Topic: which feed for which crop?

[aquilegia]

I get so confused about feed for my crops. Can you recommend not-too-expensive feeds for different types of crop? (They must be organic and vegetarian - no bonemeal!)

What can I use chicken manure pellets on?

I have some comfrey and nettles, but not enough to make tea.

[ALAN HOWELL]

I tend to use Growmore for everything, cept for a nitrogen boost for my over wintered stuff eg.Jap onions and spring cab.
Growmore is a pretty good slow release balanced fertiliser organic and very cheap (Wilko's).Chicken pellets are pretty good for everything.....Alan

[Jesse]

Aqui, right or wrong I use horse manure and home compost when digging over beds and as a mulch in spring and top up with chicken pellets or Fish, Blood and Bone meal (depends what I have at the time) for everything else as a boost feed during spring or summer and especially just before planting. Apart from tomatoes which in the past I have used the liquid feeds sold in shops but this year I'm going to use home made liquid chicken manure. If something shows signs of a deficiency then I'll consider using something else to correct it but I haven't experienced that yet.

Something raised on another board which got me thinking about the chicken pellets, they're sold as organic but are they from organic raised birds or are we supporting intensive (battery hens) farming by buying their by-product.

[cleo]

Feed?-quite an issue,growmore is cheap and good-but organic???OK it may well be now-not used it in years.

Chicken pelllets?-as mentioned above-from where?

Fish blood and bone?-again are we buying the off produce of terrible farming methods.

I sometimes think it`s not worth all the worry-heap on the muck and compost and be content.

Oh OK I use seaweed solution on the toms.

Stephan

[derbex]

Given the amount of them, I'd guess the latter -unless they have a soil association sticker.

It's a bit more long term aqui, but I use what comes out of the wormery (mainly liquid), as a feed, most things seem to like it. I also save ash from fires in the winter and bbqs in the summer for things that like potash. Beyond that it's maure and compost, maybe a seaweed drench now and again.

Don't forget the 'liquid gold' thread elsewhere -yours should be organic even if mine isn't ;D

Jeremy

[aquilegia]

Jesse - my tub says from free range chickens. I wouldn't use it otherwise.

I refuse to use bonemeal as I'm a vegetarian.

I think I'll stop worrying about it so much and get some seaweed...

[Georgie]

Try the Organic Gardening catalogue for ideas but check out the prices in the garden centre before you buy from the catalogue - they can be expensive.  I use their SM3 seaweed concentrate which seems expensive but a little goes a long way as a foliar feed.

G xx

[derbex]

I must go down to the sea again...........

I'm using seaweed from the beach on my asparagus. There was a lot over Easter weekend, must have been a storm, I bought 2 black bags back to put on the bed. They were quite sandy so it might improve the drainage  :D

Jeremy

[Sarah-b]

Sometimes the term "organic" is used to mean that something isn't "inorganic" - which is misleading really.

sb

[philcooper]

......Growmore is a pretty good slow release balanced fertiliser organic .....Alan

Alan,

It's very definitely not organic nor is it slow release

Of the organics:

Blood, fish and bone is balanced (N:P:K ~5:5:6) and so a very good general purpose slow release fertiliser for use in preparation  for sowing/planting

Bone Meal (~4:20:0) is a good slow release phosphate feed so good for root development

Dried blood (~13:0:0) is a quick acting nitrogen feed, good for a boost to spring greens at this time of year.

Chicken pellets tend to be high in nitrogen (it depends on the brand)

Seaweed based liquids and solids are balanced and contain many of the trace elements essential to good plant growth.

Comfrey is rich in potash and good for fruiting crops either on the soil for slow release or as a foliar feed for "instant" results

Comfrey is very easy to propagate and, if you use Bocking 14, (which has the highest potash levels) non invasive - now's a good time to take root cuttings, a 2" piece of root will be a full sized plant by the end of the year - I can post a few cuttings if anyone is interested

Nettle is high in nitrogen either on the soil or quick acting as a foliar spray.

On price, try to get them from an allotment trading hut (our local hut has Bone and BF&B at ~£2 for 7lbs In our local (Wyevale) GC they are £7 for 7kg - less for chicken pellets.

Seaweed based fertilisers are expensive, but you don't need much if you use them as foliar feeds

Comfrey & nettles FREE

Inorganic fertilisers may seem cheaper but tests have shown that repeated use depletes the soil of organic material so that you need to spend more time and money in adding FYM or compost.

Phil

[wivvles]

Further to Phil's mention of nettles (and bearing in mind that Aqui said she hadn't got many nettles) - I found the attached which is quite interesting: http://frenchgardening.com/tech.tmpl?SKU=309088884143.

Also this is pretty good (although not actually on the topic of feeding). http://frenchgardening.com/tech.tmpl?SKU=3164873867231346

[philcooper]

Wivvles,

Thanks for that one, I wasn't 100% certain on the content of nettle liquid.

I think I'll start a thread on "teas", when I've got all the information together as they are free

Phil

[Doris_Pinks]

Interesting Phil, I was wondering what to do with the box of blood I found in my shed, thank you for that! (though all my greens have been eaten by pidgeons, so I suppose it will stay in the shed for yet another year!)
Now next question, I also found a half bag of seaweed meal, I know it can be used as a compost activator, but does it have any other allotment use, my potatoes perhaps?  This also beggars the question, why did I buy them in the first place, and what did I use them on then!  ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

Interesting article Wivvles, and they are quite right it stinks to high heaven! I was happily watering my plot with my tea last year, and my neighbour exclaimed "cor what on earth is that stink"! These non organic types just don't understand! ;D The family could smell it on me when I got home too! Oh those lovely country smells! ;D  ;D

[wivvles]

I think I'll start a thread on "teas", when I've got all the information together as they are free

Phil

That'll be useful.  I was thinking of "brewing" nettles directly in a 4 litre milk container under the staging in my unheated greenhouse rather than a dustbin - do you reckon that'll work? Obviously, I'll water it down before application.

[ruudbarb]

"I think I'll start a thread on "teas", when I've got all the information together as they are free

Phil"

I think it would also be interesting if someone could come up with typical ratiios of the various constituents of these delicious 'teas'....>:(

It is one thing to know something may contain say, potash but it isn't likely to be a lot of good if it is not much more than a trace.  I guess the right 'tea' for a certain plant that has been proven over time, will probably have the essential ingredients in  ???

[tim]

Aqui - have you seen this one?

http://www.veganorganic.net/info1.html

[redimp]

Phil - when you do yours could you include warnings itf they kill friendlies.  There looks to be some very useful info on the US - French site but I do not want to kill my friendlies.

Sorry if asking a bit much.

[Debs]

Good idea for the teas...

I shall be making a seaweed solution( bonus when you live by the coast),

nettle(have plenty), manure in an old onion bag and suspended in water

container, and possibly comfrey too....or is that too many types ???

Debs

[Merry Tiller]

Does anyone use seaweed extract as a fertilizer? I was under the impression that it just contains trace elements