Why use Bioblast

The future of Plumeria health is here.

Bioblast is more than a fertilizer 7-7-7 NPK, it’s a Plant Food & Biostimulant. Bioblast is innovation for your plumeria or other plants and is the ultimate plant food and growth activator for all your growing needs.

Introducing BioBlast an all natural organic Bio Activator with Rooting Agents Growth Activators and Vitamins B-1, B-2, and B-3. It makes your plants healthy. You can apply as a drench or as foliare.
The future of plant growth is here. Bioblast is innovation for your plants and is the ultimate plant food and growth activator for all your growing needs.

Why Bioblast?

Bioblast works with every part of your plant. Soil organisms are invigorated with Vitazyme biostimulants providing quicker, more vigorous growth. Rooting is encouraged with our Root Activator. A balanced 7-7-7 NPK provides the essentials of plant growth and structure. B-Vitamins and Zinc encourage a robust immune system, while Iron promotes chlorophyll production in the leaves. Bioblast is a great foliar feed for growing plumeria seedlings.

• PLANT FOOD
• B-VITAMINS
• ROOTING AGENT
• BIO-ACTIVATORS

Guaranteed Analysis

  • Total Nitrogen (N)…. 7.00%
    • 2.20% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
    • 4.80% Urea Nitrogen
  • Available Phosphate (P2O5)… 7.00%
  • Soluble Potash (K2O)… 7.00%
  • Sulfur (S)… 0.10%
  • Iron (Fe) 0.40%
  • Zinc (Zn) 0.03%

Application

Mix 1 Tbsp per gallon of water – or 2 capfuls if you don’t have a measure. Apply once per week or as needed. Reduce by 50% during extreme heat or for indoor plants. Safe when used as directed. Will not harm roots or leaves even in hot, dry weather.

Great for use on all types of plants, for soil improvement, or as a compost starter.

 

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Fertilizer Basics

Fertilizer Nutrients

Plumeria need to be fertilized because most soil does not provide the essential nutrients required for optimum growth. Even if you are lucky enough to start with great garden soil, as your plants grow, they absorb nutrients and leave the soil less fertile. Remember those beautiful blooms and leaves you grew last year? It took nutrients from the soil to build those plant tissues. By fertilizing your plumeria, you replenish lost nutrients and ensure that this year’s plumeria have the food they need to flourish.

There are six primary nutrients that plants require. Plants get the first three—carbon, hydrogen and oxygen—from air and water. The other three are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Nitrogen helps plumeria make the proteins they need to produce new tissues. In nature, nitrogen is often in short supply so plumeria have evolved to take up as much nitrogen as possible, even if it means not taking up other necessary elements. If too much nitrogen is available, the plumeria may grow abundant foliage but not produce flowers. Growth may actually be stunted because the plumeria isn’t absorbing enough of the other elements it needs.

Phosphorus stimulates root growth, helps the plant set buds and flowers, improves vitality and increases seed size. It does this by helping transfer energy from one part of the plumeria to another. To absorb phosphorus, most plumeria require a soil pH of 6.5 to 6.8. Organic matter and the activity of soil organisms also increase the availability of phosphorus.

There are three additional nutrients that plumeria need, but in much smaller amounts: Potassium improves overall vigor of the plumeria. It helps plumeria make carbohydrates and provides disease resistance. It also helps regulate metabolic activities.

Calcium is used by plumeria in cell membranes, at their growing points and to neutralize toxic materials. In addition, calcium improves soil structure and helps bind organic and inorganic particles together.

Magnesium is the only metallic component of chlorophyll. Without it, plumeria can’t process sunlight.

Sulfur is a component of many proteins.

Finally, there are eight elements that plumeria need in tiny amounts. These are called micronutrients and include boron, copper and iron. Healthy soil that is high in organic matter usually contains adequate amounts of each of these micronutrients.

Organic vs. Synthetic

Do plumeria really care where they get their nutrients? Yes, because organic and synthetic fertilizers provide nutrients in different ways. Organic fertilizers are made from naturally occurring mineral deposits and organic material, such as bone or plant meal or composted manure. Synthetic fertilizers are made by chemically processing raw materials.

In general, the nutrients in organic fertilizers are not water-soluble and are released to the plumeria slowly over a period of months or even years. For this reason, organic fertilizers are best applied in the fall so the nutrients will be available in the spring. These organic fertilizers stimulate beneficial soil microorganisms and improve the structure of the soil. Soil microbes play an important role in converting organic fertilizers into soluble nutrients that can be absorbed by your plumeria. In most cases, organic fertilizers and compost will provide all the secondary and micronutrients your plumeria need.

Synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble and can be taken up by the plumeria almost immediately. In fact applying too much synthetic fertilizer can “burn” foliage and damage your plumeria. Synthetic fertilizers give plumeria a quick boost but do little to improve soil texture, stimulate soil life, or improve your soil’s long-term fertility. Because synthetic fertilizers are highly water-soluble, they can also leach out into streams and ponds. Synthetic fertilizers do have some advantages in early spring. Because they are water-soluble, they are available to plumeria even when the soil is still cold and soil microbes are inactive. For this reason, some organically-based fertilizers, such as PHC All-Purpose Fertilizer, also contain small amounts of synthetic fertilizers to ensure the availability of nutrients.

For the long-term health of your garden, feeding your plumeria by building the soil with organic fertilizers and compost is best. This will give you soil that is rich in organic matter and teeming with microbial life.

Foliar Feeding?

Plumeria can absorb nutrients eight to 20 times more efficiently through their leaf surfaces than through their roots. As a result, spraying foliage with liquid nutrients can produce remarkable yields. For best results, spray plants during their critical growth stages such as transplanting time and blooming time.

What About pH?

Even if proper nutrients are present in the soil, some nutrients cannot be absorbed by plumeria if the soil pH is too high or too low. For most plumeria, soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0. A soil test will measure the pH of your soil. You can send a sample to a lab (contact your local extension service for a low-cost kit) or buy a home kit and do it yourself. Lime or wood ash can be used to raise pH; sulfur or aluminum sulfate can lower pH. Keep in mind that it’s best to raise or lower soil pH slowly over the course of a year or two. Dramatic adjustments can result in the opposite extreme, which may be worse than what you started with. Once again, a helpful solution is to apply compost. Compost moderates soil pH and is one of the best ways to maintain the 6.5 ideal.

Slow-release, granular Excalibur 11-11-13 or similar fertilizer gives your plumeria all the nutrients they need, including plenty of phosphorus for big, abundant flowers. For a healthy start, mix a handful into the soil at transplant time and at the beginning of your growing season.

How to Choose a Fertilizer

In most cases, an all-purpose, 11-11-13 fertilizer with micronutrients such as Excalibur will provide the nutrients all plumeria need for healthy growth. If a soil test reveals certain nutrient deficiencies, or if you want to tailor your fertilizer to the needs of particular plumeria, you can select a special formulation. What you choose will depend on your soil and what you are growing.

The three numbers that you see on a fertilizer label, such as 11-11-13, tell you what proportion of each macronutrient the fertilizer contains. The first number is always nitrogen (N), the second is phosphorus (P) and the third is potassium (K). This “N-P-K” ratio reflects the available nutrients —by weight—contained in that fertilizer. For example, if a 100-pound bag of fertilizer has an N-P-K ratio of 11-11-13, it contains 11 pounds of nitrate, 11 pounds of phosphate (which contains phosphorus), 13 pounds of potash (which contains potassium) and 84 pounds of filler.

Note that the N-P-K ratio of organic fertilizers is typically lower than that of a synthetic fertilizer. This is because by law, the ratio can only express nutrients that are immediately available. Most organic fertilizers contain slow-release nutrients that will become available over time. They also contain many trace elements that might not be supplied by synthetic fertilizers.

To build the long-term health and fertility of your soil, we recommend using granular slow release fertilizers with micronutrients. Supplemented with a water-soluble fertilizer ensures that your plants have the nutrients they need when they’re in active growth.

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Potassium (K)

Potassium is a chemical element with symbol K (derived from Neo-Latin kalium) and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction and burning with a lilac flame. Naturally occurring potassium is composed of three isotopes, one of which, 40K, is radioactive. Traces (0.012%) of this isotope are found in all potassium making it the most common radioactive element in the human body and in many biological materials, as well as in common building substances such as concrete.

 

Because potassium and sodium are chemically very similar, their salts were not at first differentiated. The existence of multiple elements in their salts was suspected in 1702, and this was proven in 1807 when potassium and sodium were individually isolated from different salts by electrolysis. Potassium in nature occurs only in ionic salts. As such, it is found dissolved in seawater (which is 0.04% potassium by weight), and is part of many minerals.


Most industrial chemical applications of potassium employ the relatively high solubility in water of potassium compounds, such as potassium soaps. Potassium metal has only a few special applications, being replaced in most chemical reactions with sodium metal.

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The Role of Phosphorus (P)

Phphosphorus_deficiency1osphorus is a vital component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the ‘energy unit’ of plants. ATP forms during photosynthesis, has P in its structure, and processes from the beginning of seedling growth through to the formation of grain and maturity.

The Role of Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen (N) is essential for plant growth and is part of every living cell. It plays many roles in plants and is necessary for chlorophyll synthesis. Plants take up most of their N as the ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (No3-) ion. Some direct absorption of urea can occur through the leaves, and small amounts of N are obtained from materials such as water-soluble amino acids.

