Question about Fertilizers

jpbragatti92867 · October 2023

Hey everyone,
I have a fairly large garden and I have struggled this spring and summer with applying fertilizers.
I grow vegetables, flowers, but also have perennials, shrubs, basically a bit of everything.
My question is how do you apply them to a large amount of plants, regularly?
For tomatoes, cucumbers, etc, I used Tomorite, but that meant having to fill a large watering can and putting the liquid fertilizer in a handful of times.
For other plants, I used Phostrogen, but same problem - putting the powder in the watering can, then watering in, took so long.

Could I replace those with something easier, like pellets, which I could just put around the plants and water in with a hose? Or could I maybe put a tiny bit of the liquid fertilizer in the base of each plant, then water in with the hose?

Thank you so much!

JennyJ · October 2023

If you use granular/pelleted fertilizer there's no need to water it in unless it doesn't rain within a reasonable timescale. They'll dissolve/get washed in by the rain. You wouldn't add fertilizer to plants in the ground that are stressed by a prolonged drought in any case.

I use chicken manure pellets or sometimes blood, fish and bone meal generally, sprinkled over all the borders, usually once in mid spring and again around midsummer (my soil is pretty poor), but you could use growmore pellets or similar if you prefer (eg if you want to avoid animal products, or have dogs or foxes that eat them). For a high-potassium fertiliser (to encourage flowering) you can get granular rose fertiliser (various brands) that you sprinkle around the plant(s) in question. I've used it for clematis as well as roses and it worked well, but if you have good rich soil to begin with it might not make any difference.

jpbragatti92867 · October 2023

JennyJ said:

If you use granular/pelleted fertilizer there's no need to water it in unless it doesn't rain within a reasonable timescale. They'll dissolve/get washed in by the rain. You wouldn't add fertilizer to plants in the ground that are stressed by a prolonged drought in any case.
I use chicken manure pellets or sometimes blood, fish and bone meal generally, sprinkled over all the borders, usually once in mid spring and again around midsummer (my soil is pretty poor), but you could use growmore pellets or similar if you prefer (eg if you want to avoid animal products, or have dogs or foxes that eat them). For a high-potassium fertiliser (to encourage flowering) you can get granular rose fertiliser (various brands) that you sprinkle around the plant(s) in question. I've used it for clematis as well as roses and it worked well, but if you have good rich soil to begin with it might not make any difference.

That sounds like a good solution for the borders, but how about vegetables?
I think most people recommend the liquid fertilizers because they are quicker acting, which would be important for vegetables, or would the pellets do the job?
Thanks so much!

Pete.8 · October 2023

For tomatoes, I've switched from liquid Tomorite (expensive!) to using Chempak 4 (cheaper but soluble).
I didn't want to be stirring a watering can for ages to dissolve the Chempak so I made a stock solution by dissolving 100g of Chempak 4 into 500ml water in a bottle then shaking it until all dissolved.
So I now add 50ml stock solution to 10L water - much easier.
As long as you use it over the course of a few months it's fine. But I wouldn't keep a stock solution for a year or more.

Pellets are designed to break down slowly and feed the plants for about 6 weeks.
I use Vitax Q4 for soft fruits which works well.

I also use blood, fish and bone on the borders - I get a 25Kg bag and give the borders a dusting of it in March and maybe again in June.
I do the same with seaweed meal.

JennyJ · October 2023

I don't grow vegetables in the ground so you might want to see if someone with more relevant experience answers.

My cut-and-come-again salad leaves in containers and my potatoes in bags just get pelleted chicken poo or BFB mixed into the compost before planting/sowing. I use a mixture of multipurpose compost, garden soil and homemade compost from my compost bins, and for the salad containers I don't change it every time, just fork it over a bit and add some more pellets or a sprinkle of BFB so that approach might work for growing in the ground. My tomatoes, cucumbers, chillis and courgettes in pots all get fed with diluted liquid tomato food when they start to set fruit.

MrMow · October 2023

I would certainly look into an inline dilutor they can be purchased from the bay for not a lot of money.

So basically you have a tank of solution that gets sucked up by the hose pipe on rout to your plant.

Fertilisers can be purchased in an array of mixes from high N to high K.

It is the most cost effective way o applying nutrients to what ever you grow.

I could post a link to what growers purchase and where they buy.

But don’t want to be accused of advertising again.

jpbragatti92867 · October 2023

MrMow said:

I would certainly look into an inline dilutor they can be purchased from the bay for not a lot of money.

So basically you have a tank of solution that gets sucked up by the hose pipe on rout to your plant.

Fertilisers can be purchased in an array of mixes from high N to high K.

It is the most cost effective way o applying nutrients to what ever you grow.

I could post a link to what growers purchase and where they buy.

But don’t want to be accused of advertising again.

Thank you, could you message me the link?

MrMow · October 2023

I Am a retired Green keeper of many decades my knowledge of adding links and websites would be very limited.

google inline dilutors on Ebay

my knowledge is turf,I would rely on the good folk on here what the ratios of feed you need as a general all rounder or a specific type of feed.

I can point you to suppliers who can supply most types of mixes they supply to veg to flower growers.

They would be water soluble fertiliser products but would work out way cheaper than any other product from most of your local suppliers.

Allotment Boy · October 2023

A lot depends on your soil, as to what and, how much you need. If you have clay soil it's naturally fertile. Veg and fruit will always need some supplements became you are taking nutrition away when you harvest. I use manure and compost to aid soil structure, and have used chicken pellets, BFB, vitax Q4 pellets at various times over the years and all are good. Seaweed meal is a good long term feed as is rock dust, which remineralises soil and stimulates soil organisms. I don't find diluting liquid feed for tomatoes etc at all onerous, but I guess it depends on how many you are growing.

Fire · October 2023

MrMow said:

google inline dilutors

Inline dilators appeared on the search and they are a very different business.

With a large garden you may want a tank attachment, but there is also this type of option below, just popped onto a hose. I have one but haven't experimented with it yet. They come recommended to me, however. There are other brands, styles and models....

for dilutors, not dilators, although no doubt someone will design a tank and hose attachment for those too, at some point.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/88/hbgr0pj1eyn5.jpg

MrMow · October 2023

The problem with that hose end applicator is that the tank is always being diluted by water & your feed rate is at full strength at the start and is soon a very diluted mix in a short time.

A in-line dilutor uses a tank of mixed up fertiliser and is sucked up so from start to finish it is at the same ratio.

Question about Fertilizers

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