[stompy]

Technicaly we are at war, just not in our country

I usually use blood fish and bone, but have purchased a 10kg tub of organic fertiliser from morrisons for £6.

[rhysdad]

Is Growmore bad then? I know it's not organic but i won't use any sprays at all on my plot so i trade one for the other. Does Fish, Blood and Bone do the same job then? 

[peapod]

Well, its not 'bad', its been used for years by many many people, its just not organic,  It still sells well. You can buy an organic version (which a friend swears by), but Im happy with my chicken pellets and BF&B and lime and manure and tom food and all that malarkey.

When I tried it it didn't seem to improve things anymore than I was getting really, but its an easy quick way for a lot of people pressed for time.

[stompy]

Growmore isn't bad, It feeds the plants, but it does nothing for the soil.

The general idea is to feed and improve the soil, healthy good soil = healthy good plants.
Use of artificial fertilisers can lead to lots of soft lush growth which can leave a plant open to attack from afids or diseases (etc).

If you use manures or composts to feed your soil, it not only feeds the soil but it also increases drainage and improves soil structure. also add BFB as a slow release organic fertiliser.

[JayG]

I agree with Stompy that artificial fertilizers are a "quick fix" compared to the ideal which is increasing the natural fertility and condition of your soil over time using manure and compost.

However I still maintain that using a balanced fertiliser will not give an excess of unwanted leafy growth if used as directed (chucking ammonium sulphate all over your plot would be a different story!)   

[stompy]

I agree with you JayG.

But how many people new to growing use fertilisers as directed.
I know that when i first started i used to add just a little more of what i used BFB in my case, than i was supposed to, on the more has got to be better than less idea.

All im saying is if people are going to use these artificials, then do so as directed like you said JayG.

[Salmo]

However, it only lasts in the soil for 10 to 14 days. Whereas F,B and B is viable for 30 days plus.

The nitrogen may only be available for a short time, especially if there is a lot of rain, but it will usually be longer than 14 days,

The potash and phosphate will be there season long as they are less soluble than nitrogen. Potash and phosphate fertilizers can be applied in the previous Autumn and are still available in the Spring whereas nitrogen is washed away to pollute our rivers.

The same really applies to the nutrients in FB&B although they are released a little slower as the organic materials in it have to be broken down by soil bacteria to release them. Conversly the nutrients are not immediately available to the plants, and sometimes you need them to be.

As stompy says - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKET.

The usual way to use Growmore is to put it on the soil about 10 days before you are going to plant/sow and work it into the top few inches. If you put it on too near to sowing it can burn the newly germinated seeds. If you put it on too early the nitrogen may be lost.

Top dressing with Growmore is of little value as only the nitrogen is really soluble and mobile in the soil. The potash and phosphate tend to stay in the surface layer and not move down to root level unless they are worked in. Better to top dress with nitrogen or use a liquid feed.

[Christine]

Growmore isn't bad, It feeds the plants, but it does nothing for the soil.

I have spent three years raising the soil of an allotment where the rule seems to have been use more growmore and nothing else. The soil had actually sunk below the walkways round the edges.  I've made compost, bought compost, scrounged compostable material and been watched by the neighbouring plot holders. Three of them have got the message as the crops have improved.

Trouble is that it's now not possible to scrouge so much for the compost heaps as everyone wants their own because they have seen the reason for doing it.

The price of growmore has risen dramatically this past year - in fact it has nearly doubled as we discovered when ordering for the gardeners association locally. That's a minus point. If you can acquire pigeon droppings, chicken droppings or stable manure (minus the nasty chemicals), seaweed or grow comfrey you need to be working on the matter for the good of your pocket.

[kingston boy]

    Re: Growmore
« Reply #20 on: Today at 11:47 AM »   

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I agree with you JayG.

(But how many people new to growing use fertilisers as directed)
 

I have plastic containers that ive made into different amounts by using a weigh scale.
The missus is not even aware yet tho. I use BFB as its almost the same NPK as Growmore, slightly less, but lasts longer in the ground.I also use seaweed meal to add goodies to the soil. Ammonia Sulphate to give good heads to cauliflower and this year i'm going to try undersowing with green manures, I have nothing against 777 but i was taught to garden years ago in the sticks and that what was used.

[monsta]

decided against growmore! bought some chicken sh.. manure! 

thought about it and i want a more organic choice as i dont use any other chemicals on me veg!

[BostonInbred]

.

The price of growmore has risen dramatically this past year - in fact it has nearly doubled as we discovered when ordering for the gardeners association locally.

The reason for this is the nice speculators who brought the country to its knees in the credit crunch, then made a packet speculating on the worlds currency's, decided to turn there attention to the raw materials market and started buy futures in some of the essential ingredients of fertilisers, such as Ammonium Sulphate and Urea Prills, and so the prices rocketed - in some cases the prices went up x 10, and so the price of the finished products also rocketed..

Such nice  people. never mind the effect on everyoen else, as long as they make there quick buck, eh

[DavidT]

Salmo. the Potash WILL NOT be there season long, if the ground is wet it will be gone in a matter of hours.

[viettaclark]

I have excellent results with FBB, home compost and manure.
Homebase have 10k of FBB for a tenner which I thought wasn't too bad until I saw stompy's post........

[mumofstig]

Homebase have 10k of FBB for a tenner which I thought wasn't too bad until I saw stompy's post........

Stompy didn't buy FBB vietta he got something else instead

I usually use blood fish and bone, but have purchased a 10kg tub of organic fertiliser from morrisons for £6.

[viettaclark]

So is that a good price?