Plant feeding...

[jobnockey]

Hi, hopefully this isn't too stupid a question but just wondering, if I am feeding plants with a seaweed tonic, and there is slow release fertiliser granules in the compost, should they still be getting additional food (i.e. tomato feed)? The seaweed tonic bottle doesn't really specify but i get the impression its a general overall health thing rather than 'food'...

If the compost has slow release fertiliser granules, you don't need to feed the plants until they have depleted (usually 3 or 6 months). You risk overfeeding them and killing them. Personally, I prefer compost without the fertiliser granules as different plants have different needs so I can feed them what they need.

Seaweed tonic is "food" too. Plants get their energy from photosynthesis but they need nutrients from the soil, the building blocks of protein etc, whereas animals get both their energy and those building blocks from things they eat. Plant "food" is adding those nutrients to the soil. You can add too much though and it becomes toxic. If you take one multivitamin it is good for you but if you take a whole pack every day, you are going to overdose.

Thanks for this! I haven’t used granules before but using coco coir for first time and thought it would need some kind of nutrients to be added...

Seaweed is great I wouldn't add anything else you might end up adding too much. We have a comfrey plant and make our own food from that.

Monty did a section on plant feeding on Gardeners World this week which was a useful summary about the principles behind plant feeding.