I have been searching the 'net for Osmocote's full analysis info, and have had no luck. All I have found is what is already on the label, which is not specific enough.
I grow in pots with coco coir... my area is very heavily populated with gnats, and if I use any kind of soil, my nursery gets infested within a week or two. This is *with* gnat/pest control, such as neem oil doses every 1-2 weeks as needed, cedar oil granules, etc., as well as that nifty little Hot Shot contraption hung from my nursery ceiling. With these and coco, I rarely see a single gnat in my nursery, but with soil I cannot keep them from colonizing in my roots. (Sad, really. Being on a fixed income, I'd much rather use the much cheaper soil that has some/most/all of Mother Nature's foods already in it. But, ya gotta make the best you can with whatcha got.)
I have been using a different brand of slow release pellets (Lilly Miller Multicote) that I got at my neighborhood nursery three years ago that is 18-6-12. Just empied the 2 lb. jar yesterday. I haven't found the same brand since, so I ordered Osmocote last week, which arrived today... perfect timing, as I need to do some transplanting today or tomorrow.
Of course growing in coco is technically a hydro method, as coco is 100% inert, so any nutrients my plants get are strictly what I manually feed them. So, I have also been using about 1/2 to 3/4 doses of Jack's 30-10-10 for veg and 20-20-20 for bloom, along with a dash of cal-mag or else epsom salt, as I know that Jack's doesn't have quite enough of those for hydro and/or coco. The slow release pellets have been great because I can water without manually adding ferts much of the time, with Jack's & cal-mag once every 1-2 weeks. (It is constantly stressed not to use water alone with coco, but to always have at least a trace amount of ferts in the water; the pellets take care of that concern.
However, I don't know whether or not this is a myth/paradigm.) After three years of doing this, my plants have been very happy, which of course makes me very happy.
What I am trying to find out is whether Osmocote is enough on its own for coco growing like it can be in soil. Hence my quest for their full analysis info. I need to know if all the essentials are in there.
I need to grow the "laziest" way possible, because I have severe CNS & autoimmune issues, and have extremely limited strength & mobility. If Osmocote could be enough for most, if not all, of my feeding needs, I could simply water with my long watering nozzle and not struggle nearly as much as I do when hand watering with nutrients. Being able to do just that, with the inevitable occasional tweak as needed, would enable me to get more work done with a much lower price (pain/immobility) to pay afterwards. Also, the less physical work I can get away with, the longer it will be before I can no longer grow my meds on my own anymore... any injury I sustain, including overexerting myself too much or too often, leaves me more disabled than before the injury or severe relapse/flare; I simply never fully recover from them. So it is indeed in my best interest to keep my gardening at the lowest physical exertion possible.
Plus, if Osmocote would be enough on its own, then adding other ferts would mean over feeding; something I abhor and avoid like the plague.
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ALSO, I ordered both 19-6-12 and 14-14-14 Osmocote, figuring I'd add a little of the latter to flowering plants for a slight increase of P & K, but still more N since the former will already be in the pot during veg. SO, I open my Amazon package today, and see that Osmocote's 14-14-14 only talks about outdoor gardens; whereas the 19-6-12 specifically says for outdoor and indoor both...
Does this mean that the Flower & Vegetable food (14-14-14) is NOT good/recommended for indoor/potted plants? I don't see why it would cause harm, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
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I do plan on doing a side-by-side comparison when my current batch of cuttings take root, one with my established feeding regimine, another with only Osmocote, and another with only Osmocote and
some supplemental ferts as needed for tweaks/fixes. However, I'd grately appreciate any advice in the meantime, for the plants I already have growing in my medicine cabinet so I can ensure continuing growth/health with as little physical strain possible.
Thanks in advance! Sorry so long and rambling... my condition has affected my cognition (very common with chronic illness and pain), and I cannot articulate myself with brief statements anymore. I have to "think out loud" if I am going to have even a chance of getting my point across.
And yes, I say nursery instead of grow room... my son and his 34 month old daughter live with us, and we would rather her refer to Grandma's room with plants as a nursery. "Grow room" sounds stoner-ish and has stigma attached to it that I don't want put on her nor her dad & grandparents... and a grow room is indeed a nursery, after all.