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Feeding the seedlings

• Message 1. 

  Posted by irina (U14736442) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012

  Do you feed the seedlings? I never did, just watered them but someone said to me the other day that they add some plant food to the water. Unfortunately, I didn't ask what type of food it was. I am not sure if you can use 'normal' plant food in case it is too strong. What would be your advise?

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• Message 2

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  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012

  Any seedlings?
  
  I don't- there is enough food in ordinary compost for seedlings, they are perfectly happy until they are pricked out into fresh compost, in my opinion.

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  Posted by AlinaW (U2220240) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012

  Use half strength plant food after three or four weeks - there should be enough plant food in the compost until then. A balanced fertilizer is best initially.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012

  I agree with Geoff and Alina but I don't know if it is my imagination and that is; I get the feeling that the manufacturers might be reducing the fertiliser content slightly to cut costs.
  
  Another thing that has crossed my mind is the 'nitrogen' content of composts!
  
  Now that the manufacturers are putting in various bulking materials into the composts to reduce the peat content, I ask myself;
  
  Is this partially rotted material which in order to decompose further; is taking up most of the nitrogen content that would otherwise have been used by the seedlings?
  
  I noticed last year that my seedlings were slow at putting on growth as are this years seedlings????
  
  My plants are quite healthy and not dying off but they are just not developing.????
  
  This morning I have made up a liquid 'nitrogen and fed everything so fingers crossed this might get my plants moving!
  
  Anyone else any thoughts on this ?....Tg

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Goldilocks (U2169760) on Tuesday, 10th April 2012

  As TheDogCody says, seedlings do not need any additional nourishment until pricked out, and even then there is enough fertilizer in multipurpose compost to sustain them without adding anything else. The general rule is that these composts will only be depleted after 6 - 8 weeks of watering, by which time the plants will have been potted on or planted out anyway.
  
  There is a danger that by adding extra you will will do harm to delicate seedlings. Proprietory seed compost has very little fertilizer for this very reason.

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