Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Long-Beaked Stork's Bill (Erodium botrys)— schedule & NPK
Also called Long-Beaked Stork's Bill, Long-Beaked Filaree, Broadleaf Filaree, Mediterranean Stork's Bill.
More about long-beaked stork's bill
About Long-Beaked Stork's Bill
Erodium botrys · also called Long-Beaked Stork's Bill, Long-Beaked Filaree · flowering
Erodium botrys is a winter-growing annual herb native to the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, and North Africa, where it germinates in late summer or early autumn and completes its life cycle by early summer. It forms a basal rosette of highly lobed, slightly hairy leaves on reddish petioles, then produces upright flowering stems bearing small, five-petalled lavender to purple flowers with darker streaking. Its most distinctive feature is the exceptionally long fruit beak — reaching up to 12 cm — which gives the species its common name. It naturalises freely in free-draining, sunny ground. Not documented as toxic; mildly-toxic classification used in the absence of an ASPCA species-level entry.
Growth habit: Low rosette-forming winter annual, with erect flowering stems arising from the rosette.
What fertiliser long-beaked stork's bill actually wants — and why
Long-Beaked Stork's Bill is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for long-beaked stork's bill: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed long-beaked stork's bill, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For long-beaked stork's bill:
No feeding required; this annual thrives in lean soils and feeding is unnecessary and may promote soft growth susceptible to disease. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when long-beaked stork's bill is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for long-beaked stork's bill
Half strength is the safe default for long-beaked stork's bill — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water long-beaked stork's bill first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the long-beaked stork's bill watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding long-beaked stork's bill
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for long-beaked stork's bill:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding long-beaked stork's bill
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full long-beaked stork's bill care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of long-beaked stork's bill with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for long-beaked stork's bill
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising long-beaked stork's bill — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does long-beaked stork's bill need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Long-Beaked Stork's Bill is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed long-beaked stork's bill?
No feeding required; this annual thrives in lean soils and feeding is unnecessary and may promote soft growth susceptible to disease. No feeding required; this annual thrives in lean soils and feeding is unnecessary and may promote soft growth susceptible to disease. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for long-beaked stork's bill?
Half strength is the safe default for long-beaked stork's bill — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding long-beaked stork's bill look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding long-beaked stork's bill year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of long-beaked stork's bill?
Flush the pot of long-beaked stork's bill with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Long-Beaked Stork's Bill care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water long-beaked stork's bill — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise kotschy's crambe
- How to fertilise statice
- How to fertilise common sea lavender
- All 10153 fertilising guides in the Growli library