organic fertilizer – gardenerscardiff.co.uk

Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 20:05:03 +0000

Lizzie asks…

growing my own vegetable garden?

how many of the following plants will i need to grow for just me ?

sweetcorn
zucchini/courgettes
runner beans
lettuce
tomatoes
kale
strawberries
beets etc

GardenersCardiff answers:

On sweet corn I figure one ear per stalk and I usually plant it in 8×8 foot beds not long rows for better pollination. An 8×8 will produce more than 30 ears.
One zucchini plant will feed you and all your neighbors with more than you can eat.
One runner bean pole per person is plenty for fresh eating.
Lettuce like zucchini is easy to over plant. I plant a couple feet of row per week in the spring and again in fall.
Tomatoes are the prim-a-donas of the garden, I plant two early, two mid and two late season varieties and any two will produce enough for me and friends.
I plant Kale like my lettuce a couple feet at a time.
I have strawberries growing everywhere in my many flower gardens. It’s fun to munch berries while I’m weeding.
Beets etc. – The secret for garden newbies is to start small. Over doing it will overwhelm you at first and is the reason most new gardeners give up.

EDIT – I just remembered your in the UK. Forget about sweetcorn and tomatoes, I couldn’t get either to grow when I lived in Gilford. My ex father-in-law in Chichester grew tomatoes in his small conservatory. Thompson&Morgan or other English seed companies have probably come out with new varieties that would work in our warming global climate, I haven’t gardened there since the mid 70’s.
Get together with my contact Judy’s Rabbit, she’s a knowledgeable UK gardener and a hoot to boot..

RScott

Sandra asks…

grow own vegetables, furit & nuts getting started for dummies?

I want to stop majorly contributing to the pollution of this planet that we call home but don’t treat like a home.
I want to start buy growing my own organic food & never going to a supermarket again but the only thing i know about gardening is weeding & Literally that is all i know,
so im asking all you lovely gardening experts for tips, books, websites etc ETC
on the very basics like making garden beds, what tools to, what i use as an organic fertilizer if at all.
I have a totally blank clean slate on gardening so even the basics that you think every body knows i don’t know
if u are about to answer & your answer isn’t something i dint want to hear
then thank you very very much so appreciated as this is very important to me

GardenersCardiff answers:

To start with, it will take some time and experience before you are growing all of your food, but it is a noble goal. I have about a half acre garden and 18 chickens and still have to buy a little food. Anywyas…

First thing to do to start a garden is to break the ground. A gas powered tiller is the typical choice, or a tractor and a plow and disc or tiller for the tractor. You CAN do it by hand with tools you can get at lowes or elsewhere, but that can be nearly impossible. Even though it does pollute, I would recommend getting a tiller – not a gas cultivator, but a real tiller.

Once you’ve broke the ground adequately you may want to test the soil for nutrients. You can get a soil testing kit at some hardware stores, or most coops or farm supply stores. This will tell you how much fertilizer you need to add to your soil. You can skip this step, but then it’s guess work as to how much you need to add and what balance of nutrients are needed. That said, a lot of people never test and have great results.

Next, fertilizer and soil amendments. I am a fan of composted manure. A good, reasonably powerful organic fertilizer is composted chicken manure/litter. You can buy this at Lowes, coops, farm supply stores, etc. Apply according to instructions on bag, if your soil is already somewhat fertile then you don’t need to add a whole lot, and till into ground well. Composted cow manure is another good choice – it is much less potent than chicken manure and lacks the smell, though composted chicken manure does not usually carry a terribly odor.

Now, your soil is tilled, fertilized, and ready to be prepared for planting. Read the seed packet to determine when and how that type of seed should be planted. In general, you will want to make rows that span the full distance of your garden, leaving enough room to easily get in between rows to harvest vegetable, remove weeds, and other general maintenance. You can make the rows by pulling a hoe in the ground while walking from one end of the garden to the other, going as straight as possible. Plant your seeds X inches apart, where X is the inches indicated by the seed packet for row-type crops. Cover the seeds with dirt and LIGHTLY firm the ground over and near them. Water well to encourage germination. Alternatively, you can soak your seeds in water overnight before planting, then a little less water can be used after planting.

