About six weeks ago, a gardener friend of mine gave me 2 tomato seedlings.
The next day, i got called upon at work to go abroad for a time, so i
never had the time to pot them on.
When i returned i repotted the plants into bigger pots and watered them.
While they never died, they aren't exactly flourishing either, so i
thought it best to take a look at what was happening, and lifted them.
I saw that the roots were in a ball - all growing anywhere but the right
place.
How i remedied this was to wash all the soil away from the rootball and
THEN repot them again.
Was this the right course of action, or will i now lose them?
Its early days i know, as i just did this about an hour ago, but any advice
would be gratefully recieved.
One other thing is i have never fed these, as i dont like using chemicals
on stuff. Is there any organic feed i8 could buy?


--

The message
from "Teleman" contains these words:

About six weeks ago, a gardener friend of mine gave me 2 tomato seedlings.
The next day, i got called upon at work to go abroad for a time, so i
never had the time to pot them on.
When i returned i repotted the plants into bigger pots and watered them.
While they never died, they aren't exactly flourishing either, so i
thought it best to take a look at what was happening, and lifted them.
I saw that the roots were in a ball - all growing anywhere but the right
place.
How i remedied this was to wash all the soil away from the rootball and
THEN repot them again.
Was this the right course of action, or will i now lose them?
Its early days i know, as i just did this about an hour ago, but any advice
would be gratefully recieved.

They should be OK as long as you've got plenty of contact between root
filaments and soil.

One other thing is i have never fed these, as i dont like using chemicals
on stuff. Is there any organic feed i8 could buy?

Make it. Get a bucket and keep feeding nettles into it until it's
packed, then top it up with water. Leave it in a sunny spot and in a
week or so you should have some highly smelly liquid which tomatoes
love. Dilute it to a straw colour - it's much too strong when it's neat.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Teleman" contains these words:

About six weeks ago, a gardener friend of mine gave me 2 tomato
seedlings.
The next day, i got called upon at work to go abroad for a time, so i
never had the time to pot them on.
When i returned i repotted the plants into bigger pots and watered them.
While they never died, they aren't exactly flourishing either, so i
thought it best to take a look at what was happening, and lifted them.
I saw that the roots were in a ball - all growing anywhere but the right
place.
How i remedied this was to wash all the soil away from the rootball and
THEN repot them again.
Was this the right course of action, or will i now lose them?
Its early days i know, as i just did this about an hour ago, but any
advice
would be gratefully recieved.

They should be OK as long as you've got plenty of contact between root
filaments and soil.

One other thing is i have never fed these, as i dont like using chemicals
on stuff. Is there any organic feed i8 could buy?

Make it. Get a bucket and keep feeding nettles into it until it's
packed, then top it up with water. Leave it in a sunny spot and in a
week or so you should have some highly smelly liquid which tomatoes
love. Dilute it to a straw colour - it's much too strong when it's neat.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Thanks for that - just thinking where to get nettles

On Sat, 9 Jul 2005 15:28:30 +0100, "Teleman"
wrote:

About six weeks ago, a gardener friend of mine gave me 2 tomato seedlings.
The next day, i got called upon at work to go abroad for a time, so i
never had the time to pot them on.
When i returned i repotted the plants into bigger pots and watered them.
While they never died, they aren't exactly flourishing either, so i
thought it best to take a look at what was happening, and lifted them.
I saw that the roots were in a ball - all growing anywhere but the right
place.
How i remedied this was to wash all the soil away from the rootball and
THEN repot them again.
Was this the right course of action, or will i now lose them?
Its early days i know, as i just did this about an hour ago, but any advice
would be gratefully recieved.
One other thing is i have never fed these, as i dont like using chemicals
on stuff. Is there any organic feed i8 could buy?

A good organic feed is seaweed solution which you can buy. You can
water the roots and also spray the foliage to give them a boost. It's
a bit less smelly than nettle solution. I think you've done the best
you can.

Pam in Bristol

Thanks for that - just thinking where to get nettles

I got plenty in my garden..

mike

What? No nettles in a garden? thought everyone grew them, worth their weight
in gold to wildlife.
seriously tho. try any overgrown area.
Or you could try comfry but slightly higher in nitrogen I believe.
regards
Gordon

"Teleman" wrote in message
...

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Teleman" contains these words:

About six weeks ago, a gardener friend of mine gave me 2 tomato
seedlings.
The next day, i got called upon at work to go abroad for a time, so i
never had the time to pot them on.
When i returned i repotted the plants into bigger pots and watered them.
While they never died, they aren't exactly flourishing either, so i
thought it best to take a look at what was happening, and lifted them.
I saw that the roots were in a ball - all growing anywhere but the right
place.
How i remedied this was to wash all the soil away from the rootball and
THEN repot them again.
Was this the right course of action, or will i now lose them?
Its early days i know, as i just did this about an hour ago, but any
advice
would be gratefully recieved.

