Shoutout to my neighbor who uses liquid fertilizer over granular

I've been doing granular fertilizer on my roses for like 3 years in Austin. My neighbor Carol uses the liquid stuff you mix in a hose sprayer. I finally tried her method last month and my blooms are way bigger and more even. The granular always left spots where it didn't dissolve right. Anybody else notice a big difference between the two?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyjones7d ago

Granular was all I ever used for my tomatoes up in Dallas. Figured liquid was just a gimmick. Then my buddy John left me his hose sprayer when he moved and I gave it a shot. The difference was pretty obvious after a couple weeks, plants just looked healthier and more consistent. I'm a convert now.

taylor127d ago

One thing nobody's brought up yet is how liquid fertilizers work better if you've got hard water like we do in parts of Texas. I switched to liquid last year and noticed my plants perked up way faster, but I think a lot of that was because the liquid stuff helps buffer the pH in the water itself when you mix it. Granular just sits there and doesn't do anything about the water quality hitting your roots. My soil test showed a pH of 8.2 before I started using liquid, and it dropped to around 7.4 after a few weeks of regular feeding with the hose sprayer. Just something to keep in mind if you're fighting alkaline water like half the state seems to be. Your mileage may vary of course.

the_anthony7d ago

Kelly totally gets it. The consistency thing is what sold me too - granular feels like you're gambling on how much actually breaks down versus just sitting there on top of the dirt. Liquid just goes straight to work, especially if you're dealing with that Texas soil that's basically crushed limestone (you know how it is).

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