Unsure About Feeding

Floody · « **on:** June 21, 2014, 21:46 »

I'd be really interested in hearing your views on this. From what I read a lot of plants need feeding with a liquid feed every 2 weeks. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that if I fed with something such as Miracle Gro, it would cost a small fortune

The 'freebie' route doesn't seem all that feasible when there are a lot of plants to feed; Comfrey Tea takes a few weeks to be ready, as does a hessian sack full of sheep doings suspended in a water butt. Also, neither of these two options will last for very long without going into industrial levels of mass production of Comfrey and Sheep dollop!

That got me thinking about Growmore pellets. I bought some 'Verve' Growmore pellets from B & Q and, rather unthinkingly I'm afraid, I scattered these all around when I first put my plants in. I was wondering, do these pellets replace the need for feeding fortnightly? If not, what actually is their purpose? I've read the Verve bucket but there is no clue.

What do other people do when faced with the instruction that they must feed a liquid feed fortnightly?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Floody

Headgardener22 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2014, 21:55 »

What plants are you asking about?

The only things I feed weekly are my greenhouse plants. Allotment vegetables, I feed with bllod fish & bone every 4 weeks or so.

solway cropper · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2014, 22:27 »

I'm not sure that the instructions state that you MUST feed every fortnight. You can use commercial liquid feeds as directed IF YOU NEED THEM but if you are growing in a rich fertile medium there is no need.

I make 20-30 gallons of various liquid feeds every year, mainly for use on the greenhouse tomatoes/peppers. Because they are growing in only 10 litres of compost I figure they need the extra nourishment. I could grow them in bigger pots but the liquid feed is free so that's the route I've chosen to go down.

Totty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2014, 23:14 »

Feeding the soil each time a crop is cleared is the way to go long term IMO. I always add BFB to the soil when planting too. I've had good results this year by using phostrogen as a fine mist foliar feed at half strength. Both times I've foliar fed this season, it's been noticeable within a much shorter space of time than by hoeing some BFB, or growmore into the soil.
Plus, when your only spraying a fine mist over the leaves, a little goes a really long way, when compared to how much it takes to fill a can with feed and water it in. So works out far cheaper too.

Don't really see why either nettle or comfrey teas can't be used in the same way either.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/21562-maximum-growth-with-foliar-feeding/

Hope the link works.

Totty

Floody · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2014, 07:34 »

Brilliant, many thanks for the advice. Nothing has been grown on the plot (except weeds) for at least ten years until I took it over last November so I intend to cover it with a thick mulch of horse manure this Autumn. I also have chicken pellets and, as I said, the Growmore pellets, and I'll only use liquid feed in an 'emergency' or as a foliar feed from now on.

I like a plan of action that will save me lots of money!

Goosegirl · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2014, 14:17 »

If your plot has grown nothing but weeds for that length of time, I would say it will need a really good manuring in Autumn to get the soil into a better condition for next year, then a good feed by apply blood, fish and bone when planting out. For now, I would use either Growmore which has equal rates of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, or your chicken pellets for more nitrogen-hungry plants as it has more nitrogen in it than the other two elements. I bought a packet of Miracle-Grow All Purpose water-soluble granules to use either as a feed when watering, or as a foliar feed which is used as a more dilute mix. You get a little measuring spoon with it, and one end is a tablespoon which you use in a gallon of water as recommended for a general feed, or you can use the teaspoon end to make a foliar feed. I must admit I like the foliar feed as a boost and have got results from applying it, plus it isn't that expensive at �6.38 for a 2 kilogram tub on the Amazingon website.

Floody · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2014, 16:32 »

Thanks for that Goosegirl. I shall do as you say...

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Unsure About Feeding

Floody

Unsure About Feeding

Headgardener22

Re: Unsure About Feeding

solway cropper

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Totty

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Floody

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Goosegirl

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Floody

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