How to Feed Your Plants
Feeding your plants is an essential part of maintaining their health, as well as encouraging them to produce an abundance of flowers in season. Plants need feeding just prior to their start of growth or while they are actively growing. For most plants this in the spring when new leaves, stems and flowers are being produced, and during the summer. Don't feed outdoor plants in late autumn or winter - excessive nitrogen may encourage soft growth that is more prone to frost damage. Here is a brief guide to feeding your plants, with a few recommended products.
Feeding By Hand
Granular feeds are an easy way to feed your plants, all you have to do is sprinkle the plant food over the prescribed area and then rake in. Make sure you check the recommended rate before you start, weigh the amount in your own 'handful' on kitchen scales to see how this compares with the recommended application rate, making sure you wash your hands after application. Thompson's recommend these products:
Growmore: Contains the three main nutrients essential for healthy growth. It promotes heavy crops of fruit and vegetables, balanced vigorous plants and beautiful flowers. Apply throughout the growing season.
Bonemeal: An organic fertiliser that provides both phosphates and nitrogen, the two elements essential for plant growth. Ideal for herbaceous plants, shrubs, roses, fruit trees and bulbs.
Pour & Feed
A great way of directly feeding your plants. Liquid feeds are conveniently easy to use, by pouring the required amount onto the surrounding soil of your plants. Thompson's recommends:
Miracle-Gro Pour & Feed: Feeds flowering & foliar pot plants for up to a month. Helps to produce bigger, lusher plants in your garden.
Tomorite: A hugely popular feed that encourages high yields of top quality, full flavoured tomatoes and other vegetables. Water on at base of the plant.
Feeding Using A Watering Can
Make sure you use a watering can that has not been used previously for weed killers, unless it is thoroughly washed out and rinsed several times. Fill with clean water from the drinking tap or water butt and then add the amount of plant food prescribed on the pack or bottle. Stir thoroughly until dissolved and then water the soil around plants. Thompson's Recommends:
Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food: One of the most popular forms of plant food, this easy to mix, water on formula provides essential nutrients for optimum growth and flowers. Greener and faster growing within two weeks. Use throughout the garden.
Controlled Release Plant Feed
These smart plant foods are clean and convenient to use, providing a steady release of plant nutrients from one application. In warm weather, when plants are growing faster, more nutrients are released. If temperatures drop, slowing plant growth, the release of nutrients is reduced in line. Thompson's recommends:
Miracle-Gro All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food: Apply around the soil of shrubs, trees and flowering plants. It releases tiny amounts of food each day over a six month period.
Miracle-Gro Rose Tree & Shrub Slow Release: Specially formulated for roses & shrubs, rich in nutrients for strong healthy growth. Feeds for the whole season.