Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: growing4us on March 24, 2010, 20:48

Title: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: growing4us on March 24, 2010, 20:48
I have only had my plot since January and haven't been able to get any well rotted manure to put on the potatoe plot. To give the potatoes a good start I was intending to use Fish, blood and bone but at the local allotment shop they advised growmore as being best for potatoes.

Both Fish, blood and bone and growmore that I brought came in clear bages with no instructions for use. I have since read that too much can be harmful. Any ideas on how much to use per M2.

 :(
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: mumofstig on March 24, 2010, 20:55
as my old plot neighbour used to say....'a good handful' . Not technical...but it seems to work :)
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Mark-S on March 24, 2010, 21:00
if you spread it evenly you wont apply too much of those kinds of 'amateur' fertiliser
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: DavidT on March 24, 2010, 21:02
Good evening Growing4us and welcome to the site. Don`t listen to them at the shop. You are much better off using the F,B and B. for the first dressing, use at a rate of about 4 ounces per square yard. This will probaly last most of the potato growing season. With Growmore, you`d be using it about every 2 weeks. :D
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Ivah on March 24, 2010, 22:08
May I say that is an absolutely ridiculous view of Growmore.
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: BostonInbred on March 24, 2010, 22:18
Growmore is a 7-7-7 whereas FBB is a 5-5-6.5

I cant see you would need to use more growmore than FBB. I woudl apply either at about 6 week intervals.
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: galen on March 24, 2010, 22:43
I think DavidT is trying to say that an application of FBB takes its time to get into the soil  whilst Growmore, being made from rapidly dissolving inorganic salts, passes into the soil, and through more quickly.

They say dress with FBB 2 weeks in advance, Growmore when you sow.
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Rangerkris on March 25, 2010, 07:18
as my old plot neighbour used to say....'a good handful' . Not technical...but it seems to work :)

More than a handful is a waste, as it all falls onto the paths instead of the bed. ;)
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Ivah on March 25, 2010, 08:26
There was another recent discussion

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=52637.0

Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Dominic on March 26, 2010, 09:20
I use pelleted NPK (7-7-7), it was about £5 a bucket from B&Q.
I just throw handfulls of it around until I get bored.

At a guess, a box of 20x5 foot gets a big handful.
If I'm planting something like a tree or a bush, I'll put a few handfuls in the bottom of the hole, although I've since learn that might be a total waste of effort, because it will just wash away.
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Pompey Spud on March 26, 2010, 09:39
Just in case you didn't know G4U.

FBB is the organic version of Growmore and release its nutrients slowly. So is the same sort of thing. Just depends on whether you grow organic or, not.

What i do with great results is sow the spuds with a bulb planter and fill the hole with compost homemade or, cheap shop stuff mixed with a 10kg bag of Growmore.

Any fertiliser that has a higher Potash(potassium) ratio would be more beneficial as Spuds love Potash of which there is a special fertiliser you can buy.

I than top dress later on in the year.
Title: Re: How much fertilizer to use
Post by: Salmo on March 26, 2010, 10:30
Whichever you use neither should be touching your seed potatoes. Both should be worked into the soil a few days before planting.

Growmore is 7-7-7 and bfb is 5-5-6 so you should in theory need a little more bfb than growmore. i.e. 200g/sq m (8oz/sq yd)growmore or 280g/sq m (11oz/sq yd) bfb.

As a rule of thumb the 200g rate is right for hungry crops such as potatoes and brassicas. 100g is right for other crops such as onions, carrots, beans.

When you have decided how much you need to apply per square metre weigh that amount out and spread it on a square metre of ground. That will tell you what it looks like when spread at the correct rate. The pile you weigh out will also tell you what that amount is like in your hand. i.e. for your hand is it a big handfull or a small handfull?

When choosing the organic option of blood, fish and bone please consider the source of fish. This has almost definately come from sandeels scooped up by factory ships and may well be depriving our seabirds such as puffins of their food. Our seabirds are in trouble and this is why. Green option???