New growth late in season
 

I’ve got 2 Clowesetums in PET that didn’t necessarily appreciate the shadier conditions that they had to endure for the summer, but in the past two weeks they’ve both decided to put out new growths—they’ve been getting more light since the sun has moved back onto the back porch with the arrival of fall. These 2 plants had CREPT along until that change in the sun’s angle: the bulbs aren’t nearly the size of ones that came before. I’ll include pictures in the AM when I can see!

Can I let these new growths keep going or should I just get them ready for bed with the gradual withholding of water?

Thank you in advance!

Being that far South, you're going to have warm and bright conditions for much longer than will most people here. I would fertilize and water heavily, and try to get them as big as possible before cold weather in December arrives.

Hey ES, thanks! The guys on the back porch will be stoked when they get the news!

Some photos…The one on the left had a rougher time apparently!

IMG 1518 — Postimages

Ya, I would do the same. You can withhold fertilizer at any time (starting now would work) and then back off watering in early December, with no water by end of December. You'll get stunted growths, but that's ok.

Not saying I’m going to do this, but I wonder what would happen if they keep getting fed up until the last watering…These two and a smaller Fredclarkeara were received with what I assume is nutricote thrown in, but the prills seem like they’ve not gotten any smaller in months. I liquid feed the others but I don’t know how much or how little nutrition these ones with the prills actually getting:biggrin:

I live in Phoenix, where it's above 90 degrees F / 32C more than half the year.

Nitrogen compounds in fertilizers degrade more and more rapidly as temperature rises. This is partly due to increased microorganism activity and partly due to the physical chemistry of nitrogen compounds used in fertilizers.

Years ago a soil scientist speaking to a gardening club here said the nitrogen in ordinary Osmocote is converted to gaseous nitrogen within a few weeks when temperatures are above 90. He said ammonium sulfate fertilizer solutions are taken up by plants or fully converted to gaseous nitrogen within an hour of application at such temperatures. After hearing that lecture I stopped using prilled fertlizer, except on winter-growing vegetables in containers.

Prill formulation has changed over the years, but the chemistry hasn't.

I would predict if you're using only time-release prilled fertilizer in your heat, and it's been more than a month since application, your plants aren't getting any fertilizer now.

Edit: The fact your plants haven't grown much might be due to this.

The prills won't get smaller, but when they're spent they are easy to crush with your fingers.

Here I am thinking that as long as I can see it, it’s working! :rofl:

I’ve actually been supplementing the prilled plants with a 100PPM nitrate solution—thankfully my curiosity didn’t get me into trouble this time, but that was entirely luck!

---------- Post added at 02:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 PM ----------

I just grabbed a few, and they’re not at all like the little pebbles they seem to be! For the most part, they’re just moist shells filled with moisture:biggrin:

Sounds like if you back off on the liquid fertilizer, your plants will be just getting water! You're good to go!