Fertilizer/feed help

[marktripp]

Hello all,
Newer gardener here needing some help. Last year I did raised beds and had minimal to no harvest of things that seemed to require more nutrients or energy such as tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers. This year seams to be off to the same pace. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes doing well. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers not so much. This year I'm not in a raised bed I tilled a 35x110' foot garden and didn't soul test. Just wondering if there is anything I can do to help all the veggies along. Last year I didn't water much either, this year I'm changing that and watering more.

 

[Randy]

It will help to know where you are as that will change what your soil temperature is. Soil nutrients and proper moisture are also big issues. I have always tested my own soil using an inexpensive soil test kit I got from the garden center. By knowing the available nutrients or their lack, it points to the direction needed as to what to add. It's easy to over fertilize though so you would need to know what and how much to add. Infrequent deep watering is also more desirable than frequent shallow watering.

 

[marktripp]

My zone is 5A, guess ill have to test my soil.

 

[Green Gardens]

I hope your season of gardening has gone well. Personally, I find that each spring, when tilling in the soil, adding in a goodly amount of compost and composted manure with tilling does wonders for the soil, helping it to hold moisture and giving the plants natural nutrients. We live in a high rainfall area where the soil is fairly acidic, so we add in wood ashes or garden lime a couple times a year. In the green house, for heavy feeders like tomatoes and cucumbers, and outside for broccoli, cauliflower, etc, I put in some extra compost and a tablespoon of organic fertilizer in the hole I am transplanting the seedling into. Mix the food in a little so it isn't in one big lump, put the plant in and water well. Because the soil is well-supplied with nutrients that slow-release over time, the results are fantastic. After the first month or so, I give the garden the odd watering with some manure tea. For things like tomatoes, a little composted chicken manure for extra nitrogen around the root area. The results are fantastic.
I hope this helps you for the next season

 

[ricky]

Hi friends
You should must check youe moisture it is vey helpful to understand the condition. However soil test is very important for better and good result because nutrient element depends on soil .

 

[GardenPictures.com]

Now it´s too late, so for the next year adding some good compost to your beds may do the trick. During the season, you can collect lots of nettles, put them in a bucket with water, then let that ferment for a couple of weeks (caution, stinks). Somewhat diluted this stuff can give tomatoes and other heavy feeders a visible push.

 

[MorningGlory]

Adding compost to your garden helps alot. Also, if you know someone who keeps rabbits, you could ask them for some of the rabbit droppings, it makes wonderful garden fertilizer and you can easily make a fertilizer "tea" by soaking the droppings(in a cheesecloth sack) in a bucket of water for several days, and then water your plants with it. It gives them a boost of nitrogen!
You can also try nipping off the growing top of tomato plants once four main branches have flowered. It makes them redirect the energy they usually use for growing taller, into fruit production. I've found this works like a charm!

 

[SunBakedParadise]

As previously posted compost and re-energizing the soil with nutrients is very important. I'd just like to mention mychorizza, they occur naturally in soil and compost, that white webbing you sometimes see under rotting leaves. You can stimulate growth and propigation of the fungus and micro flora, like MorningGlory said a permeable sack fill it with your compost, maybe some worm castings, rotting leaves and a bucket of water. But the fungus needs air and food to really thrive. A fish tank Air stone and a source of sugars, sulfur free molasses is my personal choice. Let the bucket bubble for 18-24 hours, you should have a brown liquid with a rich froth on top which can now be used for use on your garden in conjuction with composting and mulching.