Amateur Gardening 7-Jul-2018

BUYING plant food can be a carousel of confusion and misunderstanding, and not just because there is an ever-expanding range of products available. What does NPK mean on the packaging? Should I use liquid or granular feeds (and what’s the difference?) and what part of the day should I apply them – and how often? It is hardly surprising that many people stick with the products they – and possibly their parents and grandparents – have used for years, even though brands release new, improved and upgraded products at the start of each season. In this issue of AG we aim to demystify the process of feeding your plants by talking you through the different products, which fertilisers suit which plants, and the pros and cons of each one. We also look at the…

1 Slow release: Fork in and water and this will feed plants for several months. Some also come as cone clusters for use in containers. 2 Base dressing: Adding fertiliser or potting compost to planting holes or the soil before sowing gives young and new plants an immediate boost. 3 Watering on: Potassium-rich liquid fertilisers or soluble feeds are given to greenhouse crops and container plants during the growing season for the best results. 4 Foliar feeds: Diluted fertiliser or ready-to-use energiser is sprayed on as an emergency treatment for nutrient deficiencies.…

IN order to thrive, plants need a balanced mix of goodness based around the three major nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK on plant packaging). Nitrogen assists leafy growth, phosphorus works towards healthy root development, and potassium produces plentiful flowers and fruit and general robustness. Most fertilisers contain these three, supplemented by trace nutrients, and there are also specific feeds containing just one element. Ericaceous plants that like acid soils, such as rhododendrons, azaleas and blueberry bushes, need ericaceous fertiliser and regular feeding if they are grown in containers. Giving plants too much food, or swamping them with one mineral, can be as damaging as giving them too little. Most modern composts contain enough goodness to feed plants for several weeks, so adding more food, granular or liquid, too soon can be…

A lack of nutrients leaves plants weakened and less able to fend off pests and diseases. Yellowing leaves, poor flowering and dismal cropping (or tree fruits that shrivel or drop early) are all signs that something is missing from the soil. Most deficiencies are easy to resolve and the first step in doing so is to use a nutrient test to establish what, if anything, your soil is lacking. These are readily available online and through garden centres and are simple to use. Test soil in various parts of the garden as its properties may change in different areas. Once you have established which minerals are missing, you can begin to enrich the soil as necessary and your plants will soon start to show an improvement.…

“Fertilisers bring extra vitality to all garden plants” EVEN if your garden soil is good and balanced, there’s no doubting the beneficial effects of fertilisers and the extra vitality they bring to flowers and foliage, edible crops and lawns. Anyone wanting to get the best garden displays should have a selection of fertilisers ready to hand throughout summer. Indeed, away from the border they become essential where composts hold only limited nutrients for basket and container plants. Overwhelming choice THE choice of fertilisers on garden centre and DIY store shelves can be overwhelming, and with an ever-growing selection available it can be hard to decide what is the best product to buy for your plants. General-purpose fertilisers with balanced nutrient content offer an ‘allpurpose’ solution for no-fuss gardeners looking to keep things simple. You could…

If you want an all-round feed for maintained growth of longer-lived trees, shrubs and perennials in the border, a powdered or pelleted ‘balanced’ or ‘general’ fertiliser supplies a good level of all three NPK key ingredients. These fertilisers are applied ahead of spring growth and every six weeks during the growing season. Soluble general-purpose (such as Miracle-Gro All Purpose, which you mix with water) is fast acting but can run through soils quickly, so you’d have to apply it to border soils every couple of weeks. However, it can be used as a quick-fix pick-me-up solution when border plants unexpectedly take a turn for the worse.…