Osmocote Rebate...

[Joyce]

For those of you 'serious gardeners' who use Osmocote! 

http://www.plantersplace.com/rebate/

 

[miguynmkoi]

THANK YOU! 

[Esther]

Don't know if I qualify or not but sure like the product and savings.

[Vickie]

I am a avid gardener and only use osmocote on land plants. But I still might check it out 

[PondmaninAL]

I'm a serious gardener that uses the natural stuff.

[frogman3]

I divided some lilies this year that were potted up with Osmocote last spring
and there was still quite a few granuals still remaining in the soil.
Should it not have disolved after a year?

[Joyce]

The granules (actually called prills) are coated with an osmotic membrane that slowly seeps the fertilizer through the membrane using a process called osmosis.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/osmosis
The osmotic membrane expands slowly as temps rise. As the membrane expands, more nutrients can seep through it. So the warmer the water gets, the more the membrane allows the nutrients to pass through. Plants need more fertilizer as temperatures increase because they start to grow faster and bloom, which requires more nutrients. So the Osmocote releases its nutrients in perfect time with the plants growth needs.

After a year, you'll see the granules (prills) but what you are seeing is just the outer osmotic membrane, there will be nothing left inside except maybe some water.

That is what is so awesome about Osmocote and other Osmotic fertilizers like Osmocote. :cheer:
They literally can not dissolve all at once because of the osmotic membrane.
Pond tabs can and will dissolve all at once which can over-fertilize your lilies and pond plants, possibly killing them by fertilizer burn.
Another problem with Pondtabs and other similar tab fertilizers, you have to re-apply every month, jabbing the tabs into the soil, ripping and tearing the plants roots.
Besides that, extra nutrients seep into the pond water and cause horrible algae blooms. 

Osmocote is applied one in the spring when you repot....and that is it for most 4-6 month growing seasons.
Warm weather climates may need to reapply mid to late summer.

Osmocote saves a lot of money and a lot of work! :cheer:

I could say Osmocote is fool proof, but there are obviously quite a few fools out there determined to give Osmocote a bad name. 

What's inside an Osmocote prill is the same fertilizer ingredients as pondtabs (an N-P-K formula)....but coated with an osmotic membrane that keeps it from dissolving all at once.
Which can save you a lot of money, a lot of work, and can not kill by overfertilization.

Here's an article at WGI, who are the best source of water lily info on the internet. 
http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/5-2/steve/page1.html

 

[frogman3]

Thanks Joyce, for the long explanation. I should have connected the Osmocote with osmosis! Is there a formula you use as to how much to add. My pots are 20" dia. x 10" deep. Being so large and heavy I don't have to divide till the second year. That was an interesting WGI article.

[HOWELL]

Well it seems that you do know about Osmocote...all I know is my plants are blooming...even pickerel....

[Joyce]

If you get a container or bag of Osmocote, there is a very helpful chart that gives doses in regard to pot size.
This chart works for aquatic plants too.  

But in a container that big, I would use about a quarter cup.  

But here is another website showing how they tried to over-fertilize and look what happened...
http://osmocoteisbest.com/faq.shtml

 

[Jonna]

Osmocote is difficult to find down here and when you do find it, it is very expensive.  So, it's one of the few things I have brought in for me when someone goes north.  We've had to get fairly 'creative' about it since fertilizer is one of the things that airlines don't want to carry.  I have a good supply now and I always use it when I repot the lilies. 

I have a question for you Joyce, my water temperature never gets to 70° I think the coldest it got this winter was 72°.  Generally it is around 80° +/- a few degrees.  So, my guess is that the Osmocote releases fairly quickly in those temps which is probably good because the lilies don't stop growing in the winter.  It's hard to add more though so I've been experimenting with some tomato stakes but those are hard to come by here too.  I hate to lift the pots up out of the water very often because they are made of concrete and very heavy.  Is there another way to feed the lilies in the water?  I think that they need more fert than they are getting, perhaps as often as every couple weeks.  What do you think? 

[Joyce]

Somehow I missed your question Jonna. 

You can wrap some Osmocote in a used fabric softener sheet, sort of tied up in a knot. (opposite corners ties together)
I have done this for one of my clients. Each little ball measures about 1" wide when I am done.
I wade into the pond (or reach when I can) , and use a garden rake to gently make holes, four to each pot.
Then I push the little Osmocote balls into each hole and top off each hole with 1" gravel. (float a bucket of gravel along with me)
If you don't use fabric softener sheets, you can use any old thin fabric squares. (like old tshirts cut up, etc)

Later in the season I have encountered pots that are soooo crammed with roots I have not felt comfortable pushing holes into them. So what I have done is pulled-bent the outer rim of the pot away from the soil and shoved the Osmocote balls down the side as deep as possible, and then smushed the soil back into place. 

[Jonna]

Thanks Joyce, I'm going to build some little tamales of Osmocote and put them in the sides of the pot.  If I were to add fert every month, especially in the summer when they are growing faster, could it hurt them?  I am not seeing the number of leaves I'd like and I think they may be a little hungry. 

[Joyce]

Try 2 per pot at first, and the up it to 3 if you don't see enough blooms. 

[Jonna]

OK, luckily I still have a big bag of my contraband osmocote    making tamales tomorrow. 

[Joyce]

Have fun Jonna. 
I got my rebate already. That was FAST!!!!

[tranquility]

Somehow I missed your question Jonna. 

You can wrap some Osmocote in a used fabric softener sheet, sort of tied up in a knot. (opposite corners ties together)
I have done this for one of my clients. Each little ball measures about 1" wide when I am done.
I wade into the pond (or reach when I can) , and use a garden rake to gently make holes, four to each pot.
Then I push the little Osmocote balls into each hole and top off each hole with 1" gravel. (float a bucket of gravel along with me)
If you don't use fabric softener sheets, you can use any old thin fabric squares. (like old tshirts cut up, etc)

Later in the season I have encountered pots that are soooo crammed with roots I have not felt comfortable pushing holes into them. So what I have done is pulled-bent the outer rim of the pot away from the soil and shoved the Osmocote balls down the side as deep as possible, and then smushed the soil back into place. 

What an excellent idea---I'll have to remember that one..
Lawanna

[Joyce]

Lawanna, I found it easier to tie up the opposite corners without spilling the Osmocote,
by first laying the used fabric softener sheet in a bowl. (ice cream bowl size or cereal bowl size)