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Post by daylilydude on Mar 15, 2018 4:59:06 GMT -5
Is it once a week, month... you let the plant tell you... do you have a set rule when it comes to fertilizing?
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Post by paulf on Mar 15, 2018 8:54:41 GMT -5
In the vegetable garden sulphur is put down in the fall so it can help lower the pH. Sulphur takes a few months to work. With soil testing in mind any other nutrients are applied in the spring and raked in. The soil tests usually indicate only nitrogen is necessary. The entire garden is treated. If it looks like the plants need another shot of nutrients, they get a low N higher P and K liquid plant food applied at the base of the plants. This has not been necessary for several years as the soil is getting to the fertility stage where I want it to be after thirteen years of work.
The flower garden gets watered with a "bloom booster" liquid plant for every month or so. Flowers in pots or containers get this treatment every other week since nutrients are washed out with watering. This year my wife will be growing herbs and vegetables usually grown in the garden in raised beds made from a few old, leaky cattle watering troughs some of our friends have laying around they want to get rid of. No more bending over to tend, harvest and weed. They will also get fertilized as needed.
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Post by september on Mar 15, 2018 9:35:15 GMT -5
I'm not at all methodical when it comes to fertilizer. Once, before planting in the hole or row, and then as needed during the season, either watered in as liquid or scratched in as dry when plants seem to be need a boost. I'm sure I could be fertilizing more scientifically, but my garden produces all we need, so not much reason to change my old habits now. I have to remind myself to fertilize pots more frequently, but no schedule for those either.
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Post by brownrexx on Mar 15, 2018 9:35:25 GMT -5
I don't use fertilizers. My soil test also shows high levels of P and K so additional fertilizer is not necessary. They do not test for Nitrogen due to it's volatile nature.
I only use compost in my garden and possibly some sulfur to lower the pH.
I do add compost to the asparagus bed in the Spring and the Fall but other than that I mostly just till in the compost when I do my tilling of the entire garden in the fall.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 15, 2018 12:25:47 GMT -5
The only thing that I have to add on regular basis is N - most nutrients were high in my last soil tests. The pots I add some fish fertilizer to (once they are back outside!) every once in a while, while inside I use some of my hydroponics water to water them every few times. The SIPs have everything in them, though I do that trick of adding a so called "snack" to the tomato SIPs - a tsp of calcium nitrate, for N and Ca - once a week in the beginning, and every other week, once they have gotten into ripening stage.
I 'til in my compost in the fall, when I pull all of the plants. I also 'til some in the next row the garlic will be going into back in July or August, so that will be ready in November, as well as the row I just pulled the garlic from, so that row will be ready for the fall greens.
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Post by spike on Mar 15, 2018 12:54:47 GMT -5
I love this question! I have always been confused about fertilizers. I grew up with if the plants looked wilty you watered them. If they were not thriving you added cow poo. My one Old Uncle used some 12-12-12 from time to time but he never told me on what or when or why.
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Post by farmerjack41 on Mar 15, 2018 12:58:54 GMT -5
Most of the time, rely on composed cow manure for fertilizer. If something looks like it could take a boost, will add some miracle grow or manure tea. Strawberries might be the only exception, feedthem on regular basics when producing.
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whistech
Pro Member
Posts: 300
Joined: April 2013
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Post by whistech on Mar 15, 2018 13:40:54 GMT -5
I use 8-12-16 fertilizer after I till and work it in the top 3" of the raised beds. Afterwards I side dress with the same fertilizer blend when whatever I'm growing blooms. I side dress peppers,tomatoes and okra once a month. In the fall I side dress winter crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and beats once a month. The fertilizer I use is sold as a fall fertilizer for lawns and contains all micro elements. I buy enough in the fall to last until the next fall.
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