Before planning your vegetable garden fertilization schedule, a soil test is crucial. Most recommendations call for using balanced fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Vegetable plants need most of their nitrogen after they have made significant growth and started flowering or fruit setting; too much nitrogen prior to this point will only prolong maturity and reduce yields.
Soil Test
Have you ever marveled at a neighbor’s beautiful, lush garden and wondered how they managed to cultivate such beautiful and healthy vegetables? According to many experts, soil testing may be the answer. A simple test of your soil can help determine when and how much fertilizer should be added; by knowing what elements exist in it and at what levels, balancing their levels appropriately allows for maximum vegetable growth.
When conducting a soil test, make sure to sample every inch of your garden. Use a soil probe, shovel, or trowel to dig a 6-inch-deep V-shaped hole across all cropped area using either a probe, shovel, trowel, shovel-backing machine or trowel and take an 1-inch wide slab from its center for your sample. Avoid sampling wet spots, feeding areas, burn piles, old fence rows or any other potential problem areas such as wet spots feeding areas burn piles burn piles old fence rows as these should not be considered when sampling your sample ideally collect the root depth which for most vegetable crops would range between 5- 8 inches but sample between rows to avoid fertilizer bands being applied directly onto plants by fertilizers being applied directly onto them and taking samples between rows when sampling soil tests is conducted to minimize possible fertilizer bands that might have been applied directly onto plants without being detected by means of sampling methods employed when conducting tests conducted between rows to check that fertilizers bands have not been applied directly onto plants through other means than sampling techniques such as using soil probes or digging V-shaped holes as samples save removing.
Once the results from your lab arrive, you will be able to evaluate what levels exist for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Furthermore, pH level and organic matter content of soil will also be taken into consideration as will deficiencies being identified as well as recommendations on raising them to suitable levels; too much or too little nutrients can be equally damaging.
Most laboratories also offer information about your soil’s microbial activity through microbial functional profiling, an innovative technique which runs microbial data through a scientific database to predict their function and interactions under various environmental conditions. With this data in hand, labs will then recommend which fertilizers would work best in your garden and any excesses can be reduced by applying less of that element or sowing green manure crops as solutions.
Manure
Manure can increase soil organic matter and texture and structure while providing essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – as well as additional micronutrients like calcium magnesium and sulfur that commercial garden fertilizers don’t always offer. Selecting and applying appropriate manures at the appropriate times are keys to having a productive vegetable garden.
Animal manure is one of the primary forms of garden fertilizer. This material may come directly from livestock in your own garden or be purchased at a feed store, with either being mixed into bedding materials such as straw or wood shavings that have been composted for at least six months and preferably more than 12 months before applying directly onto plants as this could damage roots and contain bacteria such as E coli that is harmful to human health.
Well-rotted manure should be applied in early spring or fall to increase organic matter in the soil and improve structure. It serves as an excellent substitute for purchased fertilizer and especially beneficial when amending sandy, light-textured soils where more organic matter is necessary.
If you plan to use fresh manure, follow the guidelines set forth by the USDA National Organic Program which advise application 90-120 days before harvesting leafy greens or crops that need longer in the ground like carrots or potatoes. Application should occur during autumn when it can be easily integrated into soil without altering its texture.
Some home gardeners may avoid manure for fear of bacterial contamination of vegetables like tomatoes, which take several months from transplantation to maturity and therefore may come into direct contact with soil during this time. They can still reap all the benefits of adding organic matter by double-digging: dig a trench one shovel deep and as wide as each row to be planted; spread on fresh manure layer then backfill and turn over soil before returning it all to growbed for planting; this method works particularly well in raised beds – providing effective fertilization of vegetable garden growth!
Compost
Compost can be an ideal addition to any vegetable garden. From homegrown production or purchased finished compost, compost is an invaluable soil amendant that works well as an additive over the surface or mixed directly into the soil prior to planting, plus acts as an excellent mulch or top-dress during its season of use.
Well-rotted compost contains an abundance of essential nutrients and organic matter to improve soil structure, its natural acids helping balance pH levels, as well as housing earthworms vital to its health. Furthermore, the best compost avoids meat scraps or bones which attract rats or coyotes, but rather contains grass clippings, leaves, newspaper shreddings, paper towel rolls and kitchen waste that can all be broken down to create an abundant source of nutrient sources.
Compost can aerate soil and make it easier for roots to penetrate it, increasing water retention in sandy and clay-type soils. Furthermore, compost improves its structure by binding together particles into larger aggregates called “aggregates”, breaking up compacted or hardened soil. Compost can even be used to make liquid plant food by mixing one part compost with three parts water and leaving it for several days, stirring periodically during this period before applying as natural plant food directly on vegetables.
Compost can be added directly into the soil prior to spring planting, but for greater effect it’s better used as a mulch or top-dressing on existing beds as a top dressing or mulch layer. This method works especially well when applied over heavy feeder vegetables such as corn, squash, melons and tomatoes or established root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips.
When applying compost to the garden, take caution not to overdo it at once; too much application can cause nutrient imbalances, poor soil structure and water retention issues. Instead, spread it across an entire area in either fall or spring before planting, mixing into the soil before starting your seedlings off in their new homes. You could even combine it with sphagnum moss and coarse river sand to create a DIY potting mix which will keep plants healthy without using too many chemicals.
Fertilizer
Have you ever admired your neighbor’s lush and healthy vegetable garden and wondered how they managed to achieve such stunning results? The secret lies within fertilizer: fertilizer acts as a multivitamin for plants by providing essential nutrients which the soil cannot supply on its own. Different kinds of fertilizers are readily available at garden centers or online; their packages will detail what percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) they contain; but remember not to overuse fertilizers – too much will damage roots and leaves of plants which could result in their failure.
Vegetable crops require specific amounts of each nutrient at specific points throughout the year and throughout their development process, making a soil test essential. A soil analysis will identify which nutrients your soil lacks while also showing you which ones it contains an excess of.
Your ideal soil nutrient levels depend on what types and varieties of vegetables you grow as well as weather conditions during each season. With proper application of organic or synthetic fertilizer based on soil test results and crop requirements, establishing adequate levels should usually provide for adequate yield in most years.
An organic or chemical granular fertilizer should be applied annually, starting in spring to prepare your vegetable garden for planting, or at other times as per your soil test report. Liquid fertilizers may be appropriate for seedlings; granular vegetable fertilizer works better for established crops. When applying fertilizer evenly across an area 2-4 inches of soil should do it, and water immediately afterward to ensure its absorption into the ground.
Nitrogen is essential to the growth and fruiting of all vegetable plants, but especially vital when growing leafy greens, beans, and peas in their early stages of the growing season and when fruiting begins. If your plants produce plenty of foliage but no fruits at harvest time, additional nitrogen should be applied via ammonium sulfate which can either be mixed in your compost pile or added directly to vegetable beds.