Why do we need to feed our plants?

A letter sent in from one of the readers ran thus:

I seem to spend my life scattering things around my garden (chicken pellets one year, blood fish and bone the next, together with the contents, as far as it will stretch, of the compost bin), while acquiring a shed full of bags of partly used fertilisers because, we are told, different plants need different fertilisers.  But what am I actually achieving?  Is it all a plot on the part of the marketing people? could you explain simply what we need to do - and what you do, for instance?

To which Helen replied:

Oh what a loaded question!  Answering this has the potential to upset just about everyone - from white-coated scientists and the makes of Day-Glo inorganic soluble feeds right through to serried ranks of organic allotmenters.

In theory, we shouldn't need to feed our plants.  After all, the natural world looks after itself.  

A garden, however, is an unnatural environment.  We cram a small patch of earth full of plants that in their natural habitat might have very differing needs, and expect super performance year after year: fabulous flowers from roses, huge leaves from hostas, endless flowering from annuals, a perfect lawn ...  

Plants crowded together suffer from drought, which encourages disease, weakening them further.  To make things worse, we clear up every bits of debris from our gardens that would otherwise go back into the soil, eventually to create vital humus without which plants can't grow.  So we need first and foremost to feed the soil, putting back as much moisture-retaining, humus-creating organic stuff as we can - invariably more than those of us with average-sized gardens can make in our compost bin.


Whatever we choose or don't choose to do, we should all feed our plants. Certain plants will perform better - and importantly show more disease resistance - given certain nutrients, each of which has a different 'function': flowering plants (and tomatoes) like extra potash, summer lawns benefit from nitrogen that encourages green leaves, while the roots of autumn grass are strengthened by phosphates etc. And lime-haters don't like animal manure.

It is a big subject if you want it to be.  I try to keep it simple.

I give my garden masses of manure-based organic matter each year (which I buy, to supplment my own compost), adding it to the soil when I plant, and mulching around individual plants in spring.  I make oak-leaf mould for lime-haters and woodlands.  

In addition I spread a general, balanced fertiliser on my flower borders once a year (for 'balanced' nutrients look at the NPK ratio on the packaging - beware, you won't find precise information on chicken manure pellets, which are nitrogen-rich).  

I also give high potash rose food to my flowering shrubs and I use seaweed-based liquid fertiliser as a pick-me-up (for ailing plants, that is, not me, silly).

From an article by Helen Yemm in the Telegraph Gardening section



Time Lapse: Watching Flowers Grow  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQYjZRuAay0).  Remember watching the beginning of 'Watch with Mother'? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE9dsOu3oE8)

Broccoli and tomatoes

Today's challenge
I have two heads of of broccoli and lots of tomatoes: so what to make - apart from the obvious salad?

Broccoli with Tomatoes and Basil looks interesting.  Although this recipe uses tinned tomatoes, I should imagine that fresh ones will make the dish taste even better (http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1074/broccoli-with-tomatoes-and-basil.aspx).

Broccoli with Tomatoes and Basil

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• half a bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 450g (16 oz) broccoli florets

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. 
2. Add garlic, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. 
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, vinegar and basil and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half.  
4. Place the broccoli on top of the tomatoes, and season with a little salt and pepper. 
5. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and still a vibrant green. 
6. Pour into a serving dish, and toss to blend with the sauce before serving.

Another idea is to roast them  (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/roasted-broccoli-with-cherry-tomatoes-recipe/index.html)

Roasted Broccoli with Cherry Tomatoes

2 bunches broccoli cut into florets

1 medium shallot, roughly chopped

1 pint (?!) cherry tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tbsp olive oil

grated parmesan

s&p

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. In bowl put broccoli, shallots, tomatoes, garlic and pepper flakes and the oil.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix.
4. Spread on a large baking sheet.
5. Roast until stems are tender and lightly golden brown (about 15 minutes).
6. Grate Parmesan on top and serve.

Or Sautee (http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/vegetables/r/broccoliandtomatoes.htm)

Sauteed broccoli with tomatoes, garlic and herbs

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

2 tomatoes, chopped into chunks

1 tbsp chopped basil

1 tbsp chopped flat parsley

s&p

Serves 4

1. Saute garlic gently in the oil for a minute.
2. Add broccoli florets and cook a further two minutes, stirring.
3. Add two tbsp water.
4. Cover pan and cook for two minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, cook one minute and then add the herbs and season to taste 

Or even bake, which needs more ingredients but can be made ahead of time (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-and-tomato-bake/). I don't have maple syrup so will try honey but use less than the recipe as honey's very sweet.

