Potash

[Bex]

I've bought some raspberry canes today and also some potash as it said on the box it was for fruit trees. Is there anything that doesn't like potash or can I use it to fertilize anything?

[martini]

As far as I know Bex, potash is a 'fruit and flower maker' so you can use it on any fruit and flowers and also tomatoes and potatoes.

[Bex]

Cool, Thanks Martini.

I'll get something else for everything else. Maybe some blood/fish/bone.

[nick the grief]

You don't need a lot Bex so don't keep feeding with just Potash. Your better really to have a balanced fertiliser really. What you get depends on your regime. If you're not to bothered about being organic you can use growmore but that is totally inorganic but will give you results.

Blood, fish & bone is ok for all round use and you can get organic versions if you need. Peletted poultry poo is good but a little higher in nitrgen. you can also get pelleted comfrey now which is good if you don't have your own patch. Failing that there is always good old Maxi crop which is seaweed based.

[Bex]

Thanks Nick, I'll stick with potash for now and have a more detailed look in the garden centre next time.

[Snadger]

I think potassium has a 'hardening' role, as well as the afoementioned use for fruit and flowers.
Just as high Nitro fertilizers are usually used in the Spring and make growth lush and soft, pottasium can be applied in Autumn and will help to harden plants, allowing them to withstand the vigours of winter.

[Alison]

Apologies in advance for not knowing (am sure I should by now!) but what am I best to use at this time of year, usually just dig in some organic material and cross my fingers but am pretty sure I should be doing more and if I find out now I've got time this year.

[Snadger]

Apologies in advance for not knowing (am sure I should by now!) but what am I best to use at this time of year, usually just dig in some organic material and cross my fingers but am pretty sure I should be doing more and if I find out now I've got time this year.

I shouldn't really tread on Nic the Guru's toes cos he gets upset! ouch! Ahh ! Ooh! B...ut, organic material is fine! If you want to get technical you can get a soil analysis and Ph reading and this would let you know what was missing! Most people don't bother. If you have had good results in the past you must be doing something right!

[nick the grief]

Stomp away snadger it's everyones forum

Yep I'd go wwith the compost/muck as this will ge taken in over the winter.

As to soil analysis, thats would be best done in the spring otherwise the stuff you put on would get washed away with the rains.

[Alison]

Thanks to the tag team that is Snadger and Nick - glad to see I'm doing something right. Never done soil analysis, should I do so next spring and if so are the test kits in B&Q OK or should I buy something a bit posher?

[nick the grief]

Your getting analysis & PH test kits mixed up Alison.

Analysis involes taking samples of soil from your garden drying them carefully & then sending of to be tested for micro nutrients etc. You tell them what you are growing & they tell you what is missing from your soil.

I would say that unless you are aiming to win at the National Veg societies show I wouldn't bother as they aren't cheap.

If you are sensible you will be OK. I read somwwhere the other day that you should add about a builders wheel barrow full of Manure to about 10 sq yards so you don't have to put it on too thick. Garden compost I would guess would be about twice that. then just make up some feeds to keep things growing through out the season.

Most people don't realise that you need to feed plants growing in the garden just like you would in pots. So after about 4 weeks they will need something but rather that give them full strength feeds once a week I prefer to give a weaker feed more often.

For home made feeds you can use Fresh manure in a sack in a water butt & dilute it to the coour of weak tea or you can make your own comfrey feed from the leaves - pongs a bit but V good.

[Alison]

You should have realised by now that I'm easily confused, especially when I speed read things.

Fed my garden quite a bit of seaweed based stuff last year and also the liquor off the bottom of the wormery (worm wee) - watered that down plenty though (about 10:1) and used it every couple of days. Seemed to work OK so will probably do the same next year.

[nick the grief]

.......... Seemed to work OK so will probably do the same next year.

Spot on. Keep it simple & theres less to go wrong. I'm as guilty as a lot of folks in getting tied up in the technicalities of things when it doesn't really make that much of a difference when compared to the extra effort put in. This is especially true when you start considering what time you have available to actually do things because of work etc.

[burnie]

I always used fish blood and bone assuming it was organic,will check the packet next year when I buy it.
I used pelleted chicken manure for the first time this year and had fair results on my raised beds.In the past I always used that 6x stuff and again always had fair results.The best I ever used , and this is my bench mark, was from my open compost heap but supplemented with the straw and poo from the kids guinea pigs.Great results , I'm seriously thinking of getting another couple of "pigs" just for my dung heap!!even though the kids have long since left home(grand kids might like 'em when I get some).

[Two_Sheds]

Don't waste your pennies on shop fertiliser - get yerself a couple of Comfrey plants. Free potassium!