Re: : Feeding Questions

Hi Nesa,

You may like to consider these kinds of things:

>  1. I use Fish Emulsion- how often and how much should I feed each plant?

Fish emulsion on average has NPK values of 6-1-1, i.e. it's
proportionally high in Nitrogen. N stimulates vegetative growth which
can easily result in overproduction of sappy leafy growth (an aphid's
dream meal ticket <s>). We're wanting to grow the fruit here so it's
potash (K) you're after to stimulate fruit set/growth. A dedicated
liquid organic tomato feed will deliver something like NPK 3-3-6 if
you prefer to use an "all-in-one-bottle" solution you can apply in
one go. We grow organic toms and especially chilles professionaly in
the UK and tend to put our eggs in several baskets, with our own
organic growing medium mix incorporating things like bone meal and
woodash for the long term slow release of NPK over the entire growing
season with supplementary feeding of a liquid feed
(seaweed/comfrey/liquid manure) selected "to taste" <s> as the
plants' performances seem to indicate they need.

In the main, only start feeding VERY lightly once trusses have begun
to set (with perhaps an incidental nuch of very dilute food as first
flowers show) and raise the stakes proportionally as set and fruit
growth really starts to kick in. (Obviously, should you spot signs of
a nutrient deficiency in your plant(s) you cast all of the above to
the wind and try to correct the ailment as and when it attracts your
notice, regardless of what phase of growth your plants are in.)

>  2. How soon after feeding should I water?if its too soon wont it wash away the nutrients?

Do NOT put undiluted feed on your plants: you'll fry their root
systems before your very eyes!! <g> Follow the instructions on the
bottle with regard to your chosen feed's dilution ratios and apply
either once a week in the maximum permitted concentration or
substantially diluted in almost every watering. I say "almost"
because your feeding regime has to be based on what you SEE wih your
own plants' specific behaviour. Above and beyond that, supplementary
feeding can make your growing medium gain in salts to a point where
their residues begin to harm the plants you're trying to "help". To
prevent this from occurring, it's good practice to "flush" your
plants out with just plain old water at regular intervals so such
build ups of salts can't take a damaging hold. This is particularly
important if you're using synthetic fertilisers of the agrichemical
variety, as their payloads in the main are much stronger than organic
feeds, as are their residues.

The solanum family has an interesting habit of assimilating food (&
water) best in the period immediately preceeding and following
sundown so it can prove useful to time your water/feed run to
coincide with those times -- besides that, it's one of the nicest
periods of the day so you have the benefit too! <g>

>  3. Do peppers need a similar regime or something different?

In a word: Yes. BUT <g>, their gowth forms and feeding habits are
considerably more modest when compared with the size a tomato vine
can be when it's bombing along in full spate, so don't just plaster
your tomato solution on to your peppers or you'll run the risk that
they're all as high as kites and out of their skulls on feed. <s>
Likewise, times to fruiting/harvest can vary hugely between
individual peppers, eg the Chile Tepin needs some 200-300 days to
mature @ one end of the scale, while your common or garden bell
pepper hybrid can require as little as 50-60 to do the same thing.
Obviously, you need to adjust your feeding regimes to fit the
lifespan and the life cycle of the plant or the slow guys will be
drowning in food they don't (yet) need and conversely, the speed
merchants will be left gasping for it.

Above all, WATCH YOUR PLANTS carefully and they'll tell you what they
need and when they need it. And they'll do this on an individual
basis too. Two of the same variety of identical sowing dates will not
develop necessarily in a peppery/tomato-y form of synchromised
swimming, so your observations of the individuals in your care hold
the key to success and brimming trugs @ harvest time... <s>

Hope this helps some of the way @ least but holler if you need more,
any time.

Kind regards,

*R*


Richard
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