Farmyard manure substitute is there such a thing

There is nothing else I would use it is the best think for your garden and I will always use it annually

 

Without the bulk of organic matter the soil won't drain, the worms won't do their thing, it will get compacted, there won't be air and space for the roots, it won't hold on to nutrients etc etc.

In fact, if you bulk up with organic matter regularly and properly you will never have to worry about your "NPK" or chucking handfuls of fertiliser on it.

Plants need bulk of organic matter more than anything.

 

True!

And not forgetting water.
Watched a programme on the TV by Jimmy Docherty some time back, about growing potatoes in the Egyptian desert, just artificial fertilizer and water!

Great looking potatoes, no slug damage, scab or other diseases.

Me, I add bulk to try and make my soil easier to manage, with not a lot of success!

.

 

Maybe Pete :hehe: 4 bags = about 100kg I guess compacted. I use it mostly for my Roses which love it, so if they do so do I. :yho:

 

If its done in a greenhouse its called hydroponics.

I dont think it has a long term future.
I seem to remember in California that the irrigated parts of the desert were slowly becoming contaminated with salts from the water due to evaporation and would not go on producing for ever.

 

Reading the posts there seems to be a healthy debate going on. All I can say is I have used fym for years and, for me, it is slightly better than garden compost. I have 2 compost heaps and they are used along with muck (local saying for fym) I have found that using a fertiliser only, will eventually degrade my soil and it will become poor draining, poor a retaining neutrients and poor a holding valuable moisture... fym sorts out my 'Clay soil' balance and I usually get a nice crop of good smelling and tasting vegetables.

 

The other thing about concentrated fertiliser is that it does nothing for the soil organisms that plants depend on. Worms, bacteria, micorrhizal fungi etc etc. It can even harm them.

As has been said, it also does nothing for the structure of the soil and its ability to hold on to moisture and nutrients.

Organic matter, on the other hand, helps soil beasties thrive, improves soil structure and helps the plants have access to nutrients and moisture, and provides pretty much all the major and minor nutrients an artificial fertiliser does.

If organic matter is the gardening equivalent of a hearty roast dinner with all the protein and carbs you need and piled high with healthy veg, fertiliser is a Big Mac.

 

This is perhaps relevant. The moral of the story being - high fertiliser is a quick fix at best. Look after your soil and your plants will look after themselves!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_and_burn