Feeding regimes

[kris1960]

What do grapes feed their vegetables? I, and I suspect other newcomers, worry that we are making mistakes,or, don't know what to feed when and how often.

For instance: I have given outdoor tomatos with no flowers or fruit some homemade comfrey because they are not very happy being out- as a pick-me-up- is this ok or should I have done something else, absolutely no idea what augergines or cucumbers like or most of my other vegetables.

It would be great to know what others struggle with or suggest.

[cariann88]

I usually feed mine when there flowers start to show. I usually feed mine with tomato feed about 2wise a week.

[Martin H]

For outdoor plants growing in the ground, I prepare the ground with a helping of growmore before planting. Most things don't get any subsequent feed, except
- overwintering onions and garlic get another helping of growmore in the spring when they start growing strongly
- long-standing brassicas like sprouts, PSB, kale get another helping of growmore in the summer.

I feed stuff in pots every week in the summer, mostly with tomato feed. This includes tomatoes, cucs, peppers, melons, roses.

[kris1960]

For outdoor plants growing in the ground, I prepare the ground with a helping of growmore before planting. Most things don't get any subsequent feed, except
- overwintering onions and garlic get another helping of growmore in the spring when they start growing strongly
- long-standing brassicas like sprouts, PSB, kale get another helping of growmore in the summer.

I feed stuff in pots every week in the summer, mostly with tomato feed. This includes tomatoes, cucs, peppers, melons, roses.

Do you add manure to beds as well Martin?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Feeding plants in the ground or in pots IMO is two different things.

Containers require a little more work in feeding and watering over the growing season, whilst a lot of work goes in the preparation of the ground before the season to get decent results.

When growing in containers things change as the season progresses. The growing medium in containers will be pretty much depleted by week six and from then on you will have to supplementary feed. The easiest way is to split it into to things 1) high nitrogen for green growth, 2) high potash for fruit growth. By fruit I mean anything from tomatoes to potatoes, to strawberries.

As a for instance my main crop potatoes will be in their dustbins at least 22 weeks. So from week 6 to about week 16 they get miracle grow (high nitrogen) to encourage the haulm to grow strongly, from then to harvest they get tomorite (high potash) to feed the tubers.

Have to say the main crop are looking decent this year.

[BUFFS]

[QUOTE=Martin H;1354260]For outdoor plants growing in the ground, I prepare the ground with a helping of growmore before planting. Most things don't get any subsequent feed, except

I also feed my potted peach and apricot the same as the toms and peppers etc , always on a sunday (so I don't forget) a good dose of tomato feed...

[Martin H]

Do you add manure to beds as well Martin?

No I don't use animal manure, but I compost everything and spread that over the beds in the autumn / winter.

[kris1960]

Thank you all so far for your generous and comprehensive posts - it will go a long way to more confident decision making- I do rather too much staring at plants hoping to figure out what's going wrong and what they need. I suspect that I am not alone in this and that many will benefit from your varied approaches to different problems.