What is the easiest and less time consuming way to fertilize your garden? Do you foliage feed or dig in compost, granules, sheep pellets etc? Any suggestions would be appreciated as my garden needs a really good feed and I have very little time to do this.
joojanna,
Jun 29, 8:22am
I use a mix of blood and bone and potash and toss it around but I believe the plants take up the nutrients better in the warmer weather so it might pay to wait a couple of months or so
lilyfield,
Jun 29, 8:48am
I buy the huge bags from farm supply stores in granules and throw it about liberally just before rain, by the bucket full
used to, don,t have the large property any more.
strebor1,
Jun 29, 8:56am
What you really need to do before spending up large on fertiliser, is do a PH test on your soil, because if it is acidic, as many soils are, it needs to be brought up to the right rate, before the fertiliser will have any effect. Google up PH levels on soil, or similar if you are not sure what I mean, and it may be of help to you. I have seen so many people go and spend heaps at the garden centres, on someone's advice, to no avail. You may need to add lime and get the PH right, then not so much on fertiliser. Good luck.
lambrat,
Jun 29, 11:11am
blood and bone is a bit dodgy if you have dogs isn't it? so i've never been game to use it here (or tested the soil ph in 25yrs, lol) i just use horse poo rotted down, mixed with regular potting mix and compost. apply during winter for spring planting. the only special fert i use is citrus for lemons.
strebor1,
Jun 29, 10:41pm
Well I have a four acre garden which was in the NZ Gardens to visit book and have a Dip Hort, and been the Manager of a large Auckland Garden Centre, so I was suggesting testing the garden for the right PH, as a helpful suggestion. There is a reason why lime is one of the higher selling items in garden centres.
mottly,
Jun 29, 10:47pm
I dig in pelletized chook or sheep poo once a year. lime it about a month later. and during winter I water with liquid seaweed. Sprinkle blood n bone around the seedlings too. we have dogs and cats - the only prob with blood n bone is that the dogs will 'lick' it all off the dirt lol. They've been doing that for years. so I've gotta water it in straight away.
kateley,
Jun 29, 10:55pm
In my opinion, the quickest and easiest (not necessarily best or cheapest) option, is to broadcast a handful per square metre, of a 'complete' fertiliser (nitrophoska was the best when I was working in the garden centre but there are lots available now) , then water well and apply about 10cm of compost.
brightlights60,
Jun 29, 11:00pm
I agree (Brights wife here). I am just completing a Diploma in Horticulture, to give myself more knowledge after 40 odd years of gardening. I used to put down a good bio blend or pig manure each spring, but that's more for appearance than anything else. You need to do as poster above said, plus think of the plants you have. Plants have specific needs, and different plant foods are for different varieties. Look at that too. The best, overall "food" or fertilizer for your garden, is a good application of humus building material when the garden needs it. So Spring and Autumn. Spring particularly, as this will both feed your plants, and help retain moisture over the direr months. Good idea to have a compost bin and apply the contents to your moisture loving plants in the Spring. We have large, raised vege beds, so in late Winter we take out the contents, add to the general garden, then fill up with pig manure and mix in the contents of the compost bin. We spread sheep pellets throughout the general garden, feed the lawn with a good lawn fertilizer. Over the Summer months I mix up Phostrogen spray which is cost effective and spray all the flower bearing plants. In gardens, once you know your ph levels or that the soil is good, you can apply a good all round compost/general fertilizer or food around the plants to help retain the nutrients it needs over the growing months.
samanya,
Jun 29, 11:15pm
I have an acre of garden which compared to some is huge & others not so large, I guess, it keeps me busy enough. I alternate annually using pea straw & next year mushroom compost plus home made compost to build up the humus content & individual plants like fruit trees, citrus, roses, rhodies etc get a handful of fertiliser specific to their needs in spring. Vege garden gets much the same treatment with lime or blood & bone with a bit of pig poo. I do put seaweed & sheep poo in the compost. Works for me.
piquant,
Jun 30, 12:54am
Finally - some sound advice - well done strebor and Brights wife! Keep it up. I've just about given up wasting time on here - there are a few that will heed sound advice but mostly you get the response that they want a yes/no answer - not a bloody lecture! And if it is something that requires more work ,rather than less, it's even less likely to be heeded! I really don't know where people get the idea that a garden is something that will look after itself - as any true gardener knows "a garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever". I've got far more important things to do with my time these days, in the nursery, and I just pop in here from time to time to add a few cents worth. Keep up all your efforts, gardeners, but heed good advice. It pays off in the end!
samanya,
Jun 30, 1:17am
I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way piquant, but I can uinderstand how you feel. It may interest you to know that I have always valued your advice even though I probably haven't acknowledged it . just read it & taken it on board. Don't you just love it when you go to the effort of giving an experienced opinion on a query & the op buggers off with nary a thanks?
strebor1,
Jun 30, 2:00am
Thank you piquant and looking at your lovely home and garden, I can see you know what you are talking about. I have always loved to help people with horticultural queries, and spent 6 years in the garden centre doing just that, I just don't like being laughed at when I do try to be helpful. Of course you can give out help and whether people take it on board or not is their choice, but at least we can sow the seed, excuse the pun!
