2 2009-10-23T15:01:16+11:00 false I just mixed up some food for my African Violets. Here's the recipe: 18 ounces water 2 small handfuls vermicompost (from the bottom tray of my bin -- it has visable root bits and paper bits, but seems otherwise processed) 1/2 teaspoon Osmocote organic fertilizer (10-3-8)* I mixed them all together, then left them on the counter. I'll water the AVs with it tomorrow. This brew is low on phosphorous, so it will likely stunt blooming a bit, but the leaves are looking sad and desperate for food that I want to give them what I can right now. I will have to look into organic phosphorous sources for them. *I have decided that the only fertilizers I really trust are the ones that are not that far removed from their organic origin -- like compost, manure and meals. This Osmocote certainly does not look organic. It looks like tiny pellets that someone made to look organic. I've also read that if the three numbers total more than 20, the product is probably not really organic, which makes this borderline. I don't trust this stuff. But I bought it, and it would be worse for the watershed if I just dumped it, so I'm going to use it until it is gone. The usual application rate is 1 teaspoon per 4-inch pot, so I figure 1/2 teaspoon per 6 3-4 inch pots ought to be ok. 2 false 69932 false false false Entry 2009-10-22T15:00:00+11:00 DMY Public 2009-10-23T15:01:16+11:00 1713 Sunny 61 F