the fertilizers I used for my own Junipers. Let’s get on with it-
We’re starting off our list with Jobe’s slow-release fertilizer. Anyone who’s invested in gardening knows how good of a brand Jobe’s is. And this product is there to prove it all.
With Junipers there is some specific requirement. And this manufacturer knows about that. That’s why they made a special variant just for this segment(trees and shrubs).
This product is like a gem to people who stay all the time. Let us explain why.
You see, slow-release fertilizers don’t need to be applied that often. Simply apply once every one or two months and that’s all you need to do. The fertilizer will be there to provide food for the plant for the next two months.
Next up, we have another fertilizer from the popular brand Miracle-Gro. They’ve been in this industry for more than 50 years, so you get an idea about their expertise on this matter.
But how good is their latest Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes?
Based on our research and testing, we found that their experience taught them a lot. And this fertilizer is the proof for that. If you don’t believe us, just look at their customer reviews and you’ll figure out the rest.
Apart from their natural ingredients, the usage couldn’t get easier. A lot of slow-release fertilizers have to be applied once every month.
Well, Miracle-Gro can do you one better. Their fertilizers only need to be applied once every season and you know how long seasons can get.
The Dyna-Gro GRO-008 Plant Food is the first liquid fertilizer on our list. According to them, it’s more than a fertilizer. But what does our testing say?
Well, we were a bit skeptical about their Grow 7-9-5 formulation. But after testing the product for a few months, the results were shocking.
Our juniper tree was growing like crazy! Let’s put the facts on the table-
First of all, it’s a liquid fertilizer so it’s already better. Second, it has all the 16 minerals required for a plant. Do you even need a third one after this?
Cause we surely don’t. The fertilizer continues to give it excellent service if you use it according to the instructions. And that’s kind of a hassle for busy people.
That’s the thing about liquid fertilizers. They all need to be applied pretty frequently. Other than that, this is great!
We’ve covered slow-release fertilizers, liquid fertilizers but without a bulb fertilizer, the list would be incomplete.
If you didn’t know the Espoma BT4 4-Pound Bulb-tone 3-5-3 Plant Food is one of the most popular bulb fertilizers in the states. So, is their fame just fake or are they really worth the popularity?
Well, we didn’t take their fame into consideration when reviewing this fertilizer. But yeah, they’re not lying. At least the reviewers are not.
While there are a few itsy bitsy problems, this fertilizer is one of a kind. If you think about bulb fertilizer, this one should be on top of your list.
The 15 essential nutrients will provide food to your Juniper plants for a long time. The best part is they care about the environment.
I mean when you’re making a product for plants, you have to be environmentally friendly, right? But we all know most manufacturers don’t care about that. But Espoma is different.
We’re excited to tell you that the final product of our list is also from Espoma. Even though it’s at the end of our list, we can guarantee you that the quality will surprise you.
After using it for some time, we noticed that our Juniper plant has shown tremendous growth. The colors have become a lot more vivid.
But the 45-0-0 formulation might become a bummer for some people. There are more balanced formulas out there.
However, this fertilizer never focused on that. Their nitrogen focused formula will add that extra boost your plants need.
The chemicals might not be suitable for some people
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When to You Fertilize Junipers?
For plants like Juniper, figuring out when to fertilize isn’t that easy. Most outdoor plants mature in the spring season and get ready to give flowers and fruits.
People usually fertilize these after the first frost for the spring and summer season preparation.
However, you can’t apply this method when it comes to semi-outdoor plants like Juniper. Your indoor plants don’t have to face any sudden temperature changes. So, it’s definitely harder to figure out the timing.
Nonetheless, here are some tips and tricks we have in our bags-
Despite not having to face any extreme temperature changes, plants like Juniper still stay dormant or semi-dormant when it’s cold. So, it’s obvious they don’t have to be fertilized at that time.
In fact, it can potentially harm the plants. Sometimes indoor plants can even die from fertilizers. Guess you didn’t expect that, did you?
Turns out our first tip doesn’t really work for actively growing plants. Let’s say your Juniper is actively growing in the winter. Obviously you have to nourish it with some fertilizer. But it has to be ⅓ or ¼ of what you usually use.
