Timed-release brands are resistant to leaching and will not burn lawns or plants. If you grow a lot of container pots, it would be a great advantage using timed-release as you will only have to feed once during the season, however, make sure you purchase one that will last the correct amount of months for your particular growing season. Because timed-release is based on soil temperatures of 72, it would stand to reason that an increase in soil temperature would speed up the amount of nutrient released. Houseplants require the same nutrients as plants grown outside but because the former are grown in pots with limited soil, nutrients are depleted at a much quicker rate so they require a regular fertilizer program. Careful attention must be paid to the amount of N, P, K given as too much nitrogen can cause excessive leaf growth and too little can cause stunted growth.
Phosphorous deficiencies cause the plant to experience leaf drop and take on a purplish-blue color.
Plants showing sign of leaf mottling, deadened areas near the tips and yellowing leaves are indications of a potassium deficiency. Less fertilizer is better than too much. Greenhouse container crops should be fertilized during the time of active growth, unless you are using a timed-release fertilizer that was added to the pot at the time of planting. I cannot even begin to explain the details of this, but I can give you the formula to convert PPM to ounces per gallons of water. Leaching is a practice that should be followed regularly.