Garden Q&A: Should I be feeding my plants regularly?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

If your plants are looking pale and tired or are not performing, chances are they're hungry, says Peter Dowdall. File picture

Question

Should I still be feeding my plants regularly, and if so, with what?

Answer

Mature trees and shrubs growing in open ground shouldn’t need any feeding, just keep enriching the soil with organic matter. However, you should still be feeding newer specimens and especially plants in pots and containers at this time of year. They're in full growth mode, using up nutrients fast.

I use the Irish-made Fast Grow as a reliable, all-purpose feed. It’s basically a mixture of chicken manure and seaweed in a pellet form and feeds slowly over time, so you don’t need to constantly reapply. 

Just scatter it around your plants and water it in. Whether you’re growing flowers, fruit, or veg, use it to give them a boost to stay healthy and productive through summer. 

If your plants are looking tired, pale, or just not performing, chances are they’re hungry. A feed now can make all the difference in how they grow and flower over the next few weeks.

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