first feed questions

[91nricky]

My wife just got into gardening, and we have a few questions about feeding our plants for the first time. We're total newbies, so the whole nutrient thing is a little intimidating bcs I hate to be failing.

First, when is the right time to give a plant its first feeding?
And second, how do you properly mix the nutrients for a brand new plant? Do we follow the directions on the bottle exactly, or is there a trick to it? Any advice would be a huge help!

 

[lopSide]

Wait until they've got a couple sets of true leaves before the first feeding. Start with half the recommended strength on the bottle, it's easier to add more than fix a burnt plant. Also.. always mix nutrients into water first and make sure the soil is moist before applying

 

[therm0.stat]

For first feeding, wait until the plants have a couple of true leaves and they don’t need much before that. When mixing, start at about ¼ to ½ strength of what the bottle says and work your way up as they grow, it’s easier to fix underfeeding than to recover from burning young plants

 

[happyc4t]

how do you properly mix the nutrients for a brand new plant? Do we follow the directions on the bottle exactly,

nope, don't follow the full strength directions on the bottle, and should start with a very diluted solution. you need to wait until the plant is established. For seeds and very young seedlings, you don't need to add nutrients right away