@LesleyH, I am vegetarian and not strictly vegan and can understand your feelings though it didn't occur to mind to avoid animal product feeds due to that reason.
Anyway I avoid FBB and similar products because of fox problem in my garden. I use tomato feed regularly on pots and occasionally on ground. Sometimes liquid seaweed feed. I make compost with all kitchen scraps and being vegetarian helps as we collect plenty of vegetable peelings etc. This year I also used Wilko rose food and it seems good.
Thank you newbie77. Dur! Another lightbulb moment! I too obviously have loads of peelings and need to buy one of those little compost liquid feed makers. Thank you so much! X
You’re welcome, Lesley, it’s a subject that interests me, although my focus is on organic growing, not vegan specifically. I have moved over to brewing organic Alfalfa tea for in-ground rose and shrub food this year, with added iron, magnesium, seaweed and fish emulsion (not from farmed fish). Plus horse manure.
Recently I have been experimenting with sheep manure pellets, which seem superior to horse manure, and, being more acid, better for the roses in my alkaline soil/hard water. Sheep are by their nature free-range, but depends where you draw the line. Plus the dog loves to dig up and eat the pellets, so it might be a very short-lived experiment!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
So a readymade vegan rose food does exist, good news! Not that post-Brexit I can get them where I live, nor any decent organic rose food, vegan or otherwise, another reason for my going the DIY route with the alfalfa etc.
I couldn’t see an NPK ratio given for the first product, so worth asking them. For example, David Austin roses recommends an NPK ratio of roughly 9.5 - 7.5 - 10, but a bit of variation if fine. If a liquid feed you need to feed much more frequently than if using slow-release feed granules, but it does depend on your soil, as raisingirl mentioned above.
Give a balanced feed to start with and regularly thereafter, then use the comfrey (or tomato food) more sparingly for an extra potassium boost once your roses start to bloom, as this is designed to help them bloom better and longer.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I’m currently using Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose liquid feed for all my plants (except the ericaceous ones) and they are all doing very well. The roses are the best they’ve ever been, in large part due to this feed I think, although I also feel that this year’s strange weather has played a part in it. The bottle says it’s plant based and suitable for vegan growers.
I’m currently using Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose liquid feed for all my plants (except the ericaceous ones) and they are all doing very well. The roses are the best they’ve ever been, in large part due to this feed I think, although I also feel that this year’s strange weather has played a part in it. The bottle says it’s plant based and suitable for vegan growers.
Oh, I didn’t know it was plant based! That’s very good to know, thank you Mopani x
I use Empathy rose feed on all mine - really noticeable difference with scent, colour and amount of blooms.
I was looking at Empathy yesterday and immediately thought of you! I read a thread of yours saying you used it 😄. Yes, that one also looks impressive, thank you, Jessica.
So a readymade vegan rose food does exist, good news! Not that post-Brexit I can get them where I live, nor any decent organic rose food, vegan or otherwise, another reason for my going the DIY route with the alfalfa etc.
I couldn’t see an NPK ratio given for the first product, so worth asking them. For example, David Austin roses recommends an NPK ratio of roughly 9.5 - 7.5 - 10, but a bit of variation if fine. If a liquid feed you need to feed much more frequently than if using slow-release feed granules, but it does depend on your soil, as raisingirl mentioned above.
Give a balanced feed to start with and regularly thereafter, then use the comfrey (or tomato food) more sparingly for an extra potassium boost once your roses start to bloom, as this is designed to help them bloom better and longer.
Hola, Nollie! Yes, I saw that there was no ratio either. JessicaS recommended Empathy and looking at it there are no peat or animal derivatives, I think that I’ll be going with that and follow your advice re the comfrey 👍🏻 Can you get Empathy in the stores by you? Thank you for such valuable advice x (Although the NPK ratio is lower than that recommended by DA). The Gro More organic liquid is vegan, and totally plant based, but not their dry pellets, which they say contains guano.
I’m currently using Miracle-Gro Performance Organics All Purpose liquid feed for all my plants (except the ericaceous ones) and they are all doing very well. The roses are the best they’ve ever been, in large part due to this feed I think, although I also feel that this year’s strange weather has played a part in it. The bottle says it’s plant based and suitable for vegan growers.
Oh, I didn’t know it was plant based! That’s very good to know, thank you Mopani x
Hi Mopani. I’ve just looked and yes, the liquid feed is vegan, so thank you! (Sadly, the dry organic feed contains guano, it says, which is annoying).
Posts
Recently I have been experimenting with sheep manure pellets, which seem superior to horse manure, and, being more acid, better for the roses in my alkaline soil/hard water. Sheep are by their nature free-range, but depends where you draw the line. Plus the dog loves to dig up and eat the pellets, so it might be a very short-lived experiment!
https://www.plantgrow.co.uk/shop/Rose-Fertiliser-c38814256
https://naturalgrower.co.uk/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-plant-feed-Concentrate-fertiliser/dp/B0745SXD8C/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=54767262138&dchild=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_Pqbq9ex8QIVTbDtCh0qbAP7EAMYASAAEgL3YPD_BwE&hvadid=259131688976&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=1006790&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13382280519362682909&hvtargid=kwd-302348049763&hydadcr=5975_1827730&keywords=comfrey+feed&qid=1624586317&sr=8-1
I couldn’t see an NPK ratio given for the first product, so worth asking them. For example, David Austin roses recommends an NPK ratio of roughly 9.5 - 7.5 - 10, but a bit of variation if fine. If a liquid feed you need to feed much more frequently than if using slow-release feed granules, but it does depend on your soil, as raisingirl mentioned above.
Give a balanced feed to start with and regularly thereafter, then use the comfrey (or tomato food) more sparingly for an extra potassium boost once your roses start to bloom, as this is designed to help them bloom better and longer.