They should be OK as long as you've got plenty of contact between root
filaments and soil.

One other thing is i have never fed these, as i dont like using
chemicals
on stuff. Is there any organic feed i8 could buy?

Make it. Get a bucket and keep feeding nettles into it until it's
packed, then top it up with water. Leave it in a sunny spot and in a
week or so you should have some highly smelly liquid which tomatoes
love. Dilute it to a straw colour - it's much too strong when it's neat.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Thanks for that - just thinking where to get nettles

I think it's only fair to warn you just how stinking nettle manure really is. Yes, it's free and all natural and great for plants and generally a marvellous idea, which is why enthusiastically made some in spring. Light-hearted 'oh it smells a bit farmyardy' comments aside...

Never again.

It's not just that it smells...but that it smells so bad it will make you gag, a stench I would describe as being like a mix of the worst decay-ridden bad breath you've ever had the misfortune to come across and fully rotten cow manure. It hits you right in the gut, I nearly choked on it several times and I am by no means a delicate flower. Not only that, but the smell doesn't fade away for quite a while and will contaminate almost everything it touches. I wish someone had told me this, even though I probably would have ignored it. My advice - wear a clothes peg at all times, wear machine washable clothes when applying and apologise to any close neighbours who will wonder what you've killed and hidden in your garden.

Bob

The message
from undergroundbob contains
these words:


I think it's only fair to warn you just how stinking nettle manure
really is. (snip) I wish someone had told me
this, even though I probably would have ignored it.

Quite. It has been mentioned here, but maybe only a dozen
times....you can take a horse to water, etc...


Janet

I think it's only fair to warn you just how stinking nettle manure
really is. (snip) I wish someone had told me
this, even though I probably would have ignored it.

Quite. It has been mentioned here, but maybe only a dozen
times....you can take a horse to water, etc...


Janet

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit and I didn't think Barrowcloth would sink
so low, however . . . .

The message
from "Mike" contains these words:

I think it's only fair to warn you just how stinking nettle manure
really is. (snip) I wish someone had told me
this, even though I probably would have ignored it.

Quite. It has been mentioned here, but maybe only a dozen
times....you can take a horse to water, etc...


Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit and I didn't think Barrowcloth would sink
so low, however . . . .

I see you're on your sweetness and light kick again, Mike.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 10/7/05 20:27, in article ,
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote:

snip

I see you're on your sweetness and light kick again, Mike.

And desperate for attention, as this flurry of posts from him shows. But
then, he always is - this is an ego that does not thrive on neglect - note
the cyber jumping up and down and yelling for attention - *anyone's*
attention, the cross posting of threads about Andy Mabbett to try and grab
our interest etc. I suggest starvation to be the only cure, at least for
the sake of this group....... ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

Janet Baraclough wrote:
:: The message
:: from undergroundbob contains
:: these words:
::
::
::: I think it's only fair to warn you just how stinking nettle manure
::: really is. (snip) I wish someone had told me
::: this, even though I probably would have ignored it.
::
:: Quite. It has been mentioned here, but maybe only a dozen
:: times....you can take a horse to water, etc...

but a pencil must be led?

--
If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs.

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Jul 2005 15:28:30 +0100, "Teleman"
wrote:

A good organic feed is seaweed solution which you can buy. You can
water the roots and also spray the foliage to give them a boost. It's
a bit less smelly than nettle solution. I think you've done the best
you can.

Pam in Bristol

Hey - you may be onto something there !!!!!
I live by the sea and could get seeweed galore

Thanks

The message
from "Teleman" contains these words:


"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Jul 2005 15:28:30 +0100, "Teleman"
wrote:

A good organic feed is seaweed solution which you can buy. You can
water the roots and also spray the foliage to give them a boost. It's
a bit less smelly than nettle solution. I think you've done the best
you can.

Pam in Bristol

Hey - you may be onto something there !!!!!
I live by the sea and could get seeweed galore

Just pile it on the soil as a dense mulch, no need to rinse or dig it
in. It's a great fertiliser and soil conditioner.

Janet.

The message
from "Teleman" contains these words:

Hey - you may be onto something there !!!!!
I live by the sea and could get seeweed galore

Ah. If you add seaweed to your compost, and can get hold of
horse/cow/pig muck to add, you will have (more or less) what crofters
use to keep their crofts in good condition. It used to be the springtime
job to pull the old thatch from the crofthouse roof and layer it with
seaweed and the deep litter from the byre (the whole winter's worth) to
make the compost for spreading in the following spring.

However, I don't know whether the nettle method would work well with
seaweed - you'll just have to try it. Beware! it might be a bit saline.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/