@sallyg .... already said it.
If a fertilizer producer were to be asked to justify the product for use on containerized plants, they couldn't do it, other than to say, "We can't, but the public thinks they need it, and it's a lot easier to provide it than to try to educate them".
@Engineeringtech Please don't take that as a shot over your bow or a criticism. I chose those words because they came directly from Dave Neal, CEO of Dyna-Gro Nutrition Solutions.
There was a debate on another forum re the use of bloom boosters. The person I was having the discussion with was adamant that bloom booster fertilizers were no problem for potted flowers, and called Dyna-Gro for confirmation, Unfortunately the customer service rep advised her to use their own bloom formula, 3-12-6. I wrote to Dave and asked "What's up with that advice, it can't be right, can it"?
The reply:
You are correct. We market a high P (Liquid Bloom) because people "believe" [his emphasis]
they need this. As you have noted, our Foliage-Pro does a great job start to finish. However, it is simpler to give the market what they think they need than to try to reeducate it. There is some evidence to believe that low N helps to convince a plant to stop its vegetative growth and move into its reproductive phase (flowering), but environmental factors are probably more important. P is typically 5th or 6th in order of importance of the six macronutrients. There is little scientific justification for higher P formulas, but marketing does come into play for the vast majority of users who lack any real understanding of plant nutritional requirements. Therefore, the market is flooded with a plethora of snake oil products that provide little benefit and can actually do harm. For example, one exhibitor at a hydroponic trade show had a calcium supplement with 2% calcium derived from calcium chloride. Can you guess what continued application of 2% chloride would do to plants?
I hope this answers your question and am sorry for Zina's inaccurate response.
Cordially,
Dave Neal, CEO
Dyna-Gro Nutrition Solutions
2775 Giant Rd.
Richmond, CA 94806
800-Dyna-Gro, Fax: 510-233-0198
grodave at aol.com
www.dyna-gro.com