But what about plants that bloom in the winter season? Well, forget about any of the rules for those precious flowers. Simply use your regular amount of fertilizer.
The best practice is to start fertilizing plants when winter is almost over, in other words, at the end of February. Don’t think that plants are dumb, they still know that Spring is coming so treat them like that.
People think that over fertilizing a weak plant will make it healthy again. That’s a completely wrong concept. Instead, make sure the basics are okay. The lighting, water, and soil are things you should do at first.
Sometimes people think that adding some fertilizer in their potting soil will make it even better. Well, guess what? It does more harm than good. Too much fertilizer is never good for your precious Juniper plants.
Our last tip is more like a cautionary tip. Whenever you purchase plants from a gardener, garden center, or a greenhouse, make sure to ask the supervisor when it was last fertilized. That way you’ll know when to add more fertilizer.
How Often Should You Fertilize Junipers?
Now, this is a tricky thing. Generally, most people will advise you to follow the guidelines from the fertilizer manufacturer. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to what type of fertilizer you’re using.
Liquid Fertilizers
Liquid fertilizer users have a few options on the table. Some products are required to be applied every time you water the plants.
On the other hand, there are liquid fertilizers that give you the option to apply once or twice in one or two months.
That being said, there are multiple ways you can apply these in multiple ways too. Most manufacturers will tell you how much water you should mix while others don’t have a clue. I guess they need better packaging, right?
Granular Fertilizers
With granular fertilizers, your hands are tied. You have to strictly follow the provided guidelines in the packaging. Otherwise, your plants might get sick.
Usually, granular fertilizers have to be applied quite frequently. But that’s not too often. Once or twice every two weeks is more than enough.
You see, granular fertilizers are designed to be absorbed by the soil pretty quickly. So, once you apply it, the soil gets ready after a very short time. You get the idea, right?
Pods, Spikes and Other Type of Fertilizers
Lastly, we’re here with slow-release fertilizers, pods, spikes. As the suggests, slow releasing fertilizers don’t need to be applied that often. Simply follow the instructions on the packaging and you’ll be good to go.
How to Fertilize Junipers?
We can’t stress this enough but whatever plant you want to fertilize, at the end of the day, we’ll always ask what type of fertilizer you’re using. For your convenience let’s cook an overall idea, shall we?
Starting off with liquid fertilizers, let’s get one thing clear. You don’t need to add a lot of liquid for this. Usually, one or two teaspoons is more than enough.
Although with some liquid fertilizers you have to keep a few things in check. You see, a lot of liquid fertilizers need to be put directly on the roots of the plants.
So, you know that it’s critical to avoid fertilizers on the leaves at all costs. But don’t worry that much as most liquid fertilizers don’t have this kind of requirement.
However, things change when it’s about granular fertilizers. With granular fertilizers, you can’t just do whatever you want. The measurements have to be near to exact and most importantly, it needs to be on the top part of the soil.
But there’s more. You see, granular fertilizers are pretty quick at what they do. The second you water the plants, the nutrients get released in the soil. So, you’d want to make sure there’s enough for the entire root.
Apart from all this, you can actually mix granular fertilizers with the soil when you repot a plant. But don’t assume that this is for all types of plants. Even if you know your fertilizer can be mixed with soil, make sure to read the instructions.
Lastly, let’s talk about the slow-release fertilizers. No matter what type of slow-release fertilizer you use, it has to be put into the soil. While applying, you need to make sure it’s as close to the waterline as possible.
Otherwise, the plant won’t get enough nutrients. And turns out, that’s the biggest problem with slow-release fertilizers.
These fertilizers work by slowly releasing a concentrated amount of fertilizer into the soil or around the area it’s been applied. And that’s where the problem starts.
As it’s a slow process and focused on a selected area, a lot of the roots suffer from malnourishment. So, try using multiple spikes or pods if your Juniper is fairly large.
Verdict
So, that’s been it, folks. Hope you enjoyed reading this article about the best fertilizer for junipers. But you might not enjoy it. Yeah, we admit there might’ve been some mistakes.