Wait for plants to begin appearing. Depending on your vegetable choices, this could be from about 5 days to a couple of weeks. Do not let weeds overtake the crops in their infancy. Water every day or two depending on how hot, dry, etc the weather is. As the plants grow, continue to remove weeds and to water as needed. Weeding with a hoe or cultivator is helpful to not just remove weeds, but to let more air down into the soil near the roots.

Some plants may need staking, such as bean vines and some types of tomatoes, etc.

Finally, mulching. When your plants are nearing maturity, you can add an inch or so of mulch all over the garden, except on top of your plants. This will help maintain the proper moisture level as well as keep weeds under control with less work. As the mulch decays it will also have a mild fertilizing effect.

Of course, pick your vegetables when they are ripe, or to your personal liking.

Vegetables that I would recommend considering are: squash, sweet corn, purple hull peas, lima beans, garden beans, tomatoes, okra, peppers.

I threw this “Everything to know about gardening” together very quickly, and it is very far from everything that you could know. Hopefully it is enough to get you started with a small garden though, and as you gain experience your garden can become bigger as you feel more comfortable.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Helen asks…

What vegetables grow back on their own???

Like they can grow back without someone planting them or doing anything to them

GardenersCardiff answers:

Most vegetables that people grow in home gardens are annuals. Most need to be replanted every year. Tomatos, beans, peas, peppers, squash, pumpkins, lettuce, cucumbers, etc. Are all annuals. A few will reseed themselves if you let the fruit go to seed at the end of the season, but most are not dependable enough that you could count on it. (You might get a few random tomatoes coming up, but probably not in the spot you want!!).

Asparagus and artichokes are two perennials (plants that will come back next year) that I can think of.

Good Luck!!

Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:05:02 +0000

Nancy asks…

Japanese Lace leaf maple. Need a home made organic mix fertilizer?

Location – Pacific north west. Sea/tac area. Full sun, planted last year. Trunk aprox. 2 and 1/2 in. thick 4 ft. tall, 3 and 1/2 ft spread. In good soil not just dirt.
Need a time tested home made mix of bone meal, blood meal, wood ash,epson salts etc. and when,how much and how often.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Here’s a recipe for a basic organic fertilizer…Keep in mind that gypsum doesn’t change soil PH, but lime does:
Recipe (mix uniformly): 4 parts seed meal ¼ part ordinary agricultural lime, best finely ground ¼ part gypsum (or double the agricultural lime) ½ part dolomitic lime, 1 part bone meal, rock phosphate or high-phosphate guano ½ to 1 part kelp meal (or 1 part basalt dust)
http://www.motherearthliving.com/issues/motherearthliving/organic_gardening/How-to-Make-Easy-Homemade-Organic-Fertilizer_416-1.html

Japanese Maples use low ratios of nitrogen combined with higher levels of phosphorus for optimal root and branch development In their natural habitat,

Here’s a Forum discussion of the ingredients of “Fox Farm Japanese Maple Fertilizer” : feather meal, bone meal, sulfate of potash magnesia, cottonseed meal, bat guano, rock phosphate, kelp meal, and gypsum. It also contains 19 species of Mycorrhizae and Bacillus and Humic acid for faster facilitation of nutrient uptake.
Feather meal is generally 11-0-0 or 12-0-0
Bone Meal 3-15-0 (Fish bone meal 3-18-0), also a calcium source
Bat guano 10-3-1
Cottonseed Meal 5-2-1 and a natural acidifier
sul-po-mag is supplying sulfur, potassium and magnesium
gypsum is supplying calcium
rock phosphate is supplying phosphorus
kelp meal is also a source of potash as well as supplying an array of trace elements, vitamins, hormones and growth stimulants

