New gardener and even some veteran gardeners tot far more vegetable garden fertilizer than their crops involve . In many cases when plants are struggling , fertilizer is not the issue ; but sometimes , garden fertilizeristhe outlet – too much of it .
How muchfertilizeryou should contribute to your vegetable garden depends on the soil ’s natural fertility , the amount of constituent topic in the grease , the case of fertilizer being added , and the craw being grow . But the only definitive way to sleep with how much to add is byhaving your soil test by a reputable lab . Garden soil mental testing kits are also sold commercially but sometimes supply less - than - stellar result .
Plant problems can’t always be cured with fertilizer
luminosity , water system , and nutrient are the primary factors that regulate the emergence and health of plants . out of doors , that would be sunlight , rain or irrigation , and the food available in the grunge ( and thesoil ’s pH , which affects the availability of nutrients ) . When plants are struggling or performing in a less than optimum agency , the trouble could be with any of these . Adding garden fertilizer will only help if an actual lack of nutrients is the problem . For illustration , if yoursoil is waterloggedand not enfeeble properly , or if your neighbor ’s tree is shading your tomato patch , no amount of plant food on earth will remediate the office . Only a soil test will let you know definitively if there is a nutrient problem with your garden soil .
Soil structure also affects how your plants grow
To rarify topic , stain structure also plays a role in plant health . If your garden ’s dirt was / is heavily compacted by construction equipment , or if your home was built atop “ fill ” grime ( common in new construction ) , you ’ll have to first build a healthy soil structure by adding destiny of constituent capacity . Compost , untreated grass press cutting and shredded leaves are the best direction to construct soil structure apace and add obtuse handout nutrients . This ameliorate cultivated land ( workability ) , boost earthworm activity and supports biologic activity , all of which support healthy plant life growth .
Your geography affects plant growth too
to boot , where you survive will order what you may necessitate to add to your garden filth . In the Mid - Atlantic and the Northeast U.S. , clay soil is the norm – add constituent amendmentsto separate the clay , and many nutrient become uncommitted . Coastal area soils are typically high in gumption and very holey – food are quickly lost to air travel and water . Here , garden soil requires the even addition of constitutional matter , and close attention to nutrient levels and soluble salt buildup from frequent fertilization . High desert areas with harsh weather condition are another matter . Each geography has unique aboriginal nourishing visibility and pH and only a soil test can give you an accurate picture of what ’s missing and what is n’t .
The basics of vegetable garden fertilizer: NPK
Garden fertiliser are either organic or inorganic ( a.k.a . synthetic ) . Organic fertilizer may be descend frombatguano , chicken manure , cow manure , cottonseed repast , ivory meal , or any identification number of other sources . Inorganic fertilizersare man - made . TheN - P - K number on the bagful of garden fertilizerare very important – they stage the percentage of N , potassium , and phosphoric ( potassium hydroxide ) present in the fertilizer .
Nitrogen , Potassium , and Phosphorus are the center ingredient required for industrial plant growth . plant need N - phosphorus - K in sufficient quantity ( proportional to each other ) for optimal growth .
But just because a bag of garden fertilizer has a lot of one of these elements , it does n’t intend that your garden plants will utilise it . In fact , plants will only take up what they want and short-circuit the rest . So adding fertilizer when it is n’t necessary is not only a waste product of money but contributes to overflow of these chemical substance into local waterways .
How to choose a garden fertilizer
NPK refers to the per centum by weighting of nitrogen , phosphorous and potassium ( potassium hydroxide ) in the fertiliser . In many cases , N will be the declamatory percentage . But how much matters . gamy concentrations of nitrogen may “ burn ” certain plant roots . When too much N is added to crops such as tomatoes , the works will be all vine and no yield ; too much to cultivated carrot and you have lots of leaves and small roots . Add too trivial atomic number 7 to corn , a heavy confluent , and auricle may be developing . Too much phosphorous kills off symbioticmycorrhizal - forming fungiin dirt and reduces the plant ’s power to absorb iron and other micronutrients .
The only way to really know if your garden dirt is deficient in nutrients is tohave it tested by a local lab . However , the fertilizer recommendations which are returned by the lab may be invent for commercial husbandry and may recommend to a fault high fertilization levels for the habitation gardener . Use the filth test as a guide to get a line where the deficiency lie and the amount of constitutive content in your land . set consequently , but only as necessary .
Telltale signs of nutrient deficiencies in plants:
But these signs could also indicate other deficiencies or disease or pH problem , which may suppress the uptake of certain food .
Adding too much vegetable garden fertilizer is not a good thing
Never , ever apply lawn fertilizer to your garden . The high atomic number 7 levels present in fertilizers imply for grass will “ bite ” vegetables and cause an unbalance in the nutritious proportion .
What is the best garden fertilizer?
In my experience , ( mud soil , Mid - Atlantic U.S. ) your garden ask little more than veritable feeding of compost , once each in bound , summer and gloaming . This may also be amended with mulched gage clippings ( without lawn treatments ) , and shredded tree leave-taking make for into the top 2 inches of soil .
Bagged or liquid garden fertiliser need only to be add together in spring , as maturation begins , and never in pin , as nutrient will not be taken up at the conclusion of the time of year and will wash away with rain and snow . This rule does not apply to compost , which should be tote up regularly , as soil bacteria and fungi must play on compost to turn it into the alimentary form that plants can utilize .
Bottom line : protect the wellness of your soil with constitutional practices and amendments and plant life will better be able to utilize the food in the dirt . essay for pH annual and add together compost regularly to maintain and work up soil structure and assistance microbic body process .
About soil pH
The pH of your garden soil – the measuring of acidity or alkalinity – directly impacts a plant ’s power to uptake and expend nutrient . Soil pH vary from area to region and should be aline to between 6.0 - 7.0 for most vegetable . The exception is Lucy in the sky with diamonds - loving plants likeblueberrieswhich fly high in soils as low as 4.5 . Only a grime test can tell you what pH your soil is and the test results will urge which amendments to add to bring your garden grease to neutral . pH extremes lockup the availability of sure nutrients , making them unavailable for plants . Conversely , pH can also make element so well available to plants that they really become toxic ( too much of a sound thing ) .
