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Post by daylilydude on Apr 22, 2017 7:35:47 GMT -5
to the planting hole? I haven't anytime before this but I got to thinking... why do I spread fertilizer over the whole garden and then till it in... basically i'm fertilizing the dang weeds in the places that i'm not planting in... right?? So i'm thinking that I may just add a little 9/12/12 right to the planting hole... what are your thoughts on this??
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Post by paulf on Apr 22, 2017 9:19:54 GMT -5
What I add to the planting hole is the plant and the dirt that came from the hole. My thought is that I am taking care of the soil in the garden by fertilizing the entire space. Soil health is not just small selected areas where plants may go, but the whole space. If there are weeds or plants you do not want, that is what a hoe is for.
Since I am a lazy gardener, I use a mulching program to suppress weeds and add fertilizer in the amounts decided by a soil test performed every second or third year. Lots of folks put stuff in the planting holes as a starter fertilizer and that may not be wrong. I just make sure my soil is fertile and put the good dirt back in the hole.
More than one way to garden, so most practices are not wrong, just different. whatever works, works.
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Post by paquebot on May 2, 2017 22:08:54 GMT -5
It's simple, one spreads fertilizer and tills it in to feed the plant. Feeder roots mainly go sideways, not down. If you only fertilizer the planting hole, it's the same as planting in a small pot. A tomato plant may have feeder roots extending 9' from the base. They are out there looking for nutrients.
But, I do add compost to tomato holes and have been doing it for years. It's primarily for the young plant to get a fast start. Generally it's at least a gallon per plant. On the other hand, nothing is added for peppers. If too rich, all foliage and few fruit.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by brownrexx on May 19, 2017 10:55:36 GMT -5
My soil test shows high quantities of N,P & K so I add nothing to the planting hole or it would be excessive.
I grow lots of other veggies too so I really do need to keep all of my soil fertile since I rotate crops as much as possible. I never know where I will be planting from one year to the next. I make up my garden plan during the cold days of winter.
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Post by tomike on May 19, 2017 14:32:50 GMT -5
I grow mainly tomatoes and have been adding nutrients to a relatively deep planting hole at least 10 inches deep. At the bottom would go the fertilizer that will be there for later in the year as growing food. Above the fertilizer a thin layer of shrimp compost followed by several nutrients including kelp meal, azomite, bone meal......++++++more compost to cover an then the tomato plant.....this has worked well for me....
During the growing season, I make compost tea and we have a compost tea party in the garden 3-4 times a year.....considering that I live in Canada and that my growing season is short, I consider that my overall production is quite acceptable and I have produced some nice stuff over the years.
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