You are hereForums / General Gardening / Vegetables / feeding ?

feeding ?


By ladbrokes - Posted on 16 March 2012

I have some purple sprouting that is just starting to form heads. Would they benefit from a feed as they been in the ground for a long time.

 How much did you feed the soil last spring?

If you can still see some bits of compost/manure on top, and if plants still have plenty of dark green leaves, there should be no need to feed as there are nutrients in the soil, previously locked up by low temperatures, which now become available to any roots which have growing potential at current temperatures eg purple sprouting, spring cabbage, spinach, peas, broad beans, spring onions.

If you spread compost around the plants, that is of most benefit to the following vegetable as its goodness takes time to become available. A good idea in fact to have soil in best condition for whatever you are sowing and planting afterwards.

18 months ago it got 4" of rotten horse manure followed by recycled compost. the levels have dropped quite a bit. ive spread some spent multi purpose compost around the roots.the plants are very healthy with masses of green leaves