Assuming all your plants are already in the soil and not in pots, I would use a soluble all purpose fertiliser like phostrogen or miracle gro , diluted in water and used to water your plants with ( follow instructions on pack). During next winter, get as much compost, or well rotted farm yard manure in to your soil as possible.
Before you plant next year,add 100g per square metre of blood fish and bone fertiliser or growmore fertiliser spinkled on your soil and then fork in the top 10 cm or so.
Your plants next year shouldn't then need additional fertiliser during the growing season.
Michael wood ash is not good for all IE: Hydrangeas,rhododendrons, shrubs etc hate it PH no good , Nettle and comfry contain Nitrogen and phosphates and minerals from deep in the soil most, purchased root simulators contain 3% nitrogen,20% phosphorous, 20% potassium, if you use one with more nitrogen then your looking for more green top growth stuff such as fruits etc, i find if used early tea gives good roots, then later use gives good top growth. depends how you use it
I always feed the soil, not feed the plant. I try to use all organic stuff if possible, but I won't claim totally organic because I will still use phostrogen as a quick tonic if the plant is in dire need.
I also use those osmocote pellet things in pots so that I don't have to remember to keep feeding through the summer.
Hi, I only use wood ash with apple, plum and fruiting trees and also with vegetables as wood ash can be high in calcium as well. Wood ash is high in potassium and so good for all fruit as well as for potatoes. I haven't tested my soil to see what it is lacking but I put my faith in wood ash as it would have many micro nutrients in it, I also used it to water plants with as in pumpkins with no sign of harm from its use lol.
I have used the magnesium sulphate as in pure epsom salts for my onions, tomatoes, trees and veg. It seems to add a better colour of green to them but the soil with me has been waterlogged a few times, so that says what it s like. So I hope my messing keeps the balance right in the soil as part of it doesn't seem the best. I have dug in fallen pine needles to add organic matter to the soil and it seemed to work ok for my pumpkins and in the same ground this year for my potatoes as they look healthy and fit so far. I know I shouldn't put one greedy plant for potassium after another in the same ground but I do like to experiment. I plan to get some seaweed to add to the ground to improve it in the near future as seaweed has more nutrients in it than what most soils have but it can be hard to gather but they do say that after a rough tide or storm is the best time to gather it as in May, June and then it can be gathered in August also? But it all depends what area you get it from and where?
With tea as a way to feed plants, my view is that green tea is a whole lot better to feed plants with than brown. I use to have a small container that I use to empty the tea pot into and used that to water a few plants with. I do think the green tea works wonders compared to the brown but that is my belief?
Hi Alan, I know phosphorous is good for all root vegetables but putting too much of it on the soil can kill off the beneficial fungi in the soil itself. So a little of everything seems to help except when it comes to lime as some plants can be fussy over their ph of the soil. I have heard stories about how lime dust in the air has killed off certain plants like rhododendrons from lime being spread on farmland next to it and lime is rich in calcium as well as aluminium also and wood ash also has a high level of calcium in it as well.
I think If I didnt live 300 miles away I'd be gathering tons of it too. Free seaweed. I'm sure this is why Jersey royals used to taste so good. they used to use seaweed on the fields, but I believe that most of them now use the inorganic fertiliser instead.
Instead I'm sticking to the free comfrey from the field next to the trent flood plain.
Hi All. As they say the best things in life are free, lol. With seaweed it has a whole range of micronutrients and that is why I am drawn to it. I do not know if seaweed adds nitrogen to the soil as it rots or takes it away but seaweed I believe have growth hormones in it as well as the fact that bacteria in the soil loves it. I do not know what type of compost it would make if thrown in the compost heap, it might be great but I would wash it first due to the salt on it? I also do not know which type of seaweed is the best or if they are all the same when used. I do think too much iodine can kills plants but I am not too sure about how much is too much and the same goes for seaweed I believe?
Hi Verdun, Did you bury the seaweed or leave it on the surface. I know those who grew potatoes use to use loads of it each year a long time ago in their fields but I just haven't a clue how they used it for their crop? Now the seaweed is for sale as organic tomatoe feed. It does make me wonder if beds for tomatoes were done the same way as in the olden days where farmers used seaweed for potatoes. Would they need any feeding at all then? It does make you think?
