Thanks for the info Laidbackdood. I found the websites. Unfortunately neither of them is available online. Sigh! I guess I will just have to keep using the fish emulsion. I wish I could find something organic in 5-1-3 proportions.

Lydia

Katwoman, you know the difference between a chemical fertilizer, and an organic fertilizer, but your citrus trees cannot tell the difference, as there is no difference to the tree. Nitrogen is nitrogen, phosphorus is phosphorus, and potassium is potassium, no matter if it is synthetic or if it is organic. Chemically it is all exactly the same. - Millet

Yes I know, and I am starting to think seriously about switching to chemical ferts. I am not an organic fanatic or anything. I started using liquid organic ferts because I was mainly growing herbs that dont like a lot of fertilizer and I wanted something with low numbers so I wouldnt have to do a lot of calculating (ie 1/2 strength, 1/4 strength etc) when fertilizing. Also organics are supposedly a good source of minors and trace elements. I also read about the dangers of burning the roots and salt build up. Being a newbie, I decided to go with organics so I wouldnt have to worry about those issues.

It is now my second season and I have learned a lot about citrus and planting in CHC (thanks to this site). And I am starting to rethink the liquid fert thing. I have everything planted in CHC which drains really fast and I am starting to realize that a lot of the nutrients are running out of the pot. And my plants have very different watering needs which dont always coincide with a fertilizing schedule. So now I am thinking about switching to slow release ferts.

But there is still the issue of salt buildup. I dont know how I would manage the periodic flushing to leach salts. I am on a balcony and water with a 2 gallon watering can that I have to carry from my bathroom to the balcony. Dont you need to run a LOT of water through your pots for several minutes at least? I dont think I want to try to do that with a watering can. Also I am on a 2nd floor balcony, and have all my plants on stands with a saucer underneath to keep the water from running off the balcony and dripping on my neighbors below. They are not big enough to hold the amount of water needed to flush.

Any advice/suggestions as to how to manage that issue? Cause I think I am about ready to make the switch.

Lydia

The amount of clear water normally required to flush salts from container plants is 4 times the volume of the container. Your situation is unique. To tell you the truth I do not know if container soils can get salt build up from using organic fertilizers or not. However, I have personally never heard of any plant suffering from a salt build up when using CHC's, due to the excellent drainage. - Millet

Hi, you could put your pot in a tall bucket ,so all the water drains into the
bucket.Or a really stupid idea != Stick it in your toilet and rinse it into that!!!
Told you they were crazy ideas.
The organic fert i told you about was made by "natures way" and is
called "bio gold" it has a 10/4/6 pk which is spot on and has all the trace
elements plus calcium.Its a mix of seaweed.blood and bone and humus i
think.smells nice.Not sure if you could get it there.cheers

Millet, so you are saying that I dont have to worry about salt buildup with CHC? I got the impression that flushing needed to be done regularly when using chemical ferts. But then again, most people on the forums are probably not using CHC. From everything I have read, organic ferts dont need it because they are not made with chemical salts. That is one of the reasons I use them.

I usually water pretty copiously (although not 4 times the container volume) until water runs freely from the bottom. Then if I have time, I wait awhile and do it again to make sure the CHC are fully saturated. Hmmmm. So maybe salt buildup is not so much of an issue after all.

Laidbackdood, I just realized that my thai lime is still pretty small (in a 10" pot). I could probably put it under the bathtub faucet if I have to. Dont think it would fit in the toilet though LOL!

I read a post about Osmocote Plus southern formula 15-9-12 (cant remember which post it was, I'll have to go look). I am thinking about trying that (provided I can find it) I am in central TX and temps are 70+ from maybe April (sometimes March!) til at least Oct-Nov. And my balcony faces west so it can get over 120 degrees in the late afternoon. It has minors although maybe not in large quantities. Any other recommendations? Do I still need STEM? I have epsom salts and calcium nitrate. Ideally I would like something simple and low maintenance to start. I dont have a head for numbers so trying to calculate PPM is a bit much for me. Any thoughts?

Thanks all!
Lydia