“For the purpose of young maples in a pot (small or unestablished rootsystems), if we use a proven soil mix, we can leave our plant in a pot for a season and fertilize the second year and subsequent years until repotting again. More mature maples, 5-7 years old, with at least soil 1gal root systems, we can repot and fertilize lightly the frist year or wait until the second year. It would be ideal to see out maples in at least 5 gallon cans before we fertilize, but using a light application before then is sometimes o.k. If we have visual appearance to back us up. Fertilizing early in the plants’ life to push more growth is also an option, but that will not be best for the long term survial. For plants in the ground, after the 3rd year we can start to fertilize some in the spring, but there are other plans that work well.”

“One of the great benefits of going organic with respect to fertilization is that the components of blended fertilizers are substanially organic matter in content and not too far removed from applying a soil amendment or form of compost. They tend not to leach and encourage the populations of soil organisms in much the same way compost does. I would tend to be more concerned regarding appropriate pH levels as opposed to nutrient levels but would be hardpressed to consider the occasional application of an organic Japanese maple fertilizer inappropriate or unnecessary. While I tend not to fertilize established trees in the ground as they seldom require it and they do get topdressed regularly with compost, I do fertilize containerized plants on a consistent basis.”
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/maple/msg0310464615320.html

This site gives a recipe for making fertilizer pellets which includes …3 parts Hempseed meal or Rapeseed meal/Linseed Meal/Soybean Meal; 2 parts garden lime (alkaline – omit for satsuki azalea etc);2 parts blood, fish & bone (nitrogen, iron and phosphorus);1 part sea weed, poultry pellets, humus; …among other things:
http://www.actionvideo.freeserve.co.uk/organic.htm

Personally, if you are growing your Japanese Maple outdoors, it seems easier to just make sure your soil has the appropriate PH level, & has enough organic compost mixed into your soil to not only fertilize, but also support soil organisms which will continue to work throughout the growing season. Also apply bone meal to the compost when planting trees to help them establish a healthy root system faster. Make sure plants are watered consistently. “The phosphorous in bone meal is released slowly as the soil water dissolves it so it can be taken up by the plant’s roots. This provides a steady level of nutrients throughout the season.”
http://www.vitasoil.com/bone%20main.htm

If you want to give your young plants a boost, Here’s a liquid organic fertilizer recipe: In a metal bucket and add compost to 1/3 full and top off with water. Stir and let sit for about 4 days, stirring once in a while. Strain any solids out.
Add water to the strained liquid until it reaches the shade of ‘weak tea’.
Http://www.momsorganichouse.com/about-homemade-fertilizer/

Good Luck! Hope this is helpful.

Joseph asks…

Does anyone know how to make tomatoes grow?

I have tried and tried to plant tomatoes in my garden, but it doesnt seem to be working. They dont ever grow to their potential size and I dont know if its because I might have weeds that is preventing them from growing or not. I pull my weeds so I dont know what else it could be.I would appreciate it if someone would give me some tips. Thanks!!
I live in Baltimore County.
I can tell it is going to be VERY hard for me to choose a best answer when the time comes. I am going to try ALL of the advice that has been given to me on here!! I’ll let you know how it goes.( If interested).
Addressed to:
icsowesmemoney( below)

LMAO!! My first thought upon reading your answer was hilarity. And then, when I read it again, I became very, very, angry. The reason why us ” stupid” peolpe get on here and ask such ” stupid” questions is because there are opinions that people on here can give us that websites DON’T offer. There is a wealth of knowledge that people on Yahoo Answers do know. I am sure that you have asked a ” dumb” question before, but someone was just too kind to point it out to you. I pity someone like you for thinking this way. You obviously have a closed mine to ways that you can learn things. Or is it because you have a ” small” mind. I can also tell that the size of your brain coincides with the size of your d***. I am sorry to have to be so rude, but you took it there, so I am just reciprocating what you dished out. I also want to tell you to lighten up in life. Things are never as hard as they seem. Although, for people like you, maybe they SHOULD be.
Addressed to:
icsowesmemoney( below)

GardenersCardiff answers:

Here is my tried and true approach to the land of the happy Tomato Eater.

