To feed or not to feed
By doctorbob1
48 comments
That seems to be a question often asked. My favourite saying is preparation is essential, I am sure I have used it several times when answering questions. So the first and most important thing is to feed the earth you are working on. Most of you know sandy soil is well drained and warms up quickly, clay is a hard surface hard to cultivate early and late in the year.
The John Innes horticultural institute did amateur, professional and commercial gardeners a great service in evolving a simple formula.
The JIP formula is:
7 parts loam, 3 parts peat and two parts grit or sharp sand.
JIP No 1 is 2ounces hoof and horn, 2 ounces super phosphate, 1 ounce of sulphate of potash and 1 ounce chalk, per bushel of 732 mixture doubled up for JIP No. 2.
JI seed compost is 2 parts loam, 1 part peat, 1 part sand to each bushel, 1 and a half ounces of superphosphate and 3 quarters of an ounce chalk.
For anyone who is younger than me and that means almost everyone, a bushel is just over 36 litres and an ounce is just over 28 grammes.
Loam should be sterilised.
Organic materials are often the best, your own compost with simple PH tests may give you the best results.
If your compost reaches the right temperature in the making it will be as sterilised as you can get.
If you have a shrub in a tub with moss growing on top of the soil and it is growing well, leave the surface alone, water/feed as it is.
Most fertilisers sold will have directions for use, follow these and keep notes of what you are doing.
Roses need a good feed in March and one in June, with often solid fertiliser. Small amounts of feed are best, if you have some left in the watering can, don’t give some a second dose.
Overfeeding in the evening will promote drawn growth. Feeding in or after heavy rain will be drained away in the surface water.
Best times for foliage feeding are early morning on dull days.
Fertilising your seed beds on the veg. plot should be carried out a week before sowing. Your seed can be burnt by the fetiliser as it slacks.
More plants are lost through over feeding and watering.
Do not overfeed after buds have formed and when plants are flowering.
Tap water should be left to stand before use.
Deficiences are often corrected with a very small amount of chemical. i.e. lack of Boron, to counteract use 28 pounds of borax to an acre.
To keep your plants healthy in this weather mulch, mulch, mulch.
I hope this may help one or two gardeners with their feeding queries.
28 Jun, 2009
10 likes
Next post: The Good Old Days.
Comments
Thank you Bigbumblebee,
I know most people buy JI now, but it is better and cheaper if you can take the trouble to make your own.
28 Jun, 2009
Thanks for this blog, Bob.
Lots of useful information :o)
28 Jun, 2009
You're a star DoctorBob - thank you - I will print it off for future reference. Much appreciated.
28 Jun, 2009
Thank you Dawn and TT,
Very kind.
28 Jun, 2009
Thanks, Bob - more please! I shall also save the info - if I can work out how! lol.
28 Jun, 2009
Very useful info, the difficult bit is remembering it or where I put the piece of paper if I was clever enough to print it off!
28 Jun, 2009
Highlight, copy and paste, Spritz. I have a separate folder under 'Gardening' for info like this.
28 Jun, 2009
Lots of great info here Dr Bob..thanks for advice Wagger !
28 Jun, 2009
Thank you Spritz and Lily2, Glad you found it useful and Wagger that's helped me solve the same problem, I have trouble saving things.
28 Jun, 2009
Oh, and thanks BB. How are your summer birds? Loved the photo of the Robin.
28 Jun, 2009
All doing well thanks Dr Bob..still fledging and awaiting baby robins any day !
28 Jun, 2009
Great, photos of that please.
28 Jun, 2009
Will do !
28 Jun, 2009
Will admit I,ve read this twice but think I,ve got the info.sorted in my head now Lol,thanks Dr Bob.............
28 Jun, 2009
I've also read this 2 or 3 times but I'm going to have to read it again, just 3 or 4 more times to make sure.....LOL
Thanks Dr. B. I like this type of blog, loads of info easy to read and good solid advice
Cheers..........Ian
28 Jun, 2009
Thanks Lincslass and Ian, keep reading, I wil be asking questions later. LOL.