That’s why we have the comment section for you. Let’s talk there, shall we?
When I was little, I always had a knack for growing blueberry plants. But no matter what I’d do, the plants just didn’t grow.
Back then, I was young and dumb but now I know the main culprit behind it. It was the soil mix. I didn’t even use a soil mix. All I did was gather some soil from the garden and put the plant in it.
But now after all these years, I know how good it feels to grow some delicious blueberries. And a lot of the credit goes to my soil mixes.
That’s why I’ve decided to share my list of the best soil mix for blueberries. In this review, I’ll discuss everything from what I liked and what I disliked about these products.
In short, this is going to be an in-depth review. Let’s start, shall we?
The first product on our list is the Miracle-Gro 72776430. Now, we don’t have anything extra to say about Miracle-Gro. They know what they’re doing and their products are the proof.
This potting mix isn’t anything different. While they made this for a variety of plants, blueberry plants will fit right in.
As blueberries are prone to fungal diseases, Miracle-Gro decided to avoid any kind of compost or bark for this product.
Most importantly, it has coconut coir and peat moss. So, rewetting your plants will be an easy task.
Apart from all these, this soil mix has enough nutrients to feed your plant for up to 6 months. After that, you’ll need to reapply the fertilizers. Till then, you’re set.
Next up, we have the Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix. This is the first organic soil mix of our list. Even though Burpee is mainly a seed selling company, they make some of the best gardening products.
Their soil mix is one of the first things that come to our mind when thinking about this topic. The soil mix is filled with essential nutrients that feed a plant for almost 3 months.
And let’s face it, no one waits for that 3 month period. Most people start using liquid fertilizers from the very first day they put the plant in the pot.
Combined with other fertilizers, it can really boost up the growth of your plants. The slow-releasing fertilizers make sure that almost all the parts of the root get an equal amount of food.
Other than that, the density, air circulation, and moisture-holding capability are simply excellent. So, you can buy it for your blueberry plants without any worry.
The next product on our list is the Espoma GL6 Garden Lime Soil Amendment. This one isn’t exactly a soil mix but kind of like an add-on for your precious blueberry plants.
One of the most common problems people face with blueberry plants is that they can’t get the flowers to bloom. Most of the time, the flowers fall off before it even has a chance to bloom.
Well, this soil amendment solves all those problems for you. With this, those flowers have a better chance of blooming. And you know what this means, you’ll get more harvest.
The Dr. Earth 802 1-1/2 Cubic Feet Acid Lovers Planting Mix was specifically made for plants like blueberry. In fact, the formulation of the mix is simply perfect for acid-loving plants.
However, this is all great but nutrients aren’t the only important thing for a plant to grow. Suppose, you’ve bought a soil mix full of nutrients but it gets so hard that the roots can’t grow at all. Is that worth it?
Not at all! In fact, these are some of the very first things you should check when choosing a soil mix. Although the Dr. Earth 802 1-1/2 Cubic Feet Acid Lovers Planting Mix excels in all these things, so you can rest assured.
As our final entry, we have the Down To Earth Organic Feather Meal Fertilizer Mix. You can guess from the name that it’s more of a fertilizer mix than a soil mix.
But don’t think that this can’t do any good for your blueberry plants. You’d be surprised to know that this bag of fertilizer mix is more than enough for 5-6 blueberry plants.
Simply mix it with the soil and you’ll be set for the 6 months. The slow-releasing fertilizers will do the rest of the work.
Soil mixes serve the same purpose as any soil. They provide support for the plant and give them food and other nutrients. But they do it a lot better than regular soil.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when buying a soil mix for blueberries. That’s why prepared this buyer’s guide-
What to look for in a soil mix?
First, let’s get one thing out of the way. There are mainly two types of soil mixes- organic and non-organic.
As the name suggests, organic soil mixes are made from natural ingredients. Whereas non-organic soil mixes have industrially produced ingredients. You can already guess which one’s more expensive.
Yes, it’s the organic ones. Even though organic soil mixes are expensive, they can be reused a few times, unlike non-organic soil mixes. Nonetheless, we picked out a few key things to look over when buying a soil mix.
