I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products, would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with organic compost from the "heap".

I felt true organic gardening was letting nature take its course and adding nothing. Whilst growing green manures and those plants that will encourage good garden helpers and discourage pests.

Any thoughts?

S

scoops wrote:
I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.
I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".
I felt true organic gardening was letting nature take its course and
adding nothing. Whilst growing green manures and those plants that
will encourage good garden helpers and discourage pests.

Any thoughts?

Lots )

It's absolutely ok to use bone meal, lime from limestone etc. If you
are really rock and roll, you could make your own organic fertiliser,
see the link below. I use chicken manure pellets, manure, lime before
planting my legumes, blood and bone (vitax mix) etc. Green manures are
great for replacing and keeping nutrients in the soil in winter.
Companion planting is a great way to not only attract beneficial
insects but bring colours and diversity to your plot. It's up to you
what you use, but first observe the garden for a full year, to see what
you have, what you don't want, what to keep, which get best results,
try to understand how your garden is growing. That is the best way to
then help the garden along in an organic way.

http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/fertmake.htm

"scoops" wrote via GB not direct to this Newsgroup...

I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".

I felt true organic gardening was letting nature take its course and
adding nothing. Whilst growing green manures and those plants that
will encourage good garden helpers and discourage pests.

It depends how "Organic" you wish to go, it does not seem to be an exact
science from what I have read.
Bone Meal from an Organic source would be OK as should any product made from
crushed rock but I've only ever used Lime to adjust a very low pH and for
fertilizer just well rotted horse manure and compost so why do you feel the
need to use Potash, is your soil deficient?
You can get your soil tested for deficiencies if you are an RHS member.
Oh, and we are not Organic as such, I won't lose a whole crop if there is a
spray to cure the problem.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"scoops" wrote in message
...

I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".

One hears stories about planting roses etc over dead pets, because they then
act as a fertiliser for the plant. I've always assumed that blood and bome
meal WAS organic :~)
Jenny



I felt true organic gardening was letting nature take its course and
adding nothing. Whilst growing green manures and those plants that
will encourage good garden helpers and discourage pests.

Any thoughts?

S




--
scoops

Bob Hobden wrote:
You can get your soil tested for deficiencies if you are an RHS member.
Oh, and we are not Organic as such, I won't lose a whole crop if there is a
spray to cure the problem.

tst tst ;o) Soil testing now is a good idea to plan for next year's
planting too.

JennyC wrote:
One hears stories about planting roses etc over dead pets, because they then
act as a fertiliser for the plant. I've always assumed that blood and bome
meal WAS organic :~)

We're convinced here that we've got the bestest roses because they're
growing above 3 hamsters and a magpie (a baby Jo rescued).

"JennyC" wrote
I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".

One hears stories about planting roses etc over dead pets, because they
then act as a fertiliser for the plant. I've always assumed that blood and
bome meal WAS organic :~)

It may be organic, like a lot of chemicals, but it's only Organic if it
comes from an Organically reared animal.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

[quote=La Puce]scoops wrote:[color=blue][i]

It's absolutely ok to use bone meal, lime from limestone etc. If you
are really rock and roll, you could make your own organic fertiliser,
see the link below. I use chicken manure pellets, manure, lime before
planting my legumes, blood and bone (vitax mix) etc. Green manures are
great for replacing and keeping nutrients in the soil in winter.
Companion planting is a great way to not only attract beneficial
insects but bring colours and diversity to your plot. It's up to you
what you use, but first observe the garden for a full year, to see what
you have, what you don't want, what to keep, which get best results,
try to understand how your garden is growing. That is the best way to
then help the garden along in an organic way.

Thanks for the advice, I have watched the garden for a year or so, so am happy I know whats in there!! Maybe it would be well worth growing my plants without any extra nurients this time round and see how the results go. I can alway add product if they are showing signs of deficiency, then I can adjust next year.

S

Umm, dismissed having my soil tested and just did the usual ph test (got 6 - 6.5), but am now feeling I was probably a little hasty and should have done the full hit! At least you know what sort of canvas you are starting out with. Think I should get a soil test done, then I will only be adding extra nutrients if really necessary and not just because the gardening books say so.

Thanks for the advice

S

On Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:19:20 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"JennyC" wrote
I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".

One hears stories about planting roses etc over dead pets, because they
then act as a fertiliser for the plant. I've always assumed that blood and
bome meal WAS organic :~)

It may be organic, like a lot of chemicals, but it's only Organic if it
comes from an Organically reared animal.

It's all chemicals !! ,,,

and fleas upon their backs to bite 'em.
or
It's turtles all the way down
(eg. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down)

Enjoy ! :-^)

scoops wrote:
Thanks for the advice, I have watched the garden for a year or so, so
am happy I know whats in there!! Maybe it would be well worth growing
my plants without any extra nurients this time round and see how the
results go. I can alway add product if they are showing signs of
deficiency, then I can adjust next year.

You are absolutely right. I have been a bit mad with the chicken manure
and ended up last year with too much foliage. Observing nature and
going with it instead of against bring the bestest results and the
sense of achievement is overwhelming )

scoops wrote:
I am making my preparations for starting organic fruit & veg gardening
this coming year.

I have noticed many instructions advising the use of Bone Meal and
Potash etc. Whilst I know you can purchase such organic products,
would you recommend using them in a true organic situation, or just let
the plants use the natural nutrients found in the garden, together with
organic compost from the "heap".

I felt true organic gardening was letting nature take its course and
adding nothing. Whilst growing green manures and those plants that
will encourage good garden helpers and discourage pests.

Adding nothing isn't organic, it's desertification! If we keep taking
crops and putting nothing back, we exhaust the soil. What you can't add
if you want to practise organic gardening is factory-produced chemical
fertilisers etc. (That's an oversimplification, but gives the general
idea.) You might like the following informative website:
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/orga...ning/index.php

--
Mike.