Best fertilizer?

i have no idea what has been used on the allotment before to fertilize it.

I have no idea what is the best to use as an all over general 'perk the plot up' food. Pellets, compost..?

Can anyone tell me whats the best to use that is also money efficient as I will need alot of it.

 

Thanks @JWK

Our shop at the site did sell it - but the fella that has ran it for the last 19yrs has retired & as yet he hasnt been replaced, so we have no shop.

Is the stuff you use pellets or a compost?

 

I use a combination of fertilisers.

Firstly I use Farmyard Manure, I'm in a rural setting and our village has a few farms so it is easily obtainable but I have only ever used it in the hard working areas or for greedy plants such as courgettes, squash, pumpkins, sweetcorn, and in my polytunnels.

Similar to John, I use the organic version of growmore known as "Blood Fish and Bone", everything gets a sprinkle of this when I plant in the hole and over the soil that will go back in.

For the 3rd feed I use, I grow and make that. It is comfrey tea. Comfrey is a bit of a wonder plant as you get three to four crops a year from it, cut it down to the ground, chop up and fill a barrel with it. Then either put a big weight on it and drain the juice via a tap at the bottom of the barrel or as I do cover with water and allow to ferment for around a month or so.

To use, (whichever method you use) dilute the comfrey liquid in a watering can until it is the colour of weak tea then water your plants with it. Good at any time but I tend to use it on flowering or fruiting plants.

Most varieties of comfrey set seeds and will spread and become a problem as comfrey is not removed easily, digging up or using glyphosate wont get rid of it easily. The solution to this is to buy a sterile variety that does not spread seeds and propagates by division, that variety is the Russian Comfrey "Bocking 14", and just plant it where you will always want it/

WARNING: Comfrey tea stinks, and I do mean STINKS.

Steve...

 

You have brought back some memories @Steve R. My dad would grow Comfrey and he used it as a feed in a similar way to what you have described. My mum would use it to treat scalds and burns and probably a good few other things as well.

 

There are medicinal uses for Comfrey but I have not as yet looked into them, you can also feed your chickens with it too!

Great to add to compost heaps as it speeds things up, use it also to mulch with, great around lettuces for example as the slugs will eat the comfrey instead.

Steve...

 

Earlier this year, as I ran out of Growmore, I used up all the reduced BF&B I had stockpiled and I've been very pleased with the results. I've recently bought another 30+ packets of BF&B from Wilkos which should keep me going for some time.

 

I use Blood fish and bone in general but i also use groworganic 6X, basically it is a clean farmyard manure but 6 times stronger, comes in bags approx 20kg I think (but i will stand corrected) for about £6. Lovely for putting a handful under your potato when planting and can also be put in water for a feed. Having said this Comfrey is absolutely wonderful stuff, a leaf (once its shrivelled up a bit) is all my fellow allotmenteer puts under his potato at planting and the tea is a super pick me up and feed for virtually any plant although as said it stinks!

 

the 6 x I have is chicken manure ???? I do not use it on veg anymore as I once had tainted tomatoes with over use. regards alex

 

The 6X flakey type stuff is farmyard manure but i believe the pelleted stuff is chicken manure. I always use the flakey stuff.

 

This is very informative thanks everyone I'm off to go find some bocking 14 comfrey for the allotment!

 

Icecoldrum
Let me have an address and I will send you some roots if you like.

 

Thanks Craig but I posted on Facebook last night and I've arranged a swap with another plot holder, thank you for the offer though

X

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