What do I use to feed?

[womble]

No wonder I haven't used lime for 5 years and never noticed the difference
That was with real chicken poo as well as pelleted stuff.

[Demeter]

Researchers found that chicken manure was as effective as lime in raising soil pH. ...The main reason for manure to raise soil pH is due to the lime-like materials such as calcium and magnesium in the manure.
For example, poultry litter contains about 100 lbs. calcium per ton on a dry weight basis.
Therefore, applying (poultry) manure to acid soils not only suppl(ies) much needed nutrients and organic matter for plant growth but also reduce(s) soil acidity
http://www.animalwaste.okstate.edu/D...s%20SoilpH.pdf

I guess that means that chicken poo doesn't have the same effect if it's from your own chickens which are bedded in shavings or straw?? (or am I about to stand corrected too lol)

Ah - reading that article I think by "chicken litter" they mean "chicken poo", whereas I thought "litter" meant the stuff they poo [I]in... ho ho.

[kethry]

going back to the OP, grubbygirl (great nick btw!) since we got sidetracked onto chicken pooh..

if you do want to try feeding your seedlings, there's a nice blog post by Rhonda Jean of down---to---earth, where she talks about how she uses different feeds and fertilisers, and she grows her own sustainably. She - or rather, her husband, Hanno - also digs manure into the ground, although what, i can't remember. Give it a read - the rest of her blog is rather well written too if you like.

keth
xx

[GrubbyGirl]

going back to the OP, grubbygirl (great nick btw!) since we got sidetracked onto chicken pooh..

it was my fathers nickname for me when I was a child!

if you do want to try feeding your seedlings, there's a nice blog post by Rhonda Jean of down---to---earth, where she talks about how she uses different feeds and fertilisers, and she grows her own sustainably. She - or rather, her husband, Hanno - also digs manure into the ground, although what, i can't remember. Give it a read - the rest of her blog is rather well written too if you like.

keth
xx

Thank you, I'll give that a read.

Angela

[Two_Sheds]

There's another easy-to-read fertiliser article here:
Understanding Fertilisers from the National Vegetable Society

[blue411]

I didnt realise chicken poo could be so complex!!

[womble]

There's another easy-to-read fertiliser article here:
Understanding Fertilisers from the National Vegetable Society

That's very interesting, is there an easy (cheap) way to analyse your soil each year for nutrients.

[Two_Sheds]

That's very interesting, is there an easy (cheap) way to analyse your soil each year for nutrients.

Don't know - I've never bothered.

[Two_Sheds]

I didnt realise chicken poo could be so complex!

My brain remembers it like this:
Birds make eggshells; from calcium in their bodies. Therefore, birds contain a lot of calcium - lime - alkaline

[womble]

I think is quite a good read, with tables of organic fertiliser nutrients at the bottom.
http://www.ecodyfi.org.uk/growing/downloads/week4.pdf

[HayleyB]

I'm using Chicken Pellets for my tatties and anything needing a boost like my onions did I'm using seaweed fertiliser.