Last year was the very first time I used real chicken manure on the veggie patch and was blown away at the response be the plants. The lethargic sage plant had its leaves grow from about 3 cms to 10cms in length. The tomato plants were very healthy with deep blue-green foliage, thick stalks and plentiful fruit. Do not persevere with fertilizers of any type, including dynamic lifter - these are okay on new garden beds but lose their power once the beds become depleted of natural nutrients. That was my frustration year after year, witnessing my tomatoes being not that great overall, and just a pain to keep healthy.
One version of plant I'll buy again is the patio tomato plant, which is a compact, high yielding variety that often does not need any staking (farmers don't stake their plants - they allow them to bend back down to the ground for minimal fuss and effort).