Posts
Assuming all your plants are already in the soil and not in pots, I would use a soluble all purpose fertiliser like phostrogen or miracle gro , diluted in water and used to water your plants with ( follow instructions on pack). During next winter, get as much compost, or well rotted farm yard manure in to your soil as possible.
Before you plant next year,add 100g per square metre of blood fish and bone fertiliser or growmore fertiliser spinkled on your soil and then fork in the top 10 cm or so.
Your plants next year shouldn't then need additional fertiliser during the growing season.
Alan
Fidgetbones is a she.
I always feed the soil, not feed the plant. I try to use all organic stuff if possible, but I won't claim totally organic because I will still use phostrogen as a quick tonic if the plant is in dire need.
I also use those osmocote pellet things in pots so that I don't have to remember to keep feeding through the summer.
Hi, I only use wood ash with apple, plum and fruiting trees and also with vegetables as wood ash can be high in calcium as well. Wood ash is high in potassium and so good for all fruit as well as for potatoes. I haven't tested my soil to see what it is lacking but I put my faith in wood ash as it would have many micro nutrients in it, I also used it to water plants with as in pumpkins with no sign of harm from its use lol.
I have used the magnesium sulphate as in pure epsom salts for my onions, tomatoes, trees and veg. It seems to add a better colour of green to them but the soil with me has been waterlogged a few times, so that says what it s like. So I hope my messing keeps the balance right in the soil as part of it doesn't seem the best. I have dug in fallen pine needles to add organic matter to the soil and it seemed to work ok for my pumpkins and in the same ground this year for my potatoes as they look healthy and fit so far. I know I shouldn't put one greedy plant for potassium after another in the same ground but I do like to experiment. I plan to get some seaweed to add to the ground to improve it in the near future as seaweed has more nutrients in it than what most soils have but it can be hard to gather but they do say that after a rough tide or storm is the best time to gather it as in May, June and then it can be gathered in August also? But it all depends what area you get it from and where?
With tea as a way to feed plants, my view is that green tea is a whole lot better to feed plants with than brown. I use to have a small container that I use to empty the tea pot into and used that to water a few plants with. I do think the green tea works wonders compared to the brown but that is my belief?
Hi Alan, I know phosphorous is good for all root vegetables but putting too much of it on the soil can kill off the beneficial fungi in the soil itself. So a little of everything seems to help except when it comes to lime as some plants can be fussy over their ph of the soil. I have heard stories about how lime dust in the air has killed off certain plants like rhododendrons from lime being spread on farmland next to it and lime is rich in calcium as well as aluminium also and wood ash also has a high level of calcium in it as well.
I think If I didnt live 300 miles away I'd be gathering tons of it too. Free seaweed. I'm sure this is why Jersey royals used to taste so good. they used to use seaweed on the fields, but I believe that most of them now use the inorganic fertiliser instead.
Instead I'm sticking to the free comfrey from the field next to the trent flood plain.
Hi All. As they say the best things in life are free, lol. With seaweed it has a whole range of micronutrients and that is why I am drawn to it. I do not know if seaweed adds nitrogen to the soil as it rots or takes it away but seaweed I believe have growth hormones in it as well as the fact that bacteria in the soil loves it. I do not know what type of compost it would make if thrown in the compost heap, it might be great but I would wash it first due to the salt on it? I also do not know which type of seaweed is the best or if they are all the same when used. I do think too much iodine can kills plants but I am not too sure about how much is too much and the same goes for seaweed I believe?
Hi Verdun, Did you bury the seaweed or leave it on the surface. I know those who grew potatoes use to use loads of it each year a long time ago in their fields but I just haven't a clue how they used it for their crop? Now the seaweed is for sale as organic tomatoe feed. It does make me wonder if beds for tomatoes were done the same way as in the olden days where farmers used seaweed for potatoes. Would they need any feeding at all then? It does make you think?