What do I feed my veg???

[Prickety-prackety]

This thread is brilliant.
I like the idea of something to keep the whites off my cabbages I will start a brew tomorrow. I have a bin to make a DIY wormery, when I get around to putting a tap in it. If you get fox gloves instaed of comfrey from the hedges does it matter ?

[Paulottie]

Foxgloves?...digitalis......Very,Very poisonous...from these warferrin(sp)...thins the blood...also used to make rat poison...death by massive internal heamorrage..pretty but leave them alone i'd say.

[MrsC]

i don't bother feeding (except toms) , just water, must have good soil, chuck anything in and dig it over, must be luck lol! anything i find rotting down i dig in and keep my fingers crossed! just feed my toms the usual!

[libbyloulou]

Iv'e grown toms for the last nine yrs in a leanto, always overcrowded, making it trouble to water them all,this year, potted into, the same pots 12 in asda pots.

but, this time, i filled the bottom 3/4 of the pot with manure, and can honestly say, i have not watered them yet in eight weeks, i didn't realise, that it could do so much to help by getting your soil structure a lot better, how much it can help, very amazed.please try it!

[Flummery]

I don't think digitalis is the same a warferin Paulittie. Digitalis is a heart stimulant. My Ma takes warferin for blood thinning as she has an artificial heart valve. However, I still wouldn't use foxgloves as a brew for plants!

[Paulottie]

Digitalis purpurea...Exactly Flum it thins the blood.. i'm pretty sure a derivitive is warferin. Positive in very small doses to those with high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, weak heart muscles and I believe kidney disease. But anyway we agree that the leaves could definately kill you.

[Flummery]

They are 2 different things Paul, although both plant derivatives. Coumarin is the active ingredient in Warfarin, the blood thinner, and comes from woodruff. Digitalis purpurea, the foxglove, provides digoxin which is a heart stimulant. I only know because my Ma has had both drugs in the past. Where would we be without plants? This is why biodiversity is a serious matter!

[greenlung]

In addition to comfrey & worm brews, dry sunflower stalks when burnt, leave a high potash residue which you can sprinkle around yer veg & flowers.

[Scruffy Duffy]

We always get loads of nettles down the side of our house. I sometimes add them to my compost bin, but how would I turn them into a tea? The same way as the comfrey? Or would i literally put a load of them in a big bucket of water (with a lid from the sounds of things) and leave for a while?

I also bought some seaweed stuff yesterday as I'd read it's good for building up resistance to pests and diseases and making strong plants, but it said could be used with a fertiliser. Is it one by it'self too?

This thread has been really interesting.

SD

[Flummery]

They always used to say you feed the soil not the plants. However, as I studied geology at university we always thought of soil as the fluff on top of the rocks - takes a while to build up a relationship with it - but I'm getting to love mine now!

[Paulottie]

Hi Flum, I've been in touch with a bio-chemist mate of mine, he too thought that
Warferin was foxglove derivitive but it seems you are right that woodruff and lavander contain coumarin. His big book said as much... My medicinal herb books only said it was used to disguise foul smelling stuff in the mix plus winecups,some liqueurs and german maibowle (trad. mayday cup). Thank you for setting me straight there.

[Paulottie]

Hi Scruffy, Yes bucket, pee, water and 3 week ferment works fine (as it will for comfrey too) Nettle stew is also reputed to increase disease resistance

Seaweed fertilizer is normally used to substitute a balanced feed. As it contains many of the trace elements that plants need but aren't found in N,K,Ph mixes....What is chemical symbol for phospherous?...anyhow, it often comes with extra iron added (for use to stop leaf yellowing in ericaceous sp? plants). In short as a tonic supliment rather than balanced feed. However as I mentioned before if soil is in good nick plants shouldn't need too much fertilizer and the tonic will do very well on its own.

My memory obviously failing! Lemon balm tea is good for that....or was it?...

[Snadger]

.................. aren't found in N,K,Ph mixes....What is chemical symbol for phospherous?.....

Balanced fertilisers usually consist of the three main elements...Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K) and are abbreviated to NPK

[nick the grief]

We always get loads of nettles down the side of our house. I sometimes add them to my compost bin, but how would I turn them into a tea? The same way as the comfrey? Or would i literally put a load of them in a big bucket of water (with a lid from the sounds of things) and leave for a while?

I also bought some seaweed stuff yesterday as I'd read it's good for building up resistance to pests and diseases and making strong plants, but it said could be used with a fertiliser. Is it one by it'self too?

This thread has been really interesting.

SD

I;m not sure if you can get to this or not

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg15.php

as to nettle tea I think you need the young shoots as these contain the most Nitrogen but after that I can't help I'm afraid

[Paulottie]

Thanks Snadger. was having trouble with the P ...sign of ageing!