Fertilizers, if not used correctly, can be more harmful to a plant than beneficial. If the soil is very dry and you use water with a high concentration of fertilizer, it will burn the roots of the plant. Always use a little plain water first and then finish watering with the fertilized water. The same problem will occur if you fertilize plants that are in a resting rather than a growing phase. The fertilizer will not be absorbed; it will build up in the soil, and eventually burn the roots. If the roots die the plant dies. Here are few easy rules to remember.

1. Do not fertilize your new plants for at least 4-6 weeks after you purchase them. They are acclimating to a new environment and not growing.
2. Do not fertilize plants when there is little light and they are not growing
3. Do not fertilize plants when it is so hot that they have gone into a resting phase.
4. Do not fertilize a plant when the soil is very dry.
5. Do not fertilize a newly transplanted or repotted plant
6. The faster a plant is growing, usually in the spring and summer, the more frequently you should fertilize it.
7. As a rule of thumb, fertilize every other week in the spring and summer, and once a month or less in the fall and winter.
8. Always follow the manufactures instructions for dilution proportions. When in doubt use less rather than more.

Indoor plant fertilizers should contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; the three numbers you see on the label of the fertilizer represent these. The first number refers to the percent by weight of nitrogen the second number the percent of phosphorous, and the third the percent of potassium. A 20-20-20 fertilizers usually works quite well; but you may want to look up the specific requirements of your individual plants.

Next Section: What Is A Sick Building?

Chrysanthemum	Palm	Spiderplant
Dracaena Janet Craig	Ivy	Spathyphylum (Peace Lily)