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Tomato food in border?

linzijayne74linzijayne74 Posts: 198
in Tools and techniques
Hi there.  Would tomato food be ok to use on the perennials in my border, or is it better practice to sprinkle fish, blood and bone accordingly instead, please?  Many thanks.  :)

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hi @linzijayne74

    I use tomato feed on flowering plants at this time of year to give them a boost of potash to encourage flower formation.

    I use Fish, blood & bone in the spring as it's a slow-acting general fertiliser that'll encourage the whole plant to grow. 

     :) 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I also use tomato feed to boost roses, crocosmia and my single dahlia, but haven’t on the salvias, agastaches, echinaceas and achilleas because I thought the wouldn’t like/need it. Would that be right, Dove, that some perennials wouldn’t appreciate it or could we merrily be feeding all flowering plants?
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • linzijayne74linzijayne74 Posts: 198
    Many thanks, Dove from Above.  I think I will get some F/B/B for Spring though, give them a boost as they're coming into growth.  Nollie; I would gently venture that anything flowering will welcome a little boost at this time of the year.  I'll continue feeding my annuals in pots for some weeks to come but I shan't add very much tomato food to my border plants though, as I'm wary of encouraging too much growth that may well perish in the oncoming Winter.  I'm happy to be corrected on that matter though.  :)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Tomato food shouldn't encourage fresh green growth ... it's high in potash and it's nitrogen that encourages green growth.

    I don't intentionally give my perennials Tomato Food at this time of year, but I give it to the roses, clematis and other flowering shrubs in the borders, so the perennials get the benefit too. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • linzijayne74linzijayne74 Posts: 198
    Ah, I see.  I shall remember that fact about the nitrogen encouraging green growth!  (I started gardening a couple of years ago and still have much to learn).  Many thanks, Dovefromabove.  :)

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    We're all still learning  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Perhaps a weak tom feed for the perennials then, thanks!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    yes, same as Dove and the tomato feed is cheap as chips.
  • linzijayne74linzijayne74 Posts: 198
    Thanks Nanny Beach (and apologies for the delay in replying!).  :)
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