Tried organic liquid fertilizer vs synthetic granules for my peace lilies and the difference was huge

So about 3 months ago I repotted my two peace lilies that were looking real sad. I used the same soil mix but decided to try different fertilizers on them. One got the synthetic blue granules you dissolve in water, the other got this organic liquid stuff from a local nursery here in Austin. The organic one cost me like $18 a bottle while the granules were maybe $8. But man the organic one just made the leaves so much greener and bigger after about 6 weeks. The granule plant had like some yellow tips and just looked okay. Now the organic plant has put out 4 new blooms already and the other one only has one. Has anyone else compared these two types and seen big differences with houseplants or am I just lucky with that one plant?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert20d ago

Have you ever looked into how different fertilizers affect the soil microbes? I read somewhere that synthetic salts can build up and hurt the good bacteria in the soil over time, while organic stuff seems to keep the microbiome happy. That might explain why your organic plant is doing so much better, especially after a few weeks when the microbes got a chance to do their thing. I've seen similar results with my ferns, though your mileage may vary with different plants.

the_derek20d ago

My 2017 peace lily that sits in a north facing window here in San Antonio actually did better with a half dose of synthetic mixed with some compost tea every other month. I think the trick is that pure organic fertilizers release nutrients really slow in cooler soil temps, especially during winter months when the plant isn't growing as much. The synthetic granules gave my plant a quick boost in spring but I noticed the leaves started getting that yellow tipping you mentioned after about three months of using them straight. The organic liquid stuff seems to work better in warmer weather when the soil bacteria are active, but it can get real expensive if you have more than a couple plants. Maybe your peace lily that got the organic fertilizer was just in a spot with better light or airflow too, which can make a bigger difference than people realize.

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