What to feed a gunnera

I am told a Gunnera is a hungry plant, i have been watering well and its looking very healthy, but can anybody advise what i need to feed it with?
Thanks

[ 26. June 2007, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: Keving ]

 

Mammals and small children

...but dissolved chicken pellets are just as good :D Just fill a bucket with water ( preferably with a tight fitting lid). Add a few cups of chicken pellets. After a day or so it will have dissolved. Add one jug of the stinky liquid to your watering can and top up with normal water, and you have a great liquid feed.

 

No matter how much i try and keep them down i find mammals and small children keep running off :D , so the chicken pellets it is then.
Thanks BM

 

What are chicken pellets? Having kept chickens I cannot decide whether they are something which goes in the front end or comes out the back.

 

It is manure Kryssy, processed and packaged into a nice stinky tub of 1cm pellets to sprinkle on ones monsters and other plants. You can dissolve them in water to make a nice concentrate to dilute with your regular watering.

It is much cheaper from somewhere like B&Q but it comes like this

http://www.greenfingers.com/superstore/product.asp?pf_id=SP0042A

 

BM, how often should i feed?

 

I give mine a load of pellets when they come into growth around March / April. After that, every couple of weeks they get a diluted treat of chicken liquid. Don't forget mine are pretty big and dependent on me for food and water as they grow in pots or small bogs I have created. Gunnera which root into streams or more natural surrounds may not require the same level of pampering mine get. If you give them the boost in spring don't be too concerned about pumping them full of food, just treat them like any other plant you want to get the best out of, make it a routine little and often.

 

Thanks B.M. I wonder if they have such a thing here. I'll investigate.

 

You might be able to get something more exotic :D

 

One warning Kryssy - they pong VERY BADLY!!!!!! After Mr HB has watered the Tree Ferns with liquid chicken poo, it smells like someone has died there!!!!!
... and if you scatter the pellets on the ground - be sure to dig in as the dog thinks they are VERY tasty!!!

 

They smell lovely

 

I never feed mine just give it a lot of water ( have'nt watered for weeks either cos of rain!) they don't get fed on the banks of ponds round places here.

 

When we had our chickens our dog, Alfie, just spent all day following them around eating their poo. After a few weeks he had gained over 5kgs!! So, no wonder it does the plants good.

It cannot pong more than the rhubarb mush I make for keeping blackfly and greenfly away. When I used to spray it in UK my neighbour used to go out for the day. I used to wish I'd gone with him.

 

:D rofl
:D

 

I once had a gunnera, now I have 3. Two are three year old self seeded seedlings and they never get above 2' high. I call them my gunnera minicatas.