me again!

[chrissie the chippy]

Should I mulch around my sweetcorn, pumpkins and tomatoes? And my broccoli when I get them in?

My sweetcorn is looking slightly yellow The tomatoe plants did too a few weeks ago, but they look ok now.

Should I be feeding them? Or if I mulch them, would that be enough?

What should I use as mulch? If they should be mulched at all?

wished my gran lived closer, she'd be able to show me....... thank goodness for this place!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Well, I've mulched around my sweetcorn/courgette/squash patch as I read somewhere that they liked it. I used some rotted pony poo (tho not as rotted as I wouldve liked). Things seem to be going well so far. Not sure if I've done it right or not! Bernie

[chrissie the chippy]

oooh, bet that smells nice

Did you mix it with staw? I'll have to pop over to the riding stables, see if I can have some poo!

Thank you Bernie

[dexterdoglancashire]

No Chrissy, it was already well mixed with staw! It was the stuff delivered direct to the lottie site. I would've liked it to be more rotted, but thought I would give it a go. Bernie
PS it doesn't smell (or have I just got used to it!) LOL

[Flummery]

I wouldn't use fresh pony (or anything else) poo Chrissy. Unless it is well rotted it can do more harm than good. If you have something handy to mulch with it won'r hurt. If you haven't don't worry - I haven't and mine are doing fine. You might want to feed - I water (joke in this weather) with a seaweed extract diluted in the watering can or I tickle in pelletted chicken manure if that seems more appropriate.

[shirlthegirl43]

I assume you have the plants in cells or something at the moment? If that is the case, then they will start to look yellow when they have used up the nutrients in the soil they have. Once you get them planted out they should recover fairly quickly. They may need mulching or feeding again later on but I would get them planted out and see how things go.

[chrissie the chippy]

They were in cells, but I planted them out over a week ago now.

Could it just be the shock and they will adjust? I'm quite suprised the rain didn't wash them all away!

My tomatoes did it and they are ok now

[chrissie the chippy]

I wouldn't use fresh pony (or anything else) poo Chrissy. Unless it is well rotted it can do more harm than good. If you have something handy to mulch with it won'r hurt. If you haven't don't worry - I haven't and mine are doing fine. You might want to feed - I water (joke in this weather) with a seaweed extract diluted in the watering can or I tickle in pelletted chicken manure if that seems more appropriate.

Thank you, just had a thought anyway on that, they are in the same patch as my carrots, parsnips (if they grow!) and right next to the pumpkins. I read that root veg shouldn't be manured?

Would a layer of straw be ok for when the weather gets hot?

Would the chicken poo be ok near root veg?



I know I should have probably planted them away from the root veg, but they needed to go out and it was the only space free......

[Alison]

A mulch is good for keeping the soil from drying out also (yes I know, I have looked out the window!). Like Flum, I feed with seaweed and also worm tea which seem to do a great job. Have just bought some comfrey so will be using that later in the year also. Not sure if you did, but I always put some fertiliser in the hole under my squashes etc which gives them a good start.