Our main veg patch has and is being very successful - due I am sure to the
amount of manure and compost which has been dug into it over the past couple
of years.

A couple of months ago we rotavated a strip in our adjoining field to enable
us to extend our range of veg. Courgettes (which we had grown from seed in
the greenhouse) are doing fine - having been planted with lots of compost.
But the seeds we sowed - broad beans, french beans, carrots and sweetcorn -
and "thinnings" of cabbages and cauliflowers are not doing so well.

I am sure they need some sort of feed but not sure what. Hubby scattered
chicken manure pellets around but that doesn't seem to have helped.

Any suggestions?

Jeanne Stockdale

" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message
...
Our main veg patch has and is being very successful - due I am sure to the
amount of manure and compost which has been dug into it over the past
couple
of years.

A couple of months ago we rotavated a strip in our adjoining field to
enable
us to extend our range of veg. Courgettes (which we had grown from seed in
the greenhouse) are doing fine - having been planted with lots of compost.
But the seeds we sowed - broad beans, french beans, carrots and
sweetcorn -
and "thinnings" of cabbages and cauliflowers are not doing so well.

I am sure they need some sort of feed but not sure what. Hubby scattered
chicken manure pellets around but that doesn't seem to have helped.

Any suggestions?

Jeanne Stockdale



Feed beans with a solution of 2 tbsp Epsom Salts dissolved in a full
watering can. Make some nettle or comfrey brew for the rest, sweetcorn and
brussels especially respond to that, but most plants will benefit from
feeding with it.

Jeannie


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" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message
...
: Our main veg patch has and is being very successful - due I am sure to the
: amount of manure and compost which has been dug into it over the past
couple
: of years.
:
: A couple of months ago we rotavated a strip in our adjoining field to
enable
: us to extend our range of veg. Courgettes (which we had grown from seed in
: the greenhouse) are doing fine - having been planted with lots of compost.
: But the seeds we sowed - broad beans, french beans, carrots and
sweetcorn -
: and "thinnings" of cabbages and cauliflowers are not doing so well.
:
: I am sure they need some sort of feed but not sure what. Hubby scattered
: chicken manure pellets around but that doesn't seem to have helped.
:
: Any suggestions?
:
: Jeanne Stockdale

I wonder if it has built up it's acidity over the years and would benefit
from a good liming?

" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message
...
Our main veg patch has and is being very successful - due I am sure to the
amount of manure and compost which has been dug into it over the past
couple
of years.

A couple of months ago we rotavated a strip in our adjoining field to
enable
us to extend our range of veg. Courgettes (which we had grown from seed in
the greenhouse) are doing fine - having been planted with lots of compost.
But the seeds we sowed - broad beans, french beans, carrots and
sweetcorn -
and "thinnings" of cabbages and cauliflowers are not doing so well.

I am sure they need some sort of feed but not sure what. Hubby scattered
chicken manure pellets around but that doesn't seem to have helped.

Any suggestions?

Jeanne Stockdale
------------------
If it was only two months ago that you rotovated the field
grass then the time factor is your problem. At the moment the nutrients are
locked in the rotting grass and even surplus nitrogen will have been taken
to assist the rotting. You should have broken the ground last Autumn and
you would then be getting the fine results expected from new ground.
At the moment, an application of Growmore would be the best remedy~~
expect good crops next year.
If you break turf again you will find that the best method is to
plough. The deep inverted grass soon breaks down~~ but even then two months
would be expecting too much.
Best Wishes Brian.

"Jeannie" wrote in message
...
" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message
...
Our main veg patch has and is being very successful - due I am
sure to the
amount of manure and compost which has been dug into it over the
past
couple
of years.

A couple of months ago we rotavated a strip in our adjoining field
to
enable
us to extend our range of veg. Courgettes (which we had grown from
seed in
the greenhouse) are doing fine - having been planted with lots of
compost.
But the seeds we sowed - broad beans, french beans, carrots and
sweetcorn -
and "thinnings" of cabbages and cauliflowers are not doing so
well.

I am sure they need some sort of feed but not sure what. Hubby
scattered
chicken manure pellets around but that doesn't seem to have
helped.

Any suggestions?

Jeanne Stockdale



Feed beans with a solution of 2 tbsp Epsom Salts dissolved in a full
watering can.

Surely that is grossly too concentrated a Magnesium source? After all,
Mg is only a trace element.

Make some nettle or comfrey brew for the rest, sweetcorn and
brussels especially respond to that, but most plants will benefit
from
feeding with it.

If indeed the soil is impoverished, applying Growmore at the normally
recommended rate is a well-balanced fertiliser which additionally
probably contains all the trace elements you need, as unspecified
impurities.

Franz

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
snip
Feed beans with a solution of 2 tbsp Epsom Salts dissolved in a full
watering can.

