Liquid fertilizer for the rain barrel

[Doelman]

As the title states, I'm looking to add a fertilizer to my rain barrel. A lot of my plants are looking a little pale, so I'm thinking they need some nitrogen, I guess I didn't add enough compost to the beds this year. Any suggestions? Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans, corn, squashes are all watered with this barrel.

Is there any other suggested methods to get existing plants fertilized?

 

[Chuck]

Liquid fertilizers are weak. You must keep fertilizing on a regular basis. Unless you are a hydroponic gardener you should switch to a granular product. It takes much more liquid product vs than granular in a soil growing condition.

 

[Tech]

I'd agree with chuck, a granular slow released fertilizer is gonna be more effective in the long run. If you still want to do the barrel thing. You can add a bag of well aged manure to it, whilst keeping it in the bag. Check and consider health risks before doing it.

Something comparable to this, or search "compost manure tea"

 

[headfullofbees]

Strained mix of 2 parts comfrey tea/2 parts compost tea/1 part seaweed extract @ 10% of your barrel capacity.
So 4x4x2 per 100

 

[headfullofbees]

Liquid fertilizers are weak. You must keep fertilizing on a regular basis. Unless you are a hydroponic gardener you should switch to a granular product. It takes much more liquid product vs than granular in a soil growing condition.

If the feed is made up in the water, they'll be fed at every watering.

 

[Doelman]

I've used granular fertilizer in the past, I would like to move to something a little more natural. I haven't used liquid fertilizers due to application frequency, but as headfullofbees said, they'll be fed at every watering using the rain barrel.

So compost "tea" is the best method for this? I can throw a bag of black kow in there and instant fertilizer? lol

 

[Chuck]

I use compost tea @1 quart per plant every 7-10 days. I use an organic pelleted form of chicken based manure @1/2 cup every 2 weeks per plant of transplants. On row crops I just broadcast the pellets. I water with drip irrigation on everything except row crops and I water them with a hose by hand.

 

[headfullofbees]

I use organic pelleted chicken manure and think it's excellent, but a little too strong in nitrogen for the fruiting stages of most of Doelman's crops, but the mix I suggest, whilst high in potash and trace elements from the seaweed extract and comfrey tea, will provide a lower level of nitrogen, from the comfrey tea, which will be plenty for all bar the sweetcorn, beneficial fungi and bacteria from the compost tea to aid nutrient availability.

 

[Chuck]

I use organic pelleted chicken manure and think it's excellent, but a little too strong in nitrogen for the fruiting stages of most of Doelman's crops, but the mix I suggest, whilst high in potash and trace elements from the seaweed extract and comfrey tea, will provide a lower level of nitrogen, from the comfrey tea, which will be plenty for all bar the sweetcorn, beneficial fungi and bacteria from the compost tea to aid nutrient availability.

What are the NPK numbers on your pelleted chicken manure. Mine is 3-2-3

 

[Tech]

I've used granular fertilizer in the past, I would like to move to something a little more natural.

a plant can't notice the difference between N from manure or from a synthetic form. In both cases the the micro organisms produce the the available nitrogen. Synthetic fertilizers supply absolutely no nitrogen that's readily available, the micro organisms transform elements into a readily available source of food. This happens in either organic or not, whilst both forms supplying different up takes of N.

 

[headfullofbees]

What are the NPK numbers on your pelleted chicken manure. Mine is 3-2-3

4-3-2.
Remember Chuck, numbers are not everything, availability is more important.
Chicken manure nitrogen seems to have two separate uptake components, as far as many plants are concerned, an initial fast phase, then a slow release.
That, and the calcium in chicken manure, are the reasons I use it only very early in the vegetative phase.
I spread it two/three weeks prior to planting out tomatoes and other fruiting plants