Have just discovered some growmore in a plastic bag that has been hidden
away for years. It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken down into
blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do you
think?

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
Have just discovered some growmore in a plastic bag that has been hidden
away for years. It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken down into
blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do you
think?

I have one of those as well, and I have wondered about it's use now.

Alan

On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:48:27 +0100, alan.holmes wrote:

It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken
down into blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do
you think?

I have one of those as well, and I have wondered about it's use now.

No point in wasting it. Add a handful between layers in the compost heap
Can't do much harm.

"john hamilton" wrote in message
...
Have just discovered some growmore in a plastic bag that has been hidden
away for years. It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken down into
blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do you
think?
I can't say of the link below will answer you question, but have a look
at:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz...shh/189483.pdf

A fair bit of reading.

Bill

Hi John,

I also found an old bag of Growmore which had turned into blobs. I used this for my tomato plants, needless to say, grew very well! Was it down to the growmore? Who knows! Good luck using yours!

Hollie

Is it so wet that it has become partly liquid, and if so have parts of the liquid leaked? The essential constituents don't break down just because they are damp. But if it has actually got so wet that it has partially dissolved into a liquid, and the liquid parts have leaked away, then some constituents of it might have been preferably dissolved and the balance of the fertiliser changed. If it is wet but still all there, then you need to shake the bag to redistribute the liquid bit back into the solid part evenly.

On 24/10/2010 12:48, alan.holmes wrote:
"john wrote in message
...
Have just discovered some growmore in a plastic bag that has been hidden
away for years. It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken down into
blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do you
think?

I have one of those as well, and I have wondered about it's use now.

It might have lost a bit of the nitrogen content and obviously will set
like concrete now if you try to dry it, but it should still be OK as a
plant food it just won't be quite what it says on the label any more.

If it smells of strongly ammonia then it will be toxic to some plants
and is best used as a compost activator. Spread widely enough it is OK.

I always buy my Growmore etc when the garden centres are discounting
everything in sight to make room for Halloween and Santas Grotto which
these days seem to coexist side by side. Last years fertiliser is fine.
(obviously better if you store it dry)

Regards,
Martin Brown

On 24/10/2010 14:47, Bill Grey wrote:
"john wrote in message
...
Have just discovered some growmore in a plastic bag that has been hidden
away for years. It's very damp inside the bag and it has broken down into
blobs rather than granules.

Would it still have maintained its essential plant food qualities do you
think?
I can't say of the link below will answer you question, but have a look
at:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz...shh/189483.pdf

A fair bit of reading.

Bill


All looks pretty stable - as long as you don't try heating it to dry it
out (Boom ! ) . Should be fine as plant food.

Paul (retired chemistry teacher)



--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

Thanks Bill, I looked at the website and it was pretty helpful. Like I said, my old bag of growmore didn't ruin my tomatoes, so I'm not so apprehensive about it any more.