Liquid Feed

[Guykp57]

Hi friends, is it safe to use homemade liquid fertiliser on my tomatoes, I know it's ok for most veg and plants and even fruits but then someone on vine mentioned that all it does is enhance the leaves on things like toms and potatoes which ended up looking like trees last year they had so much greenery on them. And greenhouse or toms what's best?


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[Potstubsdustbins]

Obviously the food being used was high nitrogen which promotes green growth, handy at the start of the season. But when the fruits start to form you need a high potash fertiliser for fruit growth.

I know very little about home made fertilisers but I am sure someone will be along to explain further.

Potty

[Kristen]

A liquid feed made from Comfrey would be OK for Tomatoes that have started fruiting

[Florence Fennel]

I have always bought tomato liquid feed and it must have cost me a small fortune over the years. Last year I used only my own comfrey fertiliser and harvested the same, so it's the free stuff for me again this season

[Two_Sheds]

homemade liquid fertiliser ...all it does is enhance the leaves

That depends what you use. Nettles are high in nitrogen (which promote leaf growth), whereas comfrey is high in potash (for fruit production).

[Guykp57]

I bag up all my grass cuttings and store them in the sun, eventually it turns into the most potent smelling liquid.. So much my family and friends all get a few litres. Don't want to spoil my tomatoes by using wrong stuff. Am I being to cautious.


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[Two_Sheds]

I bag up all my grass cuttings and store them in the sun

You're risking a fire.

Grass clippings make a good mulch for spuds & onions (and probably other stuff as well), plus it's a great activator for the compost heap (keep to 1" layers at a time though, to prevent combustion)

[solway cropper]

Seaweed is also higher in potash and I've used it as a liquid feed for years. It also has magnesium which toms need.
Like Florence I've found little difference in cropping using home-made or commercial feeds so you might as well make your own if you can.

[Two_Sheds]

Seaweed is also higher in potash

Erm, no it's not *sorry*. Seaweed has a "low K content" but will be higher if it has the saltwater on it: "Geologists speculate that potash was formed when inland saltwater seas evaporated millions of years ago". source

(this is a really informative article on organic fertilisers in general).

Although there aren't many actual NPK nutrients in seaweed, but it does have other magical properties, eg alginates.

NPK Rating

NPK of comfrey: Comfrey: How to Use