Dyna-Gro BLOOM Directions for Use
Dyno-Gro BLOOM 3-12-6 is a liquid plant food that's both complete (all 16 essential nutrients) and balanced to avoid deficiencies and excesses. The lower nitrogen / higher phosphorus boosted ratio makes it the go-to for flowering plants, fruits and veges.
You should ideally start feeding bloom BEFORE flower buds develop, otherwise move to Bloom as soon as buds appear. Bloom both helps initiate and sustain flowering. Keep feeding Bloom until flowering (or fruiting) has finished for the season. You can feed Bloom all year-round if needed, or move between Foliage Pro and Bloom, or GROW and Bloom.
Before you feed
Like most plant foods, directions for use change based on how you want to use it, how often you feed, and your plant's needs.
Keep in mind when any plant food gives you a range, go for the higher dose when your plant's actively growing, are fast growers, or heavy feeders, and the lower dose for maintenance, in winter, for plants that aren't actively growing, for slow growers and light feeders.
Remember plant nutrition is similar to human nutrition - yes, there's some serious science behind it - but you still need to take variables into account when deciding dose.
Consider things such as time of year, if your plant's actively growing, if it's suffering from or recovering from insect attack or disease, if it's in soil with slow release fertiliser, and any requirements unique to your plant's genus or species.
For example, all potted plants need nutrients added to make up for what they're missing simply due to being in a pot, but some are heavy feeders, and some are light feeders.
*Important* If you feed twice as often as directed, don't double the dose! Keep the dose the same instead and double the water.
Here are the different doses for different uses below...
Every time you water (general maintenance): 1 ml per 1.5 litres*
This is the main way I use Dyna-Gro for my indoor jungle, which is the 'general maintenance' rate.
Officially the general maintenance dose is '3 to 7 ml per 10 litres' which is 0.3 to 0.7 ml per litre - but that does my head in (and my pipette measures in half ml increments), so to make it simple, I just feed 1 ml per 1.5 litres* on average once a week to 99% of my jungle, every water. Easy.
Adjust for heavy feeders and fast growers or if concerned about correcting existing deficiencies fast: 1ml per 1 litre
Adjust for light feeders, slow growers and plants already in potting mix with slow-release fertiliser: 1ml per 3 litres (this is the rate I'd use for my African Violets and Hoya).
If you have a quick check of the plant forums, you'll find most collectors have found their own ideal dose, but overall general consensus is from 1ml per litre to 1 ml per 1.5 litres.
*It's a good habit to feed every time you water, so if that's twice a week for your plants, keep the dose the same but double the water. So once a week you'd use 1 ml per 1.5 litres, but twice a week you'd use 1 ml per 3 litres.
Monthly watering: 2 to 4 ml per litre
If you find it simpler to feed less often, use the monthly rate instead. That's 20ml to 40ml per 10 litres, so 2 to 4 ml per litre.
For plants actively growing or heavy feeders go for the 4ml dose per litre, and for slower growers, lighter feeders, or in colder seasons go for to the 2ml dose per litre.
Personally I recommend feeding every time you water in order to avoid deficiencies in immobile nutrients like calcium (more about that in the nutrient FAQs). Once immobile nutrient deficiencies occur - that's it - you've got yourself a deficiency for life that your plant can't remedy later in the affected leaf / root / flower / fruit. If you feed more frequently than monthly, use the General Maintenance dose above instead.
Production
From 1ml per 750ml to 1ml per 375ml every watering.
Hydro and Leca: 1 ml per 1.5 litres
If you have a recirculating hydroponics system, go for 1ml per 250ml water. But for non-recirculating systems like hydro in still water, and for leca, go for 1 ml per 375ml water.
Note it's recommended to change the water weekly for non-recirculating hydro and leca to keep the water chemistry and nutrients balanced. If you're doing twice weekly water changes, keep the dose the same but double the water, so that's 1 ml per 750 ml water.
Siphon mixer
Use a ratio of 1ml to 15ml water for a concentrated feed solution.
Irrigation mixer
Mix at a ratio of 1ml per 100ml water for an injectable concentrate.