Thick Question: Feeding & Fertilisers!

evie451

megansmum i stick coffee grounds on mine and i also read somewhere that sawdust and pine needles work too!! its anything that makes the soil more acidic I think........my two blueberries produced really well last year with the ericaceaous compost and an occasional dose of coffee grounds...

choille

Nettles also make a good stinky tea when left to stew in water, tho' I don't know if the nutrient value is as rich as comfrey. When I last visited Garden Organic at Ryton, there were various suggestions demonstrating how to use comfrey. One looked a good practical idea (tho' haven't got round to trying it yet). They had fixed a piece of plastic drainpipe to a shed wall and fixed a simple tap attachment (like on a water butt) at the bottom of it. They were cutting their comfrey and stuffing it into the pipe from the top end, then holding it down with an empty plastic pop bottle full of water (this acted as a pusher as well as a bung). The comfrey was just topped up regularly & as it rotted, they were collecting the concentrated gunk from the tap at the bottom & diluting it before use. It really did look like a good low-tech gadget & we've always intended to try & make one ourselves. Just need someone to be throwing away a piece of drainpipe now as I think I've become too stingy since getting on top ot the household finances actually to buy one!
Foxglove:

I just dump the comfrey in a mesh sack then place it in a big bin, add water, weigh it down & leave for a couple to three weeks. Strain & dilute 1:20 - used leaves go on the garden, or compost bin. Can do the same with nettles - but it all does stink a lot.
I got some Russian comfrey plants off a neighbour & get three to four crops off it a year - so makes a surplace of brew that I try & sell as it is organic & very good.

A._Badger

Megansmum wrote: »

A Badgers answer was a great help to me too, can i just add a quick question please?

I have blueberry plants - what should i add to that to improve the ericaceous compost? Anything/nothing???

Thanks

Probably your best bet is to buy an ericaceous fertiliser which you can dilute and use at regular intervals. You could try adjusting the pH to suit with various brews, but that wouldn't get around the fact that you will need to replenish levels of N, P and K plus trace elements, that the plant needs. That said, blueberries aren't gross feeders by any means, so don't treat them to the sort of doses you'd give tomatoes. also, if you are in a hard water area, try to use rain water.

Miracle Gro makes a powdered feed suitable for ericaceous subjects (camellias rhododendrons and the like), and so does Chempak.

Hope that's some help.

SteveClarkson_2

A._Badger wrote: »

Put it on the compost heap, instead, where it will aid rapid decomposition and greatly enhance the value of the mixture.

For heaven's sake don't throw it away - it's worth almost as much as the eggs!

Thanks again - if you're ever had chickens... you'll know that they produce a phenomenal amount of poop - which is conveniently collected in 2 poop trays - is it ok to just bosh it ALL (probably newspaper as well - I don't fancy seperating them!) in the compost bin?

I don't produce a lot of garden waste... I don't want to make a steaming pile of smelly chook poop in the corner of my garden - but would dearly LOVE to make use of it if I can.

Thanks!

choille

Newspaper is great on a compost heap.

foxgloves

Thanks Choille.....yes, I generally use the chuck it in a bucket method too.....think I just hanker after trying the drainpipe method as it might reduce that stink......still, not a bad thing to put up with when you think it's a free resource and is so good for your veggies.