How to read a Fertilizer Label

 

You want to make sure your Plumeria are getting the nutrition they need, but there are so many choices when it comes to selecting fertilizer. How do you know what is really in the bag? There are certain rules that all fertilizer makers must follow when they label their products and understanding these rules can make comparing fertilizers much easier.

Major Ingredients: Most commercial fertilizers have 3 numbers on the front label, separated by dashes. For example: 11-11-13. This is the fertilizer analysis or percentage by weight of the 3 major nutrients plants need: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, in that order. These are abbreviated as N-P-K.

So if you purchased a 11 pound bag of fertilizer labeled 11-11-13, it would contain 11% nitrogen, 11% phosphorus and 13% potassium. The remaining 65% could be comprised of other nutrients and filler.npk-chart-e1412652821845

  • 1st Number = Nitrogen: The first number gives the concentration of nitrogen in the product. Nitrogen encourages foliage growth, among other benefits. A 11-11-13 fertilizer would contain 11% nitrogen by weight. So for every pound of fertilizer applied there is really only .11 pounds of nitrogen. (The 10 pound bag mentioned above would contain 1.1 lb. nitrogen.)
  • 2nd Number = Phosphorus: The middle number refers to the concentration of phosphorous. Phosphorous contributes to many fundamental plant processes such as rooting and setting flower buds. A 11-11-13 fertilizer would contain 11% phosphorous by weight or 1.1 pounds of phosphorous. (The 10 pound bag mentioned above would contain 1.1 lb. of phosphorus.)

    plantnutrients-232x300A good reference to get an idea if your Plumeria are Deficient in Nutrients

  • 3rd Number = Potassium: The final number states the concentration of potassium. Potassium contributes to the overall health and vigor of plants. Again, a 11-11-13 fertilizer would contain 13% potassium by weight or 1.3 pounds of potassium. (The 10 pound bag mentioned above would contain 1.3 lb. potassium.)

Complete Fertilizers: Fertilizers that contain all three major nutrients are considered complete fertilizers. There are specialized fertilizers which are called incomplete because they lack one or more major nutrients such as a fertilizer labeled 0-20-20.

Fertilizer Ratio (An easier comparison): An easier way to compare the numbers is to break them down to the fertilizer ratio or the amounts of the 3 major nutrients in relation to each other. A 5-10-5 fertilizer has a ratio of 1-2-1. This becomes important when looking for a fertilizer for a specific need. A 1-2-1 ratio is often recommended for vegetables, which need plenty of phosphorous to set fruit. 1-2-1 could be 5-10-5, 10-20-10 or any similar extrapolation.

Other Ingredients: Any additional ingredients will be listed on the side label. This may include other nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, micronutrients and even the percentage of organic matter.

Organic fertilizers: Organic fertilizers must specify which nutrient(s) is organic and it must be identified as either synthetic and/or natural, by percentage. For example: 20% of Nitrogen organic (6% synthetic, 14% organic). When something is labeled “organic”, it simply means it contains carbon atoms. However we have come to expect that organic fertilizer, like organic food, comes from natural processes and contains nothing synthetic. That tends to be the case, especially as consumers become more educated, but be sure to read the label before you make a purchase.

Tips:
ph-nutrients-availability1-1024x740-300x216If your PH is too high or too low you nutrients could be locked in the soil.

  • Having a soil test done before you start adding amendments will tell you what you actually need. If your soil pH is too high or too low, your plants will not be able to access some nutrients, even if they are present in the soil.
  • There is no one size fits all fertilizer. Fertilizer choice depends on the type of plant being grown and the soil it is being grown in.
  • Always follow the label instructions when using any registered garden product. Just because a little is good, it doesn’t follow that a lot is better.
  • You can use less of fertilizers with high analysis numbers than with lower numbers. Five pounds of 10-20-10 would give you the same nutrient value as 10 pounds of 5-10-5.
  • Organic fertilizers made from natural ingredients often have lower concentrations of the three major nutrients, so you will need to use larger amounts. However, they do contain many other nutrients that feed both the plant and the soil. If you are using a synthetic fertilizer, you should supplement with some type of organic matter such as compost or manure, to maintain soil health.

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Iron deficiency guide

Iron deficiency guide

Iron is a vital element for plant life. Iron has a number of important functions in the overall metabolism of the plant and is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll. In general, iron is poorly absorbed by the plant. It can only be sufficiently taken up by the roots in certain forms and under proper conditions.

Potting mixes seldom contain too little iron, but it is possible that forms of iron that can be absorbed by the plant are lacking. The absorbency of iron is strongly dependent on the pH. Usually, there is sufficient iron present in absorbable form in acidic potting mixes.

