Food Critique
Release date: May 22nd 2009

Nursery growing is a little bit like catering – running a restaurant for plants. We lay on beautiful surrounds, have attentive and skilled staff and deal out a bevy of nutritious delicacies – the full three courses to keep our clients happy. Though the clients may be vegetative they certainly have a good armoury of expressions to make their feelings clear should our service fall short of their high standards – wilting and going yellow to name but two. Like all customers they are of course right.

At Nicholsons we find that if you get the basics right you are generally going to get satisfied customers. We have our compost mixed to specific recipies - we use a mixture of peat (slowly being reduced as we look into suitable alternatives) clay granules, loam, bark, lime, wetting agents – to help retain water, and CRF – controlled release fertilizer. For most of our plants this is sufficient mix to get them rooted and put on growth in the spring summer – see them through the winter and let them start off the following spring – longer than that and the plants begin to fade. We have the ability to liquid feed through our irrigation system should we need – some crops may get a top dressing – feed applied by hand and occasionally we will spray on a foliar feed. We are more nouvelle cuisine than fast food – we give enough for what is needed we do not want size over quality.

But what about mortals in the roadside cafe of horticulture – the humble garden – do the punters get a look-in when the water biscuit of miracle grow is misted in their direction only to be snatched from them by a gust of fateful wind? Should we be throwing expensive fertilizers at our lawns, trees and hedges – or is mother nature more resilient than we give her credit for? Needless to say as in most things it is all about balance. If your plants are elbowing each other for room they will be in competition for food and water and yes they will need food. Plants in containers – yes, them too. Lawns - generally, yes. A chalky well drained site – yes. If you have a bit of an established shrubbery or the like then probably – no. A sparse garden on a rich loam – unlikely to need extra stimulus. The picture becomes clearer.

You need to be aware of your plants grimacing. Notice when your roses are yellowing - a helping of iron; your privet is lightening up with dark tips to the leaves - a serving of nitrogen; your apples meagre - a side order of sulphate of potash; struggling cabbages with green veins and yellow middles - Epsom salts for pudding.

As a general rule make sure you compost and mulch. Keep putting it on and let the worms keep busy. Green waste is rich in nutrients as is well rotted manure, leaf mould etc. This is cheap and will help improve the soil structure, it also has water retentive properties, 5cm lightly forked into the soil will do wonders.

We keep a good stock of general fertilisers at Nicholsons. They generally contain the three major nutrient that plants need - nitrogen, promoting leaf growth, phosphorous promoting roots and potassium for flowers and fruit, these are known by their chemical symbols, NPK. The amount of each in a product is written as a ratio eg Growmore is a balanced 7-7-7. Some deal with a targeted problem like magnesium deficiency in your cabbages – others such as Growmore are more general purpose.

When dealing with these concentrates please observe the rule of common sense, wear gloves and store them away from marauding animals and children, plants are not the only ones who may fancy a small snack.

As the maitre d’ you are beholden to ensure all your plants are perky well-fed punters, they will pay you back in kind and recommend you to all their friends – currently to be found dining at Nicholsons.

Merlin Brooke-Little