Nutrient and moisture-holding capability
No matter what type of soil you buy, the very first thing you should check if it can hold moisture and nutrients. Without these two things, your precious blueberry plant can’t grow at all.
Now how do you check this out without using it? Well, there’s one easy way to find it out. You can look at the ingredients list and see if it has peat moss or not.
In this case, the more peat moss it has the better it’ll be at holding moisture and nutrients.
Air circulation
Your plants can’t solely depend on nutrients and moisture. It needs adequate air circulation too. Our advice would be to look for light and fluffy soil mixes. Usually, those are the ones that provide maximum air circulation.
Most importantly, air circulation is important for avoiding dense soil mixes. If a soil mix stays dense and moist for too long, it can become a breeding ground for mold.
Density
Similar to air circulation, density is also essential for a soil mix. And there are two very easy ways to figure out if your soil mix is too dense or not.
The first one is to poke it with your fingers. A good potting mix should have enough flexibility.
The other test is easier. All you have to do is lift up the bag. If the bag feels too heavy, you’ll know that it’s filled with fillers. A lot of cheap manufacturers fill their soil mixes with mulch and sand.
In other words, they’re basically robbing you. Moreover, a good quality soil mix isn’t supposed to be that hard. This can make it quite impossible for the root to grow at its pace.
Variety of nutrients
Whenever you buy a potting soil mix, the first thing you should do is to check out the ingredients list. If the ingredients list is somewhat shady, you know you have to avoid this one.
Because no good soil mix will hide their ingredients list. And most importantly, only one key ingredient is never enough for a plant like blueberry.
How to maintain a potting mix?
Even with a top-notch potting mix, you have to keep an eye out for regular maintenance. The first thing that comes to our mind is how you can water the soil mix.
Well, when it’s about watering soil mixes, the general rule of thumb is to water once every week in the spring. But as summer comes closer, you’ll have to slightly increase the watering.
Chances are that the warm temperature will evaporate the water before the plant even has a chance to absorb it. Moreover, as your plant grows bigger and bigger, it’ll need more water and nutrients.
However, don’t even think about watering your leaves. A lot of people like to do it. But they don’t know that this is basically inviting fungal diseases.
On the other hand, you don’t have to put that much fertilizer for plants that grow in the ground. For potted plants, the only source of nutrients is what you give. But that obviously changes when it’s in the ground.
Just because there’s more soil, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to put more water. In fact, more water will eventually wash out all the nutrients.
The best practice is to mix a little amount of liquid fertilizer with the water and then apply it. But make sure to read the instructions from the packaging.
What should you keep in mind when using soil mix?
This segment is especially for those people who are completely new to gardening. Think of it as a guideline for soil mixes.
Let’s say you want to plant a fairly big plant in a pot. So, the first you’d want to do is place it where the plant is going to be for the rest of its life. Trust me, you don’t want to move a heavy pot throughout your house.
Unless you want to hire an entire team for moving those just follow our advice and your back will thank us for it.
We’ve seen a lot of people make one terrible mistake. They don’t want holes in their containers. They say the look isn’t quite appealing. Well, what good will the appeal be if your plant dies?
So, make sure to have enough holes in your container. The more the merrier. In fact, you can actually drill those holes yourself.
With these holes, you’ll be ensured that your plant won’t ever be overwatered. Although, if you forcibly put too much water on the plants, the holes can’t do much about that.
To make sure the soil is moist enough, you can put a finger into the soil. If it feels too dry, you know it’s time to water those. However, make sure you don’t overwater the plants.
Overwatering will eventually kill your plants. First, you’ll notice that the leaves are all becoming yellow. So, if you ever overwater your plants, immediately move it to a place where it’ll get less saturated.
On the other hand, underwatering might show similar problems like overwatering. Sometimes people forget to water their plants for weeks. But you can’t let that happen in winter.
Summing it up
So, have you figured out which one’s the best soil mix for blueberries for you? We know it can be a bit confusing. But that’s why we’re here for you.
Let us know in the comment section what’s bugging you and we’ll see what we can do. Good luck!
