Feeding plants

Hi,

I'm fairly new to gardening and as Spring is around the corner, I've been thinking about feeding my plants. I've got a wide variety of mature plants in my garden and a lack of flowers.

Is there a generic feed I should be putting down? i.e. manure, chicken pellets, compost .... or should I really be investigating what feed best suits which plant?

Thanks, Nick

 

I use Plant Magic it is a feed that is relatively new to us but widely used by Commercial growers it feeds every plant including ericaceous pplants as well as all myfruit and veg, don't need anything else.
Pete

 

Should have said can't get in Garden centres I buy it online at www.gardenwizard.net

 

I also use good old fish, blood and bone but give my acid lovers-rhododendrons, camellias an good dose of iron and epsom salts too, and use liquid tomato food for fruits like strawberries just as their flowers go over and the fruit begins to form. And compost of course, but that`s more for a soil conditioner than anything.

 

What would you recommend as a good all rounder? Most of my plants are herbaceous perennials, of a cottage garden nature-few of them would be acid lovers.

I'm looking to go to the garden centre tomorrow to get something so any advice would be most appreciated.

 

Fish, blood and bone is a good all rounder-so is pelleted chicken poo Aaron. I use that and add iron and epsom salts just around the rhoddies and stuff-they have their own bed.

 

"What would you recommend as a good all rounder?"

Growmore - gneric name for fertilser with equal-ish amounts of N-P-K

nickp I'd suggest holding off for a bit. Frosts still to come, don't want to encourage plants to make any soft growth just yet.

 

I use Epsom Salts and i also use the ground coffee from my coffee maker and incorpoarte it into the soil every few weeks, and the plants love it.
I also use the coffee grounds on an area of the grass thats dead, and it helps perk it back up.

 

Not heard that one before-I believe they're good at keeping slugs and snails at bay though.

 

That is true, they do and it also works on Ants too :gnthb:

You can also use Tea Bags in the garden, just let them cool first :thmb:

 

Take a look at this cool link i found with MANY uses for coffee grounds:gnthb:

21 ways to use old coffee grounds

Finding new uses for the old is a creative and fun way to live a little greener. Years ago, I grew a salsa garden of tomatoes, hot peppers, bell peppers, onions and garlic. I worked broken egg shells and used coffee grounds into the garden soil. Watered with liquid fish fertilizer. No pesticides. There were no pests, no nibbled on leaves. The pungent odor of the garlic, peppers and onion might have repelled the pests without any additional help, but I like to think creating a nutrient-rich soil with used coffee grounds and egg shells contributed to my pest-free garden.

A java junkie, I wondered what other ways coffee grounds could be used after making that much needed morning pot of coffee. Some of the following tips for using coffee grounds have been personally tested, some have not been tried yet. One I am partially skeptical about, but will put it on the top of the list before getting to the more practical uses. If it works, even supermodels will be slapping it on their thighs.

Used coffee grounds get rid of cellulite. Here is the recipe I found at DIY Maven. "Mix 1/4 cup warm, used coffee grounds and one tablespoon of olive oil. While standing over an old towel or newspaper, apply the mixture to your problem areas. Next, wrap the areas with shrink wrap and leave on for several minutes. Unwind the wrap, brush loose grounds off your skin and then shower with warm water. For best results, it is recommended to repeat this procedure twice a week."

Now, on to other tips for using old coffee grounds.

1. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.
2. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse.
3. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.
4. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.
5. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
6. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.
7. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
8. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds.
9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.
10. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.
11. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.
12. Rub coffee grounds on hands to get rid of smells from chopping or cutting up pungent foods.
13. Make a used coffee grounds sachet. Fill old nylons or cheescloth with dry used coffee grounds. Hang in closets to absorb odors.
14. When you need an abrasive cleaner, coffee grounds can be used. Be careful of any surfaces that might stain.
15. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.
16. Got a fireplace? Sprinkle wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep from becoming engulfed in the plume of dust ashes create when you need to remove them.
17. Dye fabric, paper or Easter eggs. Simply add used coffee grounds to warm water and let sit a bit to create a dye.
18. After you give your dog a bath, rub coffee grounds through the coat of your pet. Coffee grounds are said to repel fleas.
19. Keep bait worms alive by mixing coffee grounds into the soil before you add worms.
20. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds.

 

Here is another link :gnthb:

www.simplegiftsfarm.com/coffee-grounds-and-gardening.html - 20k - Cached -

The link wouldnt post, so follow the Cached page.

 

Hey - I bought some chicken pellets today ...

I'm not sure how much to put down around each shrub? Can anybody help?

Thanks, Nick

 

I have pet rabbits that nibble my plants - is it ok to use fish blood and bone if they then eat the plants? I don't want to use any chemicals in my garden because of my rabbits, would it be better to use horse manure or will it not really 'feed' the plants?