Broccoli and Tomato Bake

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, grated

1 small carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

s&p

3/4 lb broccoli, cut into florets, stalk sliced thinly

1lb tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp chopped green olives

2 tsp maple syrup

2 oz crumbled goats cheese

1 oz Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven  to 190C
• Gently saute garlic and onion in the olive oil.
• Stir in carrots and celery, season and cook another five minutes.
• Steam broccoli, 'til partly cooked and place in 8" x 8" baking dish.
• Pour tomatoes and green olives into the onion and carrot mixture.
• Cook about five minutes until sauce thickens.
• Mix in maple syrup, season and cook a further three minutes.
• Pour sauce over broccoli.
• Distribute chunks of goats cheese and Parmesan on top.
• Bake until cheese begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

Or make into an omelette, with lots of cheese ....

Water is one of the most vital ingredients in our gardens.  

Few of us are lucky enough to have natural water or man-made pond large enough so that they do not need intervention (400 square metres and 1.5 metres deep in parts).  Anything smaller and there will be a need to tinker with it to keep it sweet.

Blanket weed's quite a nuisance, probably caused by too much nitrate or phosphate which trigger blanket weed to grow at a phenomenal rate.


Rainwater is also a big culprit, as it tends to be full of nutrients, and we have had several deluges over recent months.

Hay nets of barley straw which works in about 60% of cases, but it's difficult to source these days.  Why is does not always work is a bit of a puzzle to the freshwater biologists.  It does take a good month or two, though, and you must remove it before it starts to disintegrate, otherwise it increases the nitrogen levels and causes even more algae.

One idea is to add barley straw extract instead (from agagroup.co.uk), which is quicker and easier to manage, but if it doesn't work then it's suggeted that we try Aqua Activ Algo Universal (oase-livingwater.com) from Oase, which has a helpline for pool-related queries (01264 333225).  This control does not alst as long as the more natural method.

The fail-safe but expensive, method is to use a sonic machine that zaps the weed continually but it costs around £800 for an area of water around 150 square metres.

Another common pest problem is invasive vegetation (reeds etc) which can cover the entire pool.  To combat this, either use glyphosate carefully to spray the vegetation (it is not harmful to fish if used correctly) or you can cover the base before they emerge (or cut down first) with a needle punch root barrier (£2.35 per square metre from Aga group, as before).  You will need to weigh it down initially with rocks or silt.

The best way to avoid the pea soup situation is plants, plants and more plants.  Ash Girdler, a pond expert for the Aga group, recommends covering two thirds of the surface area with floating leaved plants such as water lilies, water soldier (Stratiotes aloides) and frogbit (hydrocharis).  Another three-quarters of the sides, at least, should be planted with emergent and marginal plants such as irises, flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) and water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides).

It'a a good idea to add some  bunches of submergents such as spiked water milboil (Myriophyllum spicatum), not to be confused with the highly invasive parrot's feather (M. aquaticum).  Fish, especially carp, will gobble these up, though, so you may need to cage the plants.

Lilies are best contained in baskets so that some water can be seen.  These vigorous lilies start pushing their leaves way up out of the water when they become congested and every few years the need to be hauled out, split and replanted in the garden.

Some gardeners think their pool base should look like the bottom of a clean bath.  This would be quite horrible for wildlife.  What they really want in the base is about 150mm or more of good, healthy hydrasoil (mud!), which if it has been left untouched, will be there anyway.  

If not sure, take out a scoop and smell it.  If it stinks of rotten eggs or methane, then maybe there is some anaerobic or partial decomposition.  In this case add some Aquabio (calcium sulphate, from Agagroup).  This should either be applied in early June or late summer; it will slowly sweeten the pond.


Planting marginal plants directly into the soil, which covers the whole pool/pond base, gives a better balance.  Small quantities of basketed plants can look rather wimpy.  Topsoil is too rich and makes everything turn green and clay subsoil and fish are a bad combination, as the clay fines cloud the water when the fish move. A poor, sandy subsoil is best.

A good way to hide the liner is to add pre-0vegetated coir rolls.  These are sausage-shaped 3m-long rolls, 200mm in diameter.  They bend and can be fixed either just below water level, or partially above it and they will sprout wonderful, lush, emergent plants (ornamental and native mixes, from the Aga group).

