11:11 - 12 May 2010
If you are growing your own fruit and vegetables or simply trying to garden in tune with nature it makes sense to feed your plants organicially. Many gardeners assume that because their garden plants are growing, they don’t need feeding. This is really not the case. It’s a bit like feeding your dog just biscuits, it simply doesn’t provide everything a dog needs to thrive and it will quickly become stressed and sickly. Plants like animals need a healthy, well balanced diet to perform to their full potential. One of the simplest ways to get more from your garden is to feed your plants. The healthiest way to do this is to utilise organic feeding methods that can be used to feed both the plants and the soil. This results in healthy, stronger plants that are better able to resist attack from garden pests and diseases, but the real result is more flowers, more fruit and better crops of herbs and vegetables.
Most gardeners know that they can water feed onto the compost to feed their plants, but many are unaware that by feeding the soil they are not only improving the whole garden, but they are investing in the future of their plants.
Good plant growth is dependent on healthy roots and healthy roots are totally dependent on healthy soil. One sign of a healthy soil is increased worm activity. A soil rich in organic matter provides food for beneficial soil organisms such as worms, which in turn work their magic by mixing and improving the soil. The best way to improve a soil is to dig in plenty of rich organic matter. A homemade garden compost is ideal or you may have access to a supply of farmyard manure, this must be well rotted and ideally from an organic source to be strictly organic. If you can dig these into a new border before planting then you give your plants the best possible start. For established borders you will need to mulch around your plants. Gradually the worms will work this rich material into the soil. When planting new plants use plenty of planting compost in the hole and back fill with plenty more mixing it into the soil to create a gradual change from compost to soil in the vicinity of the roots. Chop up large clumps of clay and leave them on the soil surface to be baked by the sun, or cracked by the frost, they can then be crumbled and mixed with organic matter so that they are better distributed in the soil.
A generous application of soil conditioner, garden compost or farmyard manure will work magic on a sandy soil, helping to retain soil moisture and hold nutrients in the ground for your plants.
This increased content of organic matter will enhance the nutrients available to your plants from the soil, but it won’t provide them with everything that they need. Instead use an organic feed to ensure that your plants reach their full potential. These can be watered onto the soil, sprayed onto the foliage or applied as pellets to the soil. Look out for pelleted chicken manure, seaweed meal or a seaweed based liquid feed or a proprietary liquid feed for organic plants. Alternatively you can make your own from garden grown comfrey. Gather armfuls of comfrey leaves and squash them into a suitable bucket or container. Add a cupful or two of water and place a lid over the top. If you want to make lots an old waterbutt is ideal. After several weeks the comfrey leaves have broken down to a rich, dark liquid which should be diluted and then applied to the soil around your garden plants or used as a foliar feed.
Understanding NPK
On every pack commercial plant food you will find an NPK rating. This is the level of nutrients within the feed and varies according to the type of plant food and the plants it is formulated for.
For plants being grown for their flowers or plants that develop fruit and vegetables after flowering such as tomatoes, beans and courgettes you need to choose a plant food high in Potash (K). For things like tomatoes it’s easy you can opt for a dedicated tomato food which can also be used to feed peppers, aubergines and other ‘fruiting’ plants.
For plants that rely on good foliage displays such as hostas, heucheras, spinach and lettuce you need a plant food higher in Nitrogen (N), and for those that need root growth supporting you need to look for strong levels of Phosphate (P). This makes up the NPK rating and once you understand the basics you can actually start to understand what you are using.
Experienced gardeners know that plants also need essential trace elements and will look for plant foods that replenish those that have been lost from the soil or compost. Many plant foods contain essential minerals and trace elements and details can be found on the packaging. By adding homemade compost to your garden soil you help to replenish lost minerals and nutrients. Soils deficient in particular minerals and trace elements can be regenerated using special soil additives and minerals.