Surely that is grossly too concentrated a Magnesium source? After all,
Mg is only a trace element.
snip

I have absolutely NO IDEA of the science behind the Epsom Salts but all I
can say is that I have been given this remedy by more than one fellow
gardener and it works, so that's good enough for me!

Jeannie


Make some nettle or comfrey brew for the rest, sweetcorn and
brussels especially respond to that, but most plants will benefit
from
feeding with it.

If indeed the soil is impoverished, applying Growmore at the normally
recommended rate is a well-balanced fertiliser which additionally
probably contains all the trace elements you need, as unspecified
impurities.

Franz




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On 5/7/04 9:02 am, in article , "Jeannie"
wrote:

snip

I have absolutely NO IDEA of the science behind the Epsom Salts but all I
can say is that I have been given this remedy by more than one fellow
gardener and it works, so that's good enough for me!

snip

It's a very old 'remedy' and I found this on a web site

Soil pH
How well plants grow can be strongly influenced by whether the soil is acid
or alkaline. It¹s best to get the pH right before dealing with other
nutrient problems.
Lack of magnesium
This appears as a lack of green in the leaves. The area between the veins of
leaves, especially the lower older ones, goes yellow. Sometimes the leaf
margins also lose their green colour. Plants of the cabbage family sometimes
develop a purplish colour.
Sandy soils are most likely to lack magnesium. This deficiency is also seen
when there is plenty of magnesium in the soil, but the roots cannot take it
up because of poor soil structure, drought or water-logging. When the
underlying problems are resolved the magnesium deficiency disappears.
Fast-growing plants may show a temporary magnesium deficiency in the older
leaves. This usually sorts itself out when the plant begins to grow more
slowly. There is no need to add extra magnesium.
Common magnesium fertilisers
The amount of magnesium in fertiliser has to be stated on the packet.
However, few compound fertilisers contain it, as plants need much less
magnesium than nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Both Epsom salts
(10% Mg) and kieserite (16% Mg) are fast-acting, water-soluble fertilisers
containing magnesium sulphate.
Kieserite contains less water in its crystals than the more frequently sold
Epsom salts and is usually cheaper to use when treating large areas. Because
it is less soluble, it can be used in seedbeds, where Epsom salts could
scorch delicate young roots. Epsom salts are used for foliar feeding, as
they are more soluble in water than kieserite. Neither fertiliser is
organic.
Magnesium is easily washed out of soils that contain little or no clay.
Since these soils are often acid and need lime, maintain the pH using
magnesian limestone. This ground limestone, derived from magnesium-rich
rocks, is also known as Maglime or Dolodust. See the Lime Factsheet (GWF394)
for details of how much to use and where to get it.
Magnesian limestone is acceptable to organic growers, but do not use it
where you intend to grow acid-loving plants like rhododendrons and heathers.
Foliar-feed these plants instead * especially rhododendrons which can suffer
from magnesium deficiency.
Some liquid fertilisers contain a little magnesium * these are a useful
pick-me-up for container-grown plants * tomatoes in growing bags, for
example.
Manure, seaweed, compost and mushroom compost contain small amounts of
magnesium. Cattle manure, for example, contains 0.04%Mg.
Magnesium and potassium
High levels of potassium (K) in the soil suppress plants¹ uptake of
magnesium, so avoid overdosing with fertilisers containing potassium.
Conversely, overfeeding with magnesium fertiliser can induce a potassium
deficiency in plants. Foliar feeding helps overcome this imbalance.
General guidelines
If your soil has not been analysed recently and you believe that plants are
showing magnesium deficiency, try a foliar feed in the first instance. If
this has some effect, the soil may be deficient, and applying a magnesium
GWF395
Updated Dec 2003
Magnesium
fertiliser should be worthwhile. Spreading 30g a sq m (1oz a sq yd) of Epsom
salts or kieserite will provide sufficient magnesium for most soils.
Suppliers
Magnesian limestone, Epsom salts and kieserite:
LBS Group
Cottontree, Nr Colne,
Lancashire BB8 7BW
0870 873300
www.lbs-group.co.uk
Garden Direct
Dept MO Unit,
40 Hillgrove Business Park, Nazing Road, Nazing,
Essex EN9 2BB
01992 890770

--

Sacha
(remove the weeds after garden to email me)

In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

Feed beans with a solution of 2 tbsp Epsom Salts dissolved in a full
watering can.

Surely that is grossly too concentrated a Magnesium source? After all,
Mg is only a trace element.

No, it's fine. Some plants will recover from Mg deficiency within a day
if you splash the leaves with this mixture. I've had Mg deficiency with
Raspberries, Kerria Japonica and Tomatoes. The parts of the Kerria
leaves that are very yellow don't come back but the rest goes dark
green.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/