29 Jun, 2009
Thanks, Wagger - I will do that. :-)
29 Jun, 2009
Oh no, I hate tests........:-(
29 Jun, 2009
I shall cheat when I've copied and pasted! hehe.
29 Jun, 2009
Can I sit next to you?
29 Jun, 2009
Now children, no cheating, I am digging out my old cane. LOL.
29 Jun, 2009
There's no hope for me. I don't know how to copy and paste but I know a man who does so maybe it's time for my brain to take on some more computer knowledge!
29 Jun, 2009
Hope that's just a garden cane, Doc.
29 Jun, 2009
Ooops! I suppose we'd better be good. ;-)
29 Jun, 2009
I don't care what kind of cane it is I'm out of here...........
Now you know how I don't know much (about anything really !!!!!!!!!!) LOL
29 Jun, 2009
Lily2 I feel so much better now because I have a real problem with copy and pasting,so glad I,m not alone.lol.........
29 Jun, 2009
We all need a copy, dont we.
Lily2: I find the easiest way is to highlight the page, press command or control and c at the same time and then to paste into a word document, control or command v, good luck.
29 Jun, 2009
Dawn can I copy off you, Spritzy won't let me sit next to her?
29 Jun, 2009
You're welcome to Ian, I dont mind but shhhh dont tell Spritz.
29 Jun, 2009
I don't know, it's been years since I was in or out of control of such an unruly mob.
29 Jun, 2009
Sounds just like my 1070's secondry school, I'm not sure I don't want to skive behind the sports hall and have a fag while I'm at it......LOL
29 Jun, 2009
Blimey Ian, I didnt realise you were so old!!!! lol
30 Jun, 2009
Well, I didn't like to mention that Dawn, but being as you have that makes Ian only about 20 years younger than me. Did you know a bloke with one eye Ian?
30 Jun, 2009
I'm not that old, Dawn. Humph LOL
DoctorB I refuse to answer on the grounds I might incriminate myself LOL
30 Jun, 2009
Oh, guys, what I meant was, Ian said he was at secondary school in the 1070's, lol.
30 Jun, 2009
oh I see the 'ten seventies' instead of ninteen seventies
Well perhaps I am that old then.........LOL
30 Jun, 2009
Ha ha Ian - dont worry, I was at secondary school too in your era.
1 Jul, 2009
Oh dear - that makes me older than you - and I still haven't learned to behave myself - sorry, Docbob!
You have got an unruly class...:-(
...and I heard that, Dawn! lol.
1 Jul, 2009
I think I'll just right it down on my hand cos I'm bound to be made to sit on my own. LOL
1 Jul, 2009
I think I'll just head for the corner and face the wall, lol. Sorry Spritz :-((
1 Jul, 2009
It's a thousand lines all round for you lot, and no using carbon paper or else.
1 Jul, 2009
No chance of copying with you around Dr Bob. How's the weather with you?
1 Jul, 2009
Slightly warm Dawn thanks, Lol.
I've been sunburned today. Serves me right.
1 Jul, 2009
Oh no, naughty you, no sun cream, I guess we all do it now and again. I hope you wear moisturiser on your face all year to protect your good looks, dont want you to end up looking like a cornish fisherman x
1 Jul, 2009
TOO LATE!!!!!!!!
1 Jul, 2009
Ha ha. Dont really believe you but nevermind anyway, lol.
1 Jul, 2009
Oh! you've caught me out Dawn.
1 Jul, 2009
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21 Jun, 2009
Good grief! This sent my memory hurtling back to my Hort. college days, seems like aeons ago. I could NEVER remember the JI formulae and I still can't. Some kind of mental block that must have lost me an awful lot of marks over the years.
Great blog though, helped to blow the dust out of some of the corners... LoL
Bbb
28 Jun, 2009