piquant,
Jun 30, 3:46am
Thank you both, strebor and samanya, for your comments. I KNOW there are those of you out there that DO value good advice and I certainly don't begrudge contributing. But over the past year or so there seem to have been far less people interested in gardening with honest to goodness genuine queries and rather more who are just too plain lazy or disinterested to go and investigate things for themselves and just require someone to give them the answer. Right or wrong, it seems. We used to have such interesting threads, with much to-ing and fro-ing on a wide and varied set of subject that we all learned something, it seems - every day. As it should be. But - I WAS wasting far too much time! Now, with all the propping, potting, labelling etc. etc. etc - it's a pleasure to pop down in front of the computer and just have a little input into threads. I certainly don't expect to be thanked for every bit of advice - but most do - and I know the ones who I'd be happy to help at any time! Is there anyone else out there that has noticed the difference - I suppose some would just put it down to natural progression - or should that be digression?
strebor1,
Jun 30, 4:08am
I too have noticed the difference nowdays, and I too spent far too much time on Trademe discussions. I am very busy doing a large research project at the moment and only come on occasionally and find that I am far better off doing just that. I doubt whether I will ever go back to spending as much time on the various discusions as I used to, as life is far too short and there are far too many interesting ways of using my energy. And boy when summer rolls around again, I will be off and away as much as I can, too much coastline to sail!
samanya,
Jun 30, 4:19am
It's interesting isn't it (& I'm not meaning anyone specifically, at all) but IMO there are those who are 'real' gardeners & those who just want to keep their property tidy & I guess there's those who are learning . none of us start off knowing everything & advice from experienced gardeners is one of the best ways to learn, especially relating to the varied climatic zones in NZ. & then you get the 'book learned' but don't maintain their garden . I know a couple of people like that (my neighbour is one) . knows everything about gardening/plant names & her garden is a mess, covered in bark, in a delightful rust colour ;o) ! It takes all kinds though & as long as she's happy, what the hell? I can't say I've noticed a difference, but I haven't been coming in here that long . if there is, I'd hate to think that it's off putting for the most helpful posters.
chriisyr28,
Jun 30, 4:47am
Thank you all for your helpful advice. I would have replied sooner but have been looking after grandchildren today. I'm not looking for a quick fix for my garden just an easier way to fertilise it as I broke my hip last year and find gardening more tiring than it used to be. The soil is obviously quite acidic as my hydrangeas have stayed a really deep blue - I may have to look at balancing the PH. Once again thank you all for taking the time to offer suggestions.
piquant,
Jun 30, 5:06am
I think we are all finding gardening more tiring than it used to be chrissyr28 - I think it's called "getting older" ! What you used to get done in a jiffy - now takes ages - "good heavens - is THAT the time? I'd better go and get dinner on, the fire laid and the animals fed! " And so another day ends. As others have quite rightly pointed out though - do things specific to a particular plants needs. Don't go liming all your hydrangeas and turn them pink (unless you want to, of course!) likewise camellias, rhodos etc,etc. The old rule of improving the soil year by year will do far more good. Fortunately, applying fertilizer, lime or whatever, needn't be a demanding job - it can be done, bit by bit, from a standing position. BUT - if you need some help - maybe it is time to ask family for an hour or two - after all - you have been grandchildren sitting today - have you not?
samanya,
Jun 30, 5:36am
Hey, I wasn't meaning you chriisyr28, when I said about posters beggaring off. When you've got a big garden, it does sap the energy, but we carry on because we love it. I've got a 'back' problem (not all that old) but I've slowly learned that it doesn't ALL have to be done 'today' even when I have limited time & sometimes I don't get to carry on for a week or so, but I get there eventually & there's always the thought that I could get a professional someone to help if there's a job I can't manage. I haven't yet & would rather not, but if needs must, I'd consider it.
chriisyr28,
Jun 30, 5:52am
Thanks piquant - point taken!
bev00,
Jun 30, 12:37pm
great ideas to boost the graden
howgoodisit,
Jun 30, 10:57pm
This is a good doco to watch. it has a bit of weird christian stuff in it so if you ignore that and take in all the advice you will think quite differently about how you approach a large garden. https://vimeo.com/28055108
dogbond,
Jun 30, 11:52pm
I have a big garden, so learning all the time! Our property has a huge amount of rhodos, camelias, roses and trees, ( planted by previous owners). Ive just been using rotten down horse manure, chook poo and our own vege compost heap as it is all free, but never thought to test the soil, will have to get onto that.
samanya,
Jul 1, 5:19am
You'll probably find that it's in the 'acceptable' range around here. I think I'm in the same vicinity . on the flat, though. I inherited a neglected garden with great 'bones' & some plants planted in wrong conditions. it's coming right with a lot of TLC but the big thing is to give each plant the fertiliser/manure that they prefer. I do what you do, home compost, sheep shite B & B, chook poo when I get enough & seaweed 'tea' for the veges.What I've found is that the mature trees tend to suck the goodness from the soil & then of course we had no rain last summer, which was soul destroying.
lissie,
Jul 1, 9:52am
We bought a house - with a huge garden - and I hate gardening. It's terraced mainly in grass and native trees. I'm basically underplanting some of the grass areas with large ordamental grasses and agapanthus (sp?)- hoping to fill in the gaps and avoid too much actual maintenance. Should I be fertilizing as well - that never occurred to me. It's pretty good soil, but coastal in Wgtn - if that makes a difference?
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