fertiliser before I plant - advice please

Hi everyone, I'm almost ready to plant up my new borders after lots of digging over etc, and would like some advice about fertiliser, I've got loads of mushroom compost as a mulch, but have been told that this doesn't offer much in the way of nutrients. So what do you think about blood,fish and bone? My garden is on chalk and the soil seems to be well drained/quite light. I want to make sure my plants have a good start in life! Thanks.

 

Blood fish and bone is probably a good slow release fertiliser
If I was making a new border I would probably rotovate in some farmyard manure, some peat and some grit for drainage. I see no reason why the mushroom compost shouldn't be added as well (it is inclined towards alkaline, but it would take a lot to affect the soil greatly)
Having said that, if you are on chalk, you are probably inclined towards an alkaline soil already
You don't want to fertilise TOO much in any event

 

I always used to think of manure as a fertiliser, but you are right, I have now read in a number of places that it is primarily a soil conditioner, and doesn't have much nutrition.

You might like to look at this thread. http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002948#000005 At the end of the day it boils down to what ratio of N, P and K you want and how expensive it is. On the basis of the table in the thread, it looks as though Growmore is the cheapest, and like Blood Fish and Bone its balanced which is probably what you want. But I don't know if it is slow release.

 

If you have a look here you will see that the release rate is considered to be medium
I have always known bone meal to be slow release.
Maybe they think the blood/fish speeds it up?
Blood fish and bone

 

Thank you both for your replies including all the info, very helpful. I think I will go with the blood fish and bone, I don't have a massive area so the cost is not a major issue. I can always top it up in the growing season I guess. Now back to that last bit of digging!

 

Be carefull with bonemeal the smell can atract foxes. Fine in a planting hole but as a top dressing they often smell it and go wild digging holes thinking theres something dead.

If its a small area then osmocote granules are a very good slow release fertilzer.

 

Bonemeal is normally only used at planting time, it should be forked into the bottom of the hole and some mixed with the backfill. Bonemeal contains mainly Phosphates which a plant needs to encourage new rootgrowth, it is also active for about 4 weeks whereas Growmore, which is a balanced ( 7-7-7 ) fertilizer, is anly active for a week to 10 days. David.

 

David ... we are talking here of blood fish and bone
Bonemeal itself is certainly best used (I believe) as mentioned by you

 

OK, to use F,B&B when planting is a waste of money as all the plant wants to do at this time is establish a good root system, the same applies to Growmore and Osmocote

 

I always bung in a load of chicken pellets for good measure with any new bed or planting.