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Cheap fertilizer for fruit trees and fruit bushes in general?

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  • 07-01-2022 10:45am
    #1
    Supercell
    Registered Users Posts: 15,401 ✭✭✭✭


    Anyone have suggestion for what to get that i could user for my fruit (apples, raspberries, plums, green guages, peach, gooseberries, strawberries etc)

    I mulch up my hedge cuttings in general and scatter them around the fruit trees etc but i'd like to also give them something extra in spring.

    Is there any all purpose stuff that i could use that would do the lot that isnt hugely expensive - manure perhaps? I dont have access to farm manure so will need to be garden centers only unfortunately.

    Thanks.

    https://www.loughlinstown.ie/

    Have a weather station?, why not join the Ireland Weather Network - http://irelandweather.eu/



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    #2
    phelixoflaherty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,445 ✭✭✭phelixoflaherty


    https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/fruit-trees/feeding-and-mulching



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    #3
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    The large tubs of chicken manure pellets show up in Lidl and it usually costs a €2-3 less than when available in Woodies. I really like the pellets as they are slow release so a handful around each plant in spring and a top up when fruiting works wonders.

    For a liquid feed, you can do a lot worse than make up a batch of free nettle tea- yes, it smells a bit gross but only when you are applying it. Both of these are primaily sources of nitrogen, so the P and K can be applied as additional one-off feeds as per the plants requirements (I think the fruiting berries require a lot of P in particular).



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    #4
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    That's a good point about the nettle tea - I have a cattle trough not doing much (useful in the summer) and loads of nettles when they are in season, combine the two and - free fertilizer. Will do that!



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    #5
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432741#Comment_118432741

    Depending on your needs a 20L bucket of it goes a long way- you need to dilute it down x5. Apparently the first flush of nettles is the best in terms of nitrogen levels.



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    #6
    Supercell
    Registered Users Posts: 15,401 ✭✭✭✭Supercell


    The nettle fertiliser sounds just the job, plenty of them around here so i'll give that a go, thanks.

    https://www.loughlinstown.ie/

    Have a weather station?, why not join the Ireland Weather Network - http://irelandweather.eu/



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    #7
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Just found this info, might be worth reading

    When using nettles as fertilizer, remember that some plants, like tomatoes and roses, do not enjoy the high iron levels in nettle fertilizer. This fertilizer works best on leafy plants and heavy feeders. Start with low concentrations and move on from there.

    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/nettle/nettle-as-fertilizer.ht



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