Garden & Greenhouse March 2019 Issue | Page 16

FEATURESTORY by Eric Hopper Early Growth Fertilizer Regimes for Propagation and Vegetative Stage A plant’s fruit or flowers do not reach maturity until the end of the fruiting or flowering stage, but a plant’s abil- ity to produce a prolific yield is af- fected by all stages of growth. In other words, the seedling/cloning and vegetative stages play significant roles in a plant’s ability to achieve its full potential. The way a clone or seedling is cared for directly impacts the young plant’s transition into the vegetative stage. Along that same line of thinking, the manner in which a vegetative plant is cared for directly influences how the plant will transition and perform in the fruiting/flowering stage. 16 www.GardenandGreenhouse.net March 2019