Top News

May marks the final month of the spring season and with summer just around the corner, now is the time when gardens truly start to come into their own.

The warmer months are when gardens are bursting with life and vibrent colours, with flowers coming into full bloom around this time of the year. And with temperatures hotting up, the more favourable weather means you finally get to make the most of your outdoor space, but the warm conditions means watering your garden regularly is essential. As well as borders and potted plants, hanging baskets also need some love and attention to thrive, and according to gardening experts, flowers will reap the benefits if you give them an extra boost of nutrients by watering with tomato feed every fortnight.

Tomato feed isn't limited to use on tomato plants alone as the liquid fertiliser can be used to water flowers too, helping to promote healthier and more colourful blooms.

The fertiliser is rich in potassium which is essential for flower production and it helps plants to develop much stronger colours, while other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are also beneficial for overall plant health and growth.

• Green algae will brush clean from patios in 5 minutes with 2 ingredients

• Warning issued to anyone with rhubarb in garden

Carpenter's Nursery explains: "While water is important to plants, you will also need to feed them. Proper plant nutrition leads to bigger, brighter, and more blooms.

"If you've added compost to your basket or container, don't assume this is enough nutrition, as it will have very limited benefits. Generally speaking, all nutrition from compost is lost after four to six weeks.

"There are all kinds of different fertilisers you can look at, but a key ingredient is potassium. This encourages blooms. Tomato feed is known to have high levels of potassium and is good for bedding plants.

"Liquid fertiliser is mixed with water, but it is also available as granules. Granules will be easier to deal with since there is no mixing required, and you can find slow-release formulations that your plants can draw from as needed."

Gardening experts recommend using tomato feed in hanging baskets every two to four weeks to keep flowers looking healthy and colourful during spring and summer.

To use it, the feed is usually diluted with water and applied to the soil around the plants. It's also advised that hanging baskets are well watered before adding the feed.

Gardener's World said: "Keep pots and hanging baskets flowering by watering and deadheading regularly, and add tomato feed fortnightly."