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Using Organic Tomato Feed on other plants

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by AndyS, May 16, 2013.

  1. AndyS

    AndyS Gardener

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    As it's high potash I was thinking of using my liquid tomato feed not just on the toms and chillis this year but also on gooseberries, blueberries, currants, rhubarb, strawbs and fruit trees. Also maybe on the flowering plants too (marigolds, sunflowers, limanthes, honeysuckle, passiflora, jasmine etc etc)
    Would this be a good idea? Or would seaweed extract or something else altogether be better? I want to keep it organic and find the array of feeds in our local garden centre baffling to be honest.
    Other than the liquid feed (or whatever else I get recommended instead) I was just planning on mulching with bananas and comfrey (and some manure where appropriate, i.e squash and courgettes). Thoughts?

    All advice gladly received. Thanks.
     
  2. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    I don't see why not, the potash would make the growth less palatable to slugs, which can't be bad.
     
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    • AndyS

      AndyS Gardener

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      That would be a fantastic bonus! Will just the measures I've outlined above be enough to keep them all happy, if I feed them every few weeks? Any plants I should avoid giving the feed to?
      Thanks.
       
    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      Make sure the feed isn't high in Nitrogen too, as that would have the opposite effect, producing leafy growth that slugs like.

      I wouldn't bother feeding most things till they are producing fruit, unless something is looking particularly anemic.
       
    • AndyS

      AndyS Gardener

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    • Phil A

      Phil A Guest

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      I've got a potato growing in a bag of leafmold, been feeding that with home made seaweed liquid, bananana skins & badger wee as there's not much nutrient in leafmold:)
       
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      • Phil A

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      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        For promoting flower growth you would be better off with a different fertilizer, one that is high in Phosphorus :blue thumb:
         
      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

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        I find proprietary Tomato food expensive, so I use other forms of Potash, but other than that (and checking that it doesn't also have relatively high Nitrogen) it should help all fruiting crops.

        I wonder if you would be better off "steeping" your Comfrey leaves to make a (stinky!!) Comfrey Tea and applying that as a liquid tonic/fertililser, rather than as a mulch?

        Don't put Wood Ash on your Blueberries (Wood Ash is fairly Alkaline, and Blueberries need Acid soil). There isn't a lot of Potash in Wood ash (compared to the amount of alkaline Calcium Carbonate it contains), but if you have some then its worth using on your soft fruit.

        I think of Seaweed as more of a Tonic than a fertiliser. It seems to work well, for me, sprayed on as a foliar feed.
         
      • Sheal

        Sheal Total Gardener

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        So how do you come by the badger wee, Zigs? I'm picturing you running round with a chamber pot! :heehee:
         
      • ARMANDII

        ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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        Don't be silly, Sheal, they're all potty trained as Ziggy badgered them into it.:snork:
         
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        • Phil A

          Phil A Guest

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          You have to be very quick.

           
        • Sheal

          Sheal Total Gardener

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        • Hex_2011

          Hex_2011 Gardener

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          Definitely need higher phosphorus (P) levels for strawberries. Tomato feed is high in potassium (K) but low in P. You could always supplement it with bone meal which is high in P.
           
        • AndyS

          AndyS Gardener

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          So, to sum up - high potash feed such as organic tom feed for all the fruiters, high phosphorus such as bone meal for the flowers and a mixture of the 2 for the strawbs. Plus wood ash round the soft fruits if I come by any?


          I had considered this but as I only have small spaces discounted it in the basis that 1) I only have 1 comfrey plant (albeit big and bushy) so wasn't sure I'd get enough off it to be worth steeping and 2) not sure where I could steep it that's out of the way enough not to waft into the kitchen. What do you reckon?
           
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