Fertilizer is an important part of vegetable gardening. Plants derive all of their nutrients from the soil and if your soil is deficient in any way then the plant will be deficient. Deficiencies in the soil are evidenced in the plant but you need to pay close attention to what's happening. Before assuming you have a deficiency make sure that you are watering enough. The plant takes nutrients up via the root system and needs water to transport the nutrient. When purchasing fertilizer you will commonly see three different numbers listed on the front. These numbers are simply telling you how much Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) are in the fertilizer.
- Nitrogen promotes leaf growth and lush vegetation which is great for grass, trees or houseplants but no so much in vegetable gardening. We want our plants to make lots of fruit not leaves. Vegetable plants do need nitrogen but not an excessive amount or all you will have is a lot of pretty green leaves.
- Phosphorous encourages flower and subsequently fruit. Bingo! We need that!
- Potassium helps encourage healthier and more high quality fruit and plant hardiness.
Bone Meal
I started adding fertilizer to my soil well before any plants were in the ground. I mixed in a 4 pound bag of bone meal directly into the soil. Bone meal increases the phosphorous in the garden. The ratio was 0-10-0.
I started adding fertilizer to my soil well before any plants were in the ground. I mixed in a 4 pound bag of bone meal directly into the soil. Bone meal increases the phosphorous in the garden. The ratio was 0-10-0.
Liquid Fertilizer
When my plants were younger and had a few leaves on them I fed them with a very diluted fertilizer to encourage steady growth. I did this about every two weeks. I just used some regular Miracle-Gro All Purpose plant food that I had on hand. The ratio was 12-4-8. So this was great to use during the growing phase when I used it.
When my plants were younger and had a few leaves on them I fed them with a very diluted fertilizer to encourage steady growth. I did this about every two weeks. I just used some regular Miracle-Gro All Purpose plant food that I had on hand. The ratio was 12-4-8. So this was great to use during the growing phase when I used it.
Granular Vegetable Fertilizer
Now that the plants have been living outside for a month and are flowering and setting fruit I figured it was time for a fertilizer geared toward vegetables.
I used Miracle-Gro water soluble Tomato Plant Food. This is a granular fertilizer that you mix into water and spray plants with. The ratio was 18-18-21. This has worked really well. I definitely saw good results from this.
Now that the plants have been living outside for a month and are flowering and setting fruit I figured it was time for a fertilizer geared toward vegetables.
I used Miracle-Gro water soluble Tomato Plant Food. This is a granular fertilizer that you mix into water and spray plants with. The ratio was 18-18-21. This has worked really well. I definitely saw good results from this.
Powdered Vegetable Fertilizer
Last weekend I applied a different fertilizer. It's called Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable fertilizer. It's natural and organic which is always a bonus. This is a powder form that you scratch into the top inch of soil at the base of the plant and then water thoroughly. In general, I used 1/4 cup per plant. This was a 7-4-5 ratio. I like that this fertilizer lasts for a month. I believe this is a slower releasing product. This product also has calcium and magnesium which is good for your plants.
Last weekend I applied a different fertilizer. It's called Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable fertilizer. It's natural and organic which is always a bonus. This is a powder form that you scratch into the top inch of soil at the base of the plant and then water thoroughly. In general, I used 1/4 cup per plant. This was a 7-4-5 ratio. I like that this fertilizer lasts for a month. I believe this is a slower releasing product. This product also has calcium and magnesium which is good for your plants.
Epsom Salts
When the plants were transplanted outside I noticed some of them were yellowing at the oldest leaves which would point to a magnesium deficiency. This is a quick fix. I put 2 tablespoons of epsom salt into a gallon of water and sprayed the base of the plants that needed it. This was highly effective. Epsom salt is 10% magnesium and 13% sulfur both of which really assist that plant with growth.
When the plants were transplanted outside I noticed some of them were yellowing at the oldest leaves which would point to a magnesium deficiency. This is a quick fix. I put 2 tablespoons of epsom salt into a gallon of water and sprayed the base of the plants that needed it. This was highly effective. Epsom salt is 10% magnesium and 13% sulfur both of which really assist that plant with growth.
Eggshells
I have been adding crushed eggshells into the dirt around the base of my plants. The eggshells add calcium which is important for plants. Calcium helps make plant fruit walls thicker and stronger. This would be important for tomatoes and bell peppers. Calcium also helps prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes and fights disease on most plants. Admittedly, you do need quite a bit of eggshells to make a difference in the calcium level. I have a girlfriend who works at a popular breakfast restaurant whose specialty is eggs so I have the cooks set aside eggshells for me whenever I need them. They send me with hundreds of eggshells.
I have been adding crushed eggshells into the dirt around the base of my plants. The eggshells add calcium which is important for plants. Calcium helps make plant fruit walls thicker and stronger. This would be important for tomatoes and bell peppers. Calcium also helps prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes and fights disease on most plants. Admittedly, you do need quite a bit of eggshells to make a difference in the calcium level. I have a girlfriend who works at a popular breakfast restaurant whose specialty is eggs so I have the cooks set aside eggshells for me whenever I need them. They send me with hundreds of eggshells.