Vegetables are living , growing thing , and they need to be feed . The amount of atomic number 7 , phosophorous , K and trace minerals that plants require varies . ( See below for list of heavy confluent . ) But generally speaking , if you feed the dirt , you feed your vegetables . If you do not feed your so by adding compost or other plant food , eventually it will be wipe out and your garden will become stark .
Get a Soil Test : If you are start a raw garden , consider send a soil sample to theUniversity of Minnesotafor a stain test . The mental testing will give you a worldwide thought of your vegetable garden ’s pH , its fertility level and whether there are tracing minerals that you need to add . If your soil is acidic , the test will evidence you if you need to add unslaked lime , which increase pH.
append Compost : If you do not want to do a dirt trial and are not interested in adding exceptional elements to your garden , here ’s the basic recommendation for building soil fertility : Add compost . Compost improves fertility and tilth , the texture of the soil , add together 1 to 2 inches to the top of the soil and forge it in 6 to 8 inches , if possible . I add compost to my vegetable bed in fall and then again in spring . Compost also create a great mulch — you need 2 to 4 inches to suppress weeds .
Every gardener’s dream — a huge pile of compost!
supply fertilizer : Because vegetables take so much out of the soil , you may want to append your compost with some balanced fertiliser . There are organic and inorganic options at garden center . Last year , I usedChickity Doo - Doo , which is ( as you ’ve probably guessed ) made from sue Gallus gallus manure . It had lower levels of N , phosphoric and potassium at 5 percent , 3 per centum and 2.5 percent respectively than many rock oil - based options ( such as the classic 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer ) , but everything grew well with a niggling crybaby poo in the planting golf hole . You may want to take a specialized fertilizer for the crops you are rise . For representative , there are several tomato - specific fertiliser that contain Ca , a nutrient tomatoes necessitate more than other plant life .
view a Cover Crop : If you are grow a larger garden , you may require to consider plant a cover harvest . These “ unripened manure ” are atomic number 7 - fixing plants that crush out mourning band and feed the grunge . you’re able to plant a spring - growing covering harvest and then turn it over when you embed warm season vegetables or industrial plant one later and leave it in place over the winter . The University of Minnesota Extension Service has a goodfact sheeton cover crop .
Container Plantings : Because they require more water than in - primer or raise - bed gardens , container also need more added fertilizer . you could make compost 30 percent of the volume of soil in your containers to give plant life a good start . You will require to add plant food regularly to the container to keep your vegetable crops grow . more often than not , tot fertilizer once every two weeks ( mayhap a scrap more often during heavy grow fourth dimension ) will work , using organic or synthetical plant food .
Nitrogen Needs of Vegetables
Nitrogen is the master chemical element that plants call for to grow , but how much they ask varies . Among those with larger needs for nitrogen are : cucumber , melon , viridity , Allium cepa , corn and squelch . Average feeders include tomatoes , pea and noggin . Light tributary ( or those that do well in lean soil ) include herbaceous plant , murphy , peppers , carrot and beets .
— Mary Lahr Schier