Tomato Starting Formula

This is the amount for each plant—obviously if you are planting lots of plants make a big batch and divide evenly.

1 Handful Fertilizer
1 Handful Lime
2 Hands full Peat Moss
2 Hands full Potting soil
2 Hands full “Black Cow” (or any manure compost available to you)
1 Tablespoon Epsom Salts

Before planting you should have tilled the soil thoroughly and as deep as possible. Plants don’t like hard compact soil. If possible a 2′ x 2′ hole that is 2′ deep would be ideal. They find it much easier to extend their little roots in well tilled and aerated soil. Dig out a hole in the soil about a foot deep with a spade.

This formula will give them a good start—they will need to be fertilized again about the time they start putting on the first little tomatoes. DO NOT over fertilize them, or any other plant or you will “burn” the plant and kill it.

Mix all ingredients together in a bucket and stir together thoroughly. Place in the bottom of your hole and mix gently with loose soil there. Place Tomato Plant in hole on top of this mixture and pull soil around the plant. Water thoroughly and wait for the water to soak in. Then pull more soil around plant.

As the plant grows keep pulling more soil around the bottom of the stalk and covering the lower branches that are not putting on blooms. Covering them this way will cause the plant to generate more roots–more roots equals more nutrients to the plant and a stronger healthier plant.

Watch for little holes in the leaves, that will mean little bugs are eating them. That is when I start applications of Sevin Dust. An even better choice (I am converting to this) is Diatomaceous Earth (see link below) as it is not toxic to any vertebrate (us, kids, dogs, etc.) but will kill anything with an exoskeleton (your average bug.)

As the plant grows be sure to keep it watered. (We are having a dry summer so far and I have watered gently but thoroughly every two days so far.) I like to water in the late afternoon. So the plant has a chance to soak up a good drink and the heat won’t evaporate too much of the water.

My plants were put in around Easter, they are all at least 4 feet tall and getting heavy with small to medium sized green tomatoes.

I recommend using a wire basket to support them. You can buy a roll of “hog wire” aka “welded wire” aka “welded cattle wire” at your local Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. And cut it (with wire cutters of course) to make your baskets. This is much cheaper than buying them already made. You will want them to be 48 inches tall and cut so that they are about two and a half feet in diameter. We put them down when the plants are around 1 to 1 ½ feet tall and drive stakes into the ground at opposite sides of the basket and tie the basket to the stakes to keep it from being knocked over by creatures, me, or stormy weather. As they grow watch the branches (check every couple of days) and don’t let them hang up in the lower openings in the wire. GENTLY pull them from the inside and let them move up with the plant growth. Otherwise you will have a lot of stuff at or on the ground.

If you are going to start from seed then it is quite late in the year to try. Recommend buying plants from your local garden centers. Seed starting needs to begin 6 to 8 weeks before your expected planting date. But you should still get a crop if you go ahead and plant. Late is better than never in this case.

Ruth asks…

Can I get a bird feeder in my garden if I have this problem?

I have a 5 year old cat that has brought home birds as “presents” about 5 times before (spread over about 3 years). I wanted to get a bird feeder (home made one at the top of my 6 foot fence) but I was worried that the cat may eat the birds that came. Would my cat be able to get to the bird before it realized and flew away ?, and how could I make it safer for the birds if I were to get one.

GardenersCardiff answers:

By all means get a bird feeder but don’t for goodness sake put it on a fence giving the cat easy access to the wild birds, that’s just like offering them to the cat on a plate, unless that is you can put an obstacle in the way preventing the cat reaching them.
You would at least have a chance with a bird feeder on a pole, and a steel one at that as a cat would not be able to climb it, if not a wooden pole and again with some means of preventing it from getting to the birds.
Hope my ideas have been of some use to you, kind regards,Yorkie.