Mandy’s explanations may help decide when and why to use the following products and tonics in the garden.
Seasol: is a seaweed concentrate. This is very good for watering in seedlings, or better still, soaking their roots briefly before planting. Seaweed contains a lot of phosphorus which is good for root development. This is the K in NPK which you see on fertiliser packets. Plus it stimulates beneficial micro-organisms in the soil.
Dynamic lifter/chicken manure: provides nitrogen for leafy growth in vegetables like spinach and broccoli.
When things are ready to flower or fruit ( eg broccoli starting to head up) that is the time to apply potassium in the form of POTASH or in soluble liquid form.
Magnesium: is something that seeds can be soaked in, as this helps the coat to rupture and the seedling to burst forth. Magnesium is found in Epsom Salts, which are inexpensive and very useful for soaking sore bits of your body since magnesium is a also a muscle relaxant.
Rock dust: is another good thing to apply in a vegetable garden now and then as it contains the lesser and trace elements required for plant health, like magnesium, boron, molybdenum etc. Australian soils are often depleted of most of these minerals and foods grown in such soils without management are therefore depleted of these minerals as well.
Worm Wee: is a tonic and good to add after you have planted new seedlings to help with transplant shock.
Comfrey: contains most plant requirements eg all of the above plus many B vitamins, calcium, selenium etc which is why comfrey ‘tea’ is excellent for plants.