How do I top dress?Updated an hour ago
There are two kinds of top dress: a small one you repeat while the plant is growing, and a full one after you finish a cycle. Both go on the same way. Spread Craft Blend on the soil surface, cover it with BuildAFlower compost, and water it in. The compost brings the biology that breaks the amendments down, so the two go on together.
While your plant is growing
Use 1/4 cup of Craft Blend per plant, with BuildAFlower on top. Repeat:
- At planting
- Right at the start of flower
- Any time feeder roots show up at the soil surface or in the mulch
There is no waiting period. It goes down around plants that are already growing.
Full top dress after a completed cycle
When you finish a run and want to recharge the soil, use the full amount for your container. These are the most you should apply at any one time:
- 10 gallon pot: 3/4 cup
- 15 gallon pot: 1 cup
- EarthBox: 1 1/4 cups
- Tray2Grow: 1 3/4 cups
- 2x4 bed: 4 cups
- 4x4 bed: 8 cups
How much BuildAFlower
- Simple rule: about 1 gallon per plant or container.
- Best results: cover the whole soil surface with a layer 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Steps
- Premix the Craft Blend and BuildAFlower if you have a straw mulch layer.
- Spread it across the surface, out toward the drip line and off the stem.
- Wiggle it through the straw with your hands so it settles onto the soil.
- Water it in and keep that layer moist. Dry top dressing does not feed the plant.
More is not better, especially with young plants and small containers. Start with these amounts, watch the plant, and adjust.
For more detail, see the Classic Living Soil Container Guide and the feeding schedules page.