Topic: Feeding non-edibles

[caroline7758]

I tend to neglect my non-edibles in favour of my veg, and I was wondering what is the best thing to give them a boost now at the start of the season? I've got a few shrubs and quite a lot of perennials.

[Hyacinth]

I fork round a handful or two of chicken manure pellets....dunno, but I hope they appreciate the kindness ;D  Acid-loving plants get top-dressed with ericacious compost.

[simon404]

Shrubs shouldn't need anything so long as they look healthy, perennials benefit from a mulch of compost if you can spare it but it depends on the variety, most of the tougher ones will thrive without any help, it's probably more important to lift and divide any overgrown clumps to maintain their vigour. If any are looking particularly sad then blood fish and bone is a good slow release fertiliser.  :)

[hellohelenhere]

Some flowers will favour leaf, if you feed them, at the expense of flower. So they will bloom much better in poor soil, nasturtiums being a well-known example - maybe other people can speak from experience about other plants that are best if you treat them mean? I have a primrose this spring, that I have kept in the too-small pot it came in, and have occasionally forgotten to water till it collapsed; it has flowered unbelievably thickly - and after each drought, has flowered all over again. When it stops flowering, I'll plant it out and *then* feed it, it will deserve it... :)

[caroline7758]

Thanks- none of my plants look as if they need anything, but I was feeling guilty for neglecting them. Maybe I'll just throw some chicken pellets around just to make myself feel better- definitely haven't got any compost to spare!

[PurpleHeather]

I just bung a fork full of well rotted into the bottom of the water butt, give it a stir and give them a can full every so often.

I know people put comfrey leaves in the butt for the same purpose.

If there is a dry period and the butt goes down to sludge. Empty it under the shrubs and start again.