What do I feed my veg???

[Flummery]

Yes Waffler, but like nasty medicine, you KNOW it must be good!

[Cutecumber]

Chicky

A general fertiliser is fine to start with, and sometimes necessary where your soil or compost is a bit worn out or where it needs a boost for a very hungry crop. For the long term, if it's a garden plot or an allotment, you need to try and build up the organic content and fertility of the soil by adding well-rotted manure or compost, for example. This will help the nutrient content, the structure and the water retention, which is good for all crops.

Paul's message above is full of really useful information - different edible crops require less or more of certain nutrients, because it's different parts that we are trying to get the best of - leaves, fruits, roots etc. That's why there are some fertilisers which specify their use - like tomato fertiliser. It is not just for tomatoes, but also for other fruiting crops like aubergines, peppers and chillis. You will need something like this - a liquid fruit feed - for any tomatoes in pots as they begin to flower and fruit.

Seaweed in a diluted liquid form is an excellent tonic and can be watered in or sprayed on. Everything benefits from this, in my experience.

[Two_Sheds]

To reduce the whole 'stink' issue with nettle/comfrey, I keep mine in 4pint milk bottles with the lids firmly screwed down (until, that is, some goon yells abuse at me from a taxi, then I give chase and drench him with the stuff...)

[kermit]

Comfrey stew? Am new to GYO so can anyone talk me through this step by step??!

[Paulottie]

Method 1:Get some comfrey leaves, Pee on them and weight them down with a stone in uptuned bottle with bottom cut out, and a small hole in lid, to drip into a container add results sparingly to watering can.

or method 2: weigh leaves down in bucket again use personal activator and fill with water leave to ferment a few weeks then use resulted foul liquid to add to watering can @ about 10:1 or a pale straw. smells like death but plants love it contains considerable potassium as well as nitrogen. good for Toms etc.

You might also try nettles or perhaps borage, if you can't souce comfrey, but it grows everywhere. Dung bag tea is prob. best avoided- truly horrid.

[Happydigger]

If you start a Wormery, Google has lots of references to building your own, the resulting liquid smells foul but is good for most plants when diluted, and you get good compost to dig in next year.

[Sue]

Chicky
Thanks for starting up this thread, got some really useful answers which I shall put in to practice.
There has been mention of couch grass roots to use to rot down in water for a "tea" where does this fit in, does it work instead of nettles, comfrey etc.
I was also told (hope this is right) not to take any comfrey in its first year, use sparingly in its second and after that cut it twice (I think) a year. Is that right?
If so I've got to sparingly!
best wishes
Sue

[Paulottie]

Couldn't say about comfrey Sue. Its a weed that grows everywhere round here. Like many things I don't notice them until I know about them and then it seems they are everywhere. I'd say you've got to try hard to kill it but I guess it needs to get established. I've got a couple by the compost at the lottie that seems to stay put- but I sometimes go and cut it in the hedgerows.

I've never tried couch roots but I used to have loads!!! less now i'm pleased to say. Most of these plants have deep root-runs and are good at getting nutrients in an available form. I've heard of wormery juice but have not tried it myself. (or on the plants!)

These tonics are for container plants mainly. As Rustylady (and later CuteC) pointed out If your soil is in good condition you shouldn't need to add anything much in the open. However, Some plants- squashes, and maybe sweetcorn and toms, are greedy feeders - Still, don't overdo it.

Nettle stew is ruputed to give some disease and bug resistance- if sprayed on- I am trying some mixed with maxicrop this year. Also contemplating trying a garlic fungal protection -as Protea suggested to me in another thread.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I managed to get some dried comfrey off ebay last year, which I use to make a "brew" which I then feed my plants - in fact, there is some "stewing" at the moment!
I also use nettle tops, again, "stewed" as a feed.
I put down chicken manure pellets two weeks before I plant my seedlings.

Bernie aka Dexterdog

[Paulottie]

Stone the crows DD, is there nothing people don't manage to sell on e-bay?

[kermit]

Couldn't say about comfrey Sue. Its a weed that grows everywhere round here. Like many things I don't notice them until I know about them and then it seems they are everywhere. I'd say you've got to try hard to kill it but I guess it needs to get established. I've got a couple by the compost at the lottie that seems to stay put- but I sometimes go and cut it in the hedgerows.

have done a bit of research and there are different types of comfrey - you want to plant the one that doesn't spread everywhere! I think it's Bocking 14? It apparently flowers but doesn't seed so you wont end up with it just about everywhere!

You can get it from ebay (as sugested above) but I've just been promised some from another allotmenter! Perhaps you can ask about and see if someone has any going spare?!

[SuzieP]

Re: Comfrey
There was a great little booklet available from the Henry Doubleday research centre (think it's now called Garden Organic?) called "Comfrey for Gardeners and Smallholders - first edition 1985 ISBN 0 905343 13 1
It's very informative, mine has been given to me by my dad. You might still be able to get it.

[Bren In Pots]

I posted this yesterday but think I put it in the wrong area anyway I've just lifted the lid off my 3 weed old Comfrey tea/fertilizer and its got white mould floating on the surface.

Is it still OK to use or has something gone wrong with it ?

[Paulottie]

Sounds perfectly repulsive Bren. Just hold your nose and dip in the can

[Bren In Pots]

Thanks Paul I was a bit worried in case the mould harmed my plants.

So I'll skim off as much as I can while wearing a peg on my nose