Fertilizer when to apply

[Atta]

Just got confused .When do I apply standard NPK fertilizer its in form.of small pellets.

[rary]

If I am using powdered or pelleted fertiliser I usually scatter it over the ground a couple of week's before planting, if it is to feed established plants put a light ring of fertiliser around the plant usually about 2in. from the stem or leaf, try to avoid pellet or powdered fertiliser touching the plant as in some cases it can burn the plant
Now after putting all that down, follow the user guide on the box/packet

[Pepper king]

I try not to use that junk ... U apply it today ...tomorrow its gone ... Its scheme developed to suck all the money out your bank account ... Use manure it lasts for 5years ... If u gonna use it ... Use a very lite touch and keep it atleast 4 inches from the plant ... Use it when u see the plant needs it ... Its yellowish or its not as tall as it should be ... Most people apply it hoping to get bigger plants or more fruit ... But it works oppisite to what u think it does ... Too much nitrogen when the plant startes budding can lead to blossom drop ... Thats when it needs phosphates .... A little at a time and see what happens

[Atta]

I try not to use that junk ... U apply it today ...tomorrow its gone ... Its scheme developed to suck all the money out your bank account ... Use manure it lasts for 5years ... If u gonna use it ... Use a very lite touch and keep it atleast 4 inches from the plant ... Use it when u see the plant needs it ... Its yellowish or its not as tall as it should be ... Most people apply it hoping to get bigger plants or more fruit ... But it works oppisite to what u think it does ... Too much nitrogen when the plant startes budding can lead to blossom drop ... Thats when it needs phosphates .... A little at a time and see what happens

Yea I wish I had more acces to loats of manure,l need like 2 or 3 trailers and I will take time for me to collect.I start taking from someone rabbit poop but its still fresh.Last year I used nettle and mares tea,but some plants still had stunned growth yellow and purplish leaves.I scatter some standard fertilizer over phacelia I sown in August and I saw huge difference.
I do agree too much is not so good but at least this year I want to have healthy looking plants.

[rary]

Atta a not everyone's position is the same, it can take time and money to build up fertility in the soil, if you have pelleted fertiliser use it, a packet of chemical fertiliser is a lot cheaper than a trailer load of dung, collect all the vegetative waste that you can for composting, and over a space of time you possibly you won't need to buy fertiliser, though composting doesn't put everything that you need back into the soil

[Atta]

I do agree with you Rary.Since winter I am practising trench composting

[Kirk]

I just pick up whatever I happen to see on offer at various places. Sometime one place has an offer on manure bags so I put 3 in the boot.

Othertimes I have added just about anything and everything possible.
Grow potatoes in a few containers and at the end you can empty the old stuff on to the veg area. Also the leaves will compost down.

Takes a while but the soil comes up good. For nutrients add manure is the best but I have an old bag of fertiliser pellets that I will chuck a half jug on the sill when digging it over.

Have managed to pick up a few bags of pelleted chicken manure when on off at the end of the gardening season . Again added to thje bed at the start of the next season - it keeps.

[rary]

I try not to use that junk ... U apply it today ...tomorrow its gone ... Its scheme developed to suck all the money out your bank account ... Use manure it lasts for 5years

Manure will not feed plants for five years, any feeding will get washed out or be used up by any plants in the ground long before five years have past, if it lasted five years farmers wouldn't be spreading it on their fields every year. If you want to use manufactured feeding it is up to you, after all it is your garden, but try and make sure the facts that you read are correct

[bramble]

Kirk, while I agree with most of your response I wouldn't put potato or tomato leaves on the compost heap for fear of blight.
I am one of those people who dont have access to a ready supply of manure and resort to seaweed, nettle tea and grow more.

[It never rains..it pours]

I use horse manure, seaweed and pelleted npk. As for junk one could argue what contains the most, for instance manure may have anti biotics, etc and seaweed sewage/ radioactivity. However manure is from in laws so know whats in it and seaweed is from a tested water/seaweed beach. As for lasting would say they all do long term on p&k as whats not used is retained in the soil but the n is mostly gone in a year, whats not used will be washed out

[Thelma Sanders]

Kirk, while I agree with most of your response I wouldn't put potato or tomato leaves on the compost heap for fear of blight.

I've read that Blight can only survive in living plant material, so adding potato leaves and stems is ok in the compost bin - just make sure it is covered. It's the potato tubers that should not be added, as these are still alive and able to grow and spread spores, if infected.