If starting a new pool or pond, the choice of liner is very important.  Butyl has been superseded; EPDM rubber is far better. It's not degraded by UV light and has a 25 year guarantee.  Make sure it's 1mm thick and put a blanket underlay (NP300) below and usually above the liner too.  If labradors, children and deer are going to stray in, it protects the liner.



From an article by Bunny Guiness (The Telegraph Life Gardening pages, 9 June 2013)

Summer Berry Cake

Prep time 50mins

Bake time 35mins

175g Caster Sugar

6 Eggs

zest 1 large Orange

175g Self Raising Flour

For filling and topping

300g pots of Greek Yoghurt

200g Greek Style Natural Yoghurt with Honey

Vanilla Pod

2 tablespoons of Icing Sugar

Raspberry jam

570g mixed Summer Berries

1. Preheat oven to 180C.  
2. Warm the sugar in a heatproof dish in oven for 10 mins whilst the oven is heating up.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large bowel with boiling water, then tip out the water and dry the bowel.  
4. Break the eggs into the bowel and add the orange zest and sugar.
5. Whisk at high speed until thick and creamy (about 8 mins).
6. Fold in the flour.
7. Put mixture into 25cm cake tin and bake on middle shelf for 35mins.
8. For the filling: Mix together yoghurts, icing sugar and all seeds from the vanilla pod.  
9. When cool, cut the cake in half horizontally and stick back together with jam and half of yoghurt mixture. 
10. Put remaining yoghurt mixture onto the cake and top with summer fruits.

Sweet things

Summer fruits don’t need fancy treatment.  They’re lovely in syrups flavoured with basil, lavender, star anise, ginger or lemon thyme.  Fit the flavouring to the fruit – basil is great with berries, lavender with stone fruits.

Method: 

• Bring 600ml  white wine 225g granulated sugar, the juice of half a lemon, two strips lemon rind and the chosen flavouring to the boil.  
• Cook until you have 250-300 ml liquid left then chill and strain.

From Saga Magazine, July 2013

My Pear and Gingerbread Pudding
Serves 10 - 12

Melt 130g margarine and 110g demerara sugar.
Pour into a large dish.
Add 425g drained tin of pears (reserve juice).

In bowl put:
200g plain flour
4 heaped tsp ginger
4 heaped tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 level tsp bicarb

1. In pan melt 100g margarine and 150g black treacle.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add 300ml milk (or mixture of milk and pear juice) and 2 eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix.
5. Pour over the pears.
6. Cook at 180C for 40 minutes.
7. It will rise substantially, then subside when cooling.

Pear and Gingerbread upside down Pudding*
Serves 6

• Base
• 1 tablespoon dark muscovado sugar
• 450 g (1 lb) firm pears, such as Conference, peeled, cored and sliced

• For the batter
• 125 g (4½ oz) plain white flour
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) skimmed milk
• 125 g (4½ oz) dark muscovado sugar
• 3 tablespoons black treacle
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Brush a 22 cm (8½ in) round cake tin with oil. Line the base with baking paper and sprinkle it with sugar. Arrange the pears in the base in a wagon wheel pattern.
2. To make the batter, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger. Heat the milk, sugar and treacle together, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Beat together the egg and oil, then stir them and the milk mixture into the flour, beating well to give a smooth texture.
3. Tip the mixture over the pears and bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.
4. Run a knife around the edge of the pudding and turn it out onto a plate. Serve hot, with custard or yoghurt.

* From: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/3825/pear-and-ginger-upside-down-pudding.aspx


See also Pears in Red Wine: http://edvisgardening.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/many-moons-ago-i-worked-for-radio-devon.html

There was some pineapple which needed eating up and no-one seemed very interested so today I made a smoothie:

Pineapple Smoothie

1/4 Pineapple
1 Banana
100g Pineapple and Coconut Yoghurt
4 Ice Cubes

Whizz together and enjoy, serves 2.

Option: could use natural yoghurt or perhaps orange or apple juice instead, or even soya milk.

Other recipes use flavour such as vanilla (anything with vanilla is wonderful!)

Here are a few recipes for smoothies from the BBC Good Food site: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=smoothie

and also: http://perfectsmoothie.com/how-to-make-a-smoothie