About iron in short

What is it and what does it do?
Iron has a number of important functions in the plant’s overall metabolism and is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll.
What can you see?
Strong yellowing of especially the young leaves and growth shoots between the veins.
What can you do?
The best thing is to spray the plants with a watery solution of EDDHA or EDTA chelates.

infocourier-iron_text_4.jpg

Symptoms of a deficiency

Iron deficiency can occur during periods of heavy growth or high plant stress and is characterized by a strong yellowing of the young leaves and the growth shoots between the veins. This occurs chiefly because iron is not mobile in the plant. The young leaves can’t draw any iron from the older leaves. With a serious iron shortage, the older leaves and the smaller veins in the leaf can also turn yellow.

Development of a deficiency

  • Green/yellow chlorosis, from inside to the outside in the younger leaves and in the growth shoots. The veins remain mostly green.
  • Continued yellowing of the leaves to sometimes almost white. Also, large leaves turn yellow. This inhibits growth.
  • In serious cases the leaves show necrosis, and the plant’s growth and flowering are inhibited.

infocourier-iron_text_3.jpg

Reasons for a deficiency

  • The pH in the root environment is too high (pH> 6,5).
  • The root environment contains a lot of zinc and/or manganese.
  • The concentration of iron is too low in the root environment.
  • The root temperature is low.
  • The root medium is too wet, causing the oxygen supply in the roots to stagnate.
  • The root system functions inefficiently due to damaged, infected or dead roots.
  • There is too much light on the nutrition tank; light promotes the growth of algae. Algae also use up the iron and break down iron chelates.

Solutions for a deficiency

  • Lower the pH.
  • Iron chelates can be added to the substrate.
  • Drainage can be improved, or the ground temperature can be increased.
  • A leaf nutrient with iron chelates can possibly be applied. If a good fertilizer is used with hydroponic growing, an iron deficiency is almost out of the question.
  • The best thing you can do is to spray the plants with a watery solution of EDDHA (max. 0.4 grams per gallon) or EDTA chelates (max. 2 grams per gallon).

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The Role of Potassium (K)

Potassium is a chemical element with symbol K (derived from Neo-Latin, kalium) and atomic number 19. It was first isolated from potash, the ashes of plants, from which its name derives.

Phosphorus (P) Fallacies

A brief review of the macronutrients included in complete fertilizers: nitrogen (N) is involved in photosynthesis as part of the chlorophyll molecule and promotes vegetative growth; phosphorus (P) supports the transfer of energy throughout the plant for root development and flowering; and potassium (K) is an important part of plant metabolism, strengthening its overall health.

The History and Science of Epsom Salts

This natural mineral, discovered in the well water of Epsom, England, has been used for hundreds of years, not only to fertilize plants but to treat a range of human and animal ailments. Who hasn’t soaked sore feet in it at least once?

Chemically, Epsom salts is hydrated magnesium sulfate (about 10 percent magnesium and 13 percent sulfur).

Magnesium is critical for seed germination and the production of chlorophyll, fruit, and nuts. Magnesium helps strengthen cell walls and improves plants’ uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

Sulfur, a key element in plant growth, is critical to production of vitamins, amino acids (therefore protein), and enzymes. It’s also the compound that gives vegetables such as broccoli and onions their flavors. Sulfur is seldom deficient in garden soils in North America because acid rain and commonly used animal manures contain sulfur, as do chemical fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate.

The causes and effects of magnesium deficiencies vary. Vegetables such as beans, peas, lettuce, and spinach can grow and produce good yields in soils with low magnesium levels, but plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and roses need high levels of magnesium for optimal growth. However, plants may not show the effects of magnesium deficiency until it’s severe. Some common deficiency symptoms are yellowing of the leaves between the veins, leaf curling, stunted growth, and lack of sweetness in the fruit.

Magnesium tends to be lacking in old, weathered soils with low pH, notably in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. Soils with a pH above 7 and soils high in calcium and potassium also generally have low magnesium levels. Calcium and potassium compete with magnesium for uptake by plant roots, and magnesium often loses. Sometimes, a soil test will show adequate magnesium levels in soil, but a plant grown in that soil may still be deficient because of that competition.

Gardeners add magnesium when they apply dolomitic lime to raise the soil’s pH. However, this product (46 percent calcium carbonate, 38 percent magnesium carbonate) breaks down slowly, and the calcium can interfere with magnesium uptake. For soils with a pH above 7, many gardeners use Sul-Po-Mag (22 percent sulfur, 22 percent potassium, 11 percent magnesium) to increase magnesium. Although dolomitic lime and Sul-Po-Mag are inexpensive ways to add magnesium, Epsom salts’ advantage over them is its high solubility.

When diluted with water, and especially when applied as a foliar spray, Epsom salts can be taken up quickly by plants. Epsom salts’ magnesium content, high solubility, and ease of application as a foliar spray are the main reasons for the positive results many gardeners see in their plants.

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