potato fertiliser

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Mrs Bee

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potato fertiliser
« on: March 12, 2012, 13:03 »
Looking at the ads for potato fertiliser is it really any better than slinging in a handful of growmore? ???

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AlaninCarlisle

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2012, 13:18 »
A total waste of money. Growmore at fifteen quid a sack is totally adequate for commercial growers so why pay more

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JayG

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2012, 14:36 »
Good chance that giving spuds exactly the right blend of nutrients for them will make a bit of difference, but whether that is measurable compared to a balanced fertiliser is anyone's guess.

On the whole they look very expensive compared to Growmore though!  :ohmy:
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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Trillium

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2012, 14:39 »
We just use a general purpose fertilizer with ours and it does the job just fine. Since potatoes are the only plants on which we use a bit of fertilizer, a small sack lasts years.

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ray7

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2012, 15:57 »
Poundland both the same price for 0.75kg box. Growmore 7.0 7.0 7.0 Organic potato fertiliser 4:2.5:8

Ray

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Mrs Bee

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2012, 16:37 »
Thanks guys. Will stick to the general purpose.  ;)

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solway cropper

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2012, 21:48 »
I've never used a specific potato fertilizer before but was going to try a little experiment this year. Five polypots with my normal compost mix and five with the mix plus potato fert. at the recommended application. Same variety of spud, same growing conditions, etc so I'll be comparing total yield to see if makes much difference.

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Yorkie

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2012, 22:02 »
Sounds an interesting experiment, do keep us posted at the end of the season.

I always use potato fertiliser as it's designed to have the right balance of nutrients, rather than a balanced general purpose one.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 22:34 by Yorkie »
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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Salmo

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2012, 00:31 »

I always use potato fertiliser as it's designed to have the right balance of nutrients, rather than a balanced general purpose one.

If growmore is applied at a rate to supply enough potash for potatoes there is too much nitrogen which grows big tops. The value of high potash fertilizers is less on clay soils which tend to be high in potash.

The other approach is to apply growmore at half rate and then add straight potash. Potash is available in two forms, muriate of potash and sulphate of potash. Sulphate is supposed to produce better quality potatoes but is more expensive.

Potash is the expensive nutrient out of NPK which is why potato fertilizers always cost more.

Potash is difficult to supply organically.

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Mrs Bee

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2012, 18:54 »

I always use potato fertiliser as it's designed to have the right balance of nutrients, rather than a balanced general purpose one.

If growmore is applied at a rate to supply enough potash for potatoes there is too much nitrogen which grows big tops. The value of high potash fertilizers is less on clay soils which tend to be high in potash.

The other approach is to apply growmore at half rate and then add straight potash. Potash is available in two forms, muriate of potash and sulphate of potash. Sulphate is supposed to produce better quality potatoes but is more expensive.

Potash is the expensive nutrient out of NPK which is why potato fertilizers always cost more.

Potash is difficult to supply organically.

Thanks for that. Will give it a try. Can get sulphate of potash very cheaply from our horticultural society. Has got to be cheaper than buying the specially formulated one. Als get Grow more cheaply from the Horti socirty too. :)

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solway cropper

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2012, 21:18 »


If growmore is applied at a rate to supply enough potash for potatoes there is too much nitrogen which grows big tops. The value of high potash fertilizers is less on clay soils which tend to be high in potash.

The other approach is to apply growmore at half rate and then add straight potash. Potash is available in two forms, muriate of potash and sulphate of potash. Sulphate is supposed to produce better quality potatoes but is more expensive.

Potash is the expensive nutrient out of NPK which is why potato fertilizers always cost more.

Potash is difficult to supply organically.

Useful though fairly small amounts of potash can be found in comfrey and seaweed and many people use feeds made from these. Wood ash too although its alkalinity is likely to cause scabbing on potatoes if overused.

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Goldfinger

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2012, 21:36 »

What about Bonemeal?

Is that better suited for spuds than Growmore?

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bigben

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Re: potato fertiliser
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2012, 09:10 »
Poundland both the same price for 0.75kg box. Growmore 7.0 7.0 7.0 Organic potato fertiliser 4:2.5:8

Ray

How much was it Ray? :nowink:


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