Topic: Looking after seedlings

[garyp]

Having sown some seeds into modules, once they have germinated apart from watering should they be given a regular feed? I sow into a multi-purpose compost and I know they have some nutrients in them. But as the seedlings are in the modules for weeks rather than days should I be getting into a regular feeding regime?

[rdak]

gary,
what kind of seeds are they? I don't think that small seedlings usually need any nutrients- the seed contains some and the compost the rest. I don't think most plants would need any further nutrients until they are quite large.
what does everyone else think?

[garyp]

Ross,

Currently I have got some Brussel sprouts, Summer Cabbage and Onions growing in modules. I have also just put into the Allotment some broad beans that I had in a combination of root trainers and the inner tubes from toilet rolls. I didnt put any feed on them and they were ok. But the Brussels and the Cabbage seem to be quite slow growing, so I started to wonder if they needed any help?

[Mrs Ava]

I am quite sure that you shouldn't need to feed these yet....(she says confidently  :-\).  I believe that there is enough in the compost to give them a good start, you want the seedlings to be tough, no grow like mad and become weak and leggy.  I figure the plan is to prepare the ground they are to end up in so this is good and fertile and rich, then away they go.

[tim]

Right or wrong, I have never fed anything until it has established in the garden. And then mostly foliar feeds. OK, the planting place has had a dressing some time before, but that's all.

And toms, for instance - no feed after planting in bags 'till the first fruit has set. That's some time! = Tim

[garyp]

thanks for you replies, that makes sense about feeding them and making them weak and leggy. I think as this is the first time I have got into sowing all these vegetables. I am not sure of the growth rates so you look at how your are doing it and try and makes sure that you are not missing something.
thanks!! :)

[The gardener]

As a general rule I assume that new multi-purpose compost has sufficient nutrients in it to keep seedlings going from 4-6 weeks.

If I am intending keeping them containerised for longer than that I use a potting compost, (generally home made)

[rdak]

It's established wisdom that tomato plants need regular feeding, but has anyone done any trials to see how much benefit there actually is in doing this?
And are there any other veg that are considered a 'must feed', assuming soil is nice and fertile.

[john_miller]

  Much testing has been done over the years, ross, resulting in very detailed knowledge of the optimal nutrition needs of most vegetables. Over feeding of plants can be just as deleterious as underfeeding and both will have been assessed.

The college I attended had some (9 or 10 I think) beds that were fed every year with the same fertiliser, i.e. one got high N, one got high K, one high P and others the same combination annually (i.e. 0-20-20, 20-0-20 etc.), plus a control (unfertilised). This duplicated work done at Roehampstead over many years (a century I think). The results were tending to confirm earlier work.