Is fertiliser and liquid food the same and do vegetables plants need both? Thank you

Hi Joe, fertilisers all do the same job - feeding plants to help them grow and replenish the soil replacing nutrients that have been removed by plants.

Granular fertilisers, such as Tui Vegetable Food, are applied to the soil and can be dug into the soil before planting or side dressed around established plants. Granular fertilisers take up to a week to start breaking down and working with the soil microbes to release nutrients to plants and feed for up to 8 weeks. There are other types of fertilisers such as slow release or compound fertilisers which release nutrients to plants over a period of time, usually up to 12-14 weeks. Controlled release fertiliser prills feed for up to 6 months.

Liquid fertilisers are fast acting, usually in a concentrate that is mixed and diluted with water and applied around the drip line or the soil around plants. Liquid fertilisers are more water soluble and fast acting and a great way to feed plants in summer that may need a boost. Liquid fertilisers can be used as a supplementary or additional fertiliser throughout the growing season, plants can be fed with a liquid fertiliser every 2-4 weeks in spring, summer and autumn.

The choice of fertiliser is usually a matter of convenience, budget and the types of plants being grown.