>So what do the rest of you do? Does anyone still use bone meal? How >about the mixes you buy at the stores that are advertised for bulbs? >Has anyone done a test with planting using two kinds of fertilizer? >Do others feel that bulbs hate phosphorus and if so which ones? Who >uses miracle grow and how often? How about manure? We had some >osmocote horror stories from Uli's Hippeastrum a number of years ago >and from Diana Chapman too if I remember correctly, but are some of >you having success with this? How about nutricote which is supposed >to release fertilizer slowly and not be temperature dependent like >osmocote? Who uses liquid feed only and how often? I tried bone meal for a couple of years, but didn't notice any difference in growth, and like others have said, it attracted the dog, so I quit using it. I used to use Osmocote, but at half the recommended rate, and I quit after all that discussion some time ago about the problems it has when it gets too hot and things are watered a lot. Someone back then recommended a different product, called Apex, and I finally tracked down, using the Internet, a farm supply chain in South. Calif. that carried it. The only problem was that they only have stores at the periphery of the L.A. metropolitan area (which is huge). So I made a drive out to a store one day, discovered that since it comes in bulk, it is *much* cheaper than Osmoscote, and it comes in many different N-P-K configurations. I bought two 50 lb. bags of it and each bag has lasted a long time, even with all the pots I have. Right before Jennifer moved away, I got her to get me two more bags of it right before one of Cathy Craig's potlucks. I got the 21-5-12 plus minors formulation after hearing all the things that have been discussed over the years, and it turns out that Apex formulates and markets its products for the Australian market as well, which uses a different methodology for measuring the N-P-K contents. According to the bag label, in Australia, the formulation is 21-2.1-9.9 This is supposed to be a good formulation for Australian natives as well, according to Apex. They also make different lengths of duration for the time release and and although it is dependent on temperature, Apex gives a rating table for a range of temperatures. I got the formulation that lasts 9 months at 70 deg. F. (10 months at 60 deg. F., 8 months at 80 deg. F., 7 months at 90 deg. F.) I use it at the rate of 1/2 tablespoon per "gallon" of pot size---which is half the rate suggested on the Osmocote packages. I apply it when shoots start to appear in the autumn for winter growers and in the spring when shoots start to appear for summer growers. Everything seems to be growing much better since I started this regimen, and one appplication lasts most of the growing season for the winter growers. One bag is enough for all my pots and plants for more than 12 months of growing seasons. Best of all it only costs US$30 for a 50 lb. bag. I know this is pragmatist's experience, but it seems to square well with what others have written from a more scientific poitn of view. -- --Lee Poulsen Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10