Topic: Drip Feed Fertilizer

[bluebedouin]

I bought some of the above for our hanging baskets from Netto.Here's a link to the product.They do one for flowering plants & another for foliage plants.Details of content below,
Flowering
NPK Fertilizer 4 20 10 with trace elements                                                                         
Nitrogen .04%                                                                                                                       
Phosphorous Pentoxide .202%                                                                                           
Potassium Oxide .101%                                                                                                     
Magnesium .0023%                                                                                                             
Iron .002%                                                                                                                             
Copper .0001%                                                                                                                   
Boron .00006%                                         

Foliage
NPK Fertilizer 30 14 11 with trace elements
Nitrogen .03%
Phosphorous Pentoxide .146%
Potassium Oxide  .116%
Magnesium .0025%
Iron .0018%
Copper .0001%
Boron .00007%   

My strawberries this year have been placed in pots rather than a growbag so the question is,
can either of these be placed in the pot with the strawbs?Are they likely to help or harm?
Many thanks in advance. :)

[Tee Gee]

Don't how to phrase this ???

The batch for flowering seems too low in potash for my liking, plus I think they seem a bit gimmicky.

I think you will only get localised feeding e.g around the feeder not throughout the container.

I prefer to mix slow release pellets such as 'Chempak Summer Long'with my compost prior to making up the baskets. I also add water retaining gel granules at the same time.

This ensures enough feeding thoughout the basket/container for the full season.

As I said they don't seem fit for purpose but then thats only an opinion. They will certainly be better than nothing!

The foliage one seems OK in fertilser ratios but again I am not sure if they will sustain plant/s for a full season.

[bluebedouin]

Thanks for the reply Tee Gee.To be honest they were an afterthought anyway.I just happened to spot them in Netto & thought it would make it easier for us to feed the plants and,at 69p for the pack of four,seemed a bargain!
Do you think they would be any good for the strawbs if I were to use one per plant?Would they affect the taste at all?As I've said in previous posts,both myself & MBW are total novices as far as gardening is concerned.We just put in pots & hope for the best! ;D

[Tee Gee]

Do you think they would be any good for the strawbs if I were to use one per plant?Would they affect the taste at all?

I think if it were me and now that I have got them I would put them in the baskets.

If I was going to feed my Strawberries I would use a high potash feed such as Tomato feed, Phostrogen or Miraclegro, and as I explained previously; these drip feeders are not 'high potash' feeds so not of much benefit to fruit ripening!

Basically you can use any fertiliser where the last number in the sequence of three is the highest.

This link might help you understand the NPK values and what they do;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Fertiliser/Fertilisers.htm