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Best Plant Food
I covered my soil with a membrane and stones last autumn to keep down the weeds. I left the plants a really liked poking through but I'm wondering what's the best way to make sure they stay healthy. I can't dig any compost into the soil round them and didn't fancy feeding every week. Any suggestions as to what I can use periodically?
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A liquid feed might be the answer, but it won't improve soil structure like muck or compost would. Comfrey extract is high in potash, nettle in nitrogen.
Thanks for the info. That's my worry that this year may be ok but next year my plants start to deteriorate because of the soil not getting dug over around them....its just too hard doing all the digging now and the membrane and stones were the simplest alternative to keeping my garden looking tidy. I guess time will tell.
If I cut the membrane back by six inches round my plants and dig in some grow more or something like that then just cover that bit with stones do you think it would make a difference?
Maybe. It's not the digging that does the good, it's the bulky organic matter you add. Easier to spread a load of muck and/or compost on the surface and let the worms do the work. After a bit you'll have such healthy friable soil that hoeing off the weeds will be a joy.
Well, nearly.
Well I've added all sorts to the soil over the last 20 years but it's just so hard to work. It becomes a bog over the winter because the water drains from the top of the golf course into this part of the garden. One consolation my flag iris is beautiful.
Aw Verdun, how could we possibly disagree with you!!! Are you on clay janet176? Also gave up on the ground cover, only got it on area surrounding raised veg plos then covered by single, still get weeds though, and lots of self seeders, which stay, like the Nigella
sorry meant to be veg PLOTS and SHINGLE
hi janet176 most of above are write in there own way my way I have 4 x5mtr lenthsx5mtrs at the end of year I take them up and take out the few weeds that have grown at start of year I give it a good rake and take all stones rubbish and then give it a dose of growmore chicken pellets when weather has done its job I then rake do the soft shoe shuffle or use battens to flatten ground then rake to a nice tilth a bit of work but it works spray with weed killer 2or 3 weeks before I plant only a small few weeds come