Slow down on the feed.

[Mick C]

what food is it that you are supposed to use about now to start toughening up cell walls?

High potash fert like tomato feed I believe.

[fieldfest]

I was thinking only tonight on the way home, " i really havn't ferted any of my garden for months, and perhaps I should tonight" feel kind of bad for neglecting it on this aspect, last time I put some miracle grow, chicken poo down etc was start of June!



Worth ferting the banana's still, etc or too late now to bother?

Feed nanas as long as they are still pushing out leaves.

not sure about that, soft growth will get easily mushed by frost, might be best to stop by end of sept so it has 6 weeks or so to toughen up before frosts- or am I wrong

also I haven't fed any palms this year, just nanas and stuff in pots

[Yorkshire Kris]

I was thinking only tonight on the way home, " i really havn't ferted any of my garden for months, and perhaps I should tonight" feel kind of bad for neglecting it on this aspect, last time I put some miracle grow, chicken poo down etc was start of June!



Worth ferting the banana's still, etc or too late now to bother?

Feed nanas as long as they are still pushing out leaves.

not sure about that, soft growth will get easily mushed by frost, might be best to stop by end of sept so it has 6 weeks or so to toughen up before frosts- or am I wrong

also I haven't fed any palms this year, just nanas and stuff in pots

Nanas are usually brought in for winter or made to go dormant before it gets too cold. I guess basjoo is the exception.

[Mr List]

what food is it that you are supposed to use about now to start toughening up cell walls?

High potash fert like tomato feed I believe.

I was looking at those feeds and most still have quite a bit of nitrogen in them.

[Mick C]

what food is it that you are supposed to use about now to start toughening up cell walls?

High potash fert like tomato feed I believe.

I was looking at those feeds and most still have quite a bit of nitrogen in them.

I hadn't really thought about that, you're a step ahead of me. I've just used tomato feed in previous years without considering that I was also giving them nitrogen.

I don't know of another good source of potash, except maybe wood ashes.

I'm sure someone will though .......

[Dave Brown]

Unless you know what you are doing, just stop feeding plants that are to stay out for winter. Plants like bananas get fed here until the frosts, and it doesn't matter what you do, you won't get banana leaves through the winter unless kept frost free.

Tinkering with individual elements is likely to cause problems. For instance too much potassium (K) manifests itself as a Magnesium deficiency which reduces plant health, and therefore hardiness, and visa versa too much Epsom salts (Magnesium) manifests itself as a potassium deficiency.

Light levels are falling rapidly now so don't 'force plants' with feed.

[fieldfest]

you won't get banana leaves through the winter unless kept frost free.

i was thinking more that the pseudostem would be softer and more likely to flop, not a problem if like yours you let it mush over winter. warmer places (aka my back garden) the stem can survive unprotected in a 'normal' winter

[miketropic]

you guys are such quitters..fert rehab for the lot of you its still all out hot here and the night temps are creing back up to good levels..Everything is still pushing very nice leaves so I'll keep hitting them till mid sept. it all has to b dug up this year anyways

[Dim]

I like using bat guano .... there are different ones (some high in N and some high in P & K) .... I also never used any tomato feed on my toms .... I used the bat guano and some of my plants are nearly 7 foot tall with loads of tomatoes

[fieldfest]

I like using bat guano .... there are different ones (some high in N and some high in P & K) .... I also never used any tomato feed on my toms .... I used the bat guano and some of my plants are nearly 7 foot tall with loads of tomatoes

[Dim]

I like using bat guano .... there are different ones (some high in N and some high in P & K) .... I also never used any tomato feed on my toms .... I used the bat guano and some of my plants are nearly 7 foot tall with loads of tomatoes

.... I have not seen that Ace Ventura film yet

[Mick C]

Unless you know what you are doing, just stop feeding plants that are to stay out for winter. Plants like bananas get fed here until the frosts, and it doesn't matter what you do, you won't get banana leaves through the winter unless kept frost free.

Tinkering with individual elements is likely to cause problems. For instance too much potassium (K) manifests itself as a Magnesium deficiency which reduces plant health, and therefore hardiness, and visa versa too much Epsom salts (Magnesium) manifests itself as a potassium deficiency.

Light levels are falling rapidly now so don't 'force plants' with feed.

I'm sure you're right Dave, selective feeding seems to be a bit of a minefield. I don't think that a can of tomato food can do much harm though, even if it doesn't do that much good either.

[sanatic1234]

I have already stopped. I ran out of chicken pellets and miracle early last week and not going to bother buying anymore this year so late on in the season might as well wait till next year now.

[Dave Brown]

I have already stopped. I ran out of chicken pellets and miracle early last week and not going to bother buying anymore this year so late on in the season might as well wait till next year now.

Aaron. look around over the next couple of months. You may get bargains as corporate chains sell off unsold stock

[PaulPlants]

Other than my pots, I have finished feeding already. I like to use fish, blood & bone + chicken manure across my borders (a month or so apart). Other than those I water with miracle grow a few times throughout the summer, however most of this goes on the pots and just whats left on the borders.

I also mulch heavily in one area each year. My Grandad told my to pile my compost deep in a small area rather than spread it over the whole garden... his advise has done me well, and he still has a veg plot that would make most people jealous.

My most valuable piece of advise would be to water the garden, not obsessively, but often and plenty. I have found that as long as plants are planted in the correct soil, from my Gunnera and my Opuntia (and everything in-between) benefit from the water.