Vegetable fertilizers

[Andy Petro]

I grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers but I am at a loss as to the type of fertilizer to use and how much. Every one sold in the gardening centers has a different ratio and they all claim to be the best.

[brooklyn1]

You likely don't need any commercial fertilizer for the home garden... a little composted cow manure is probably as good as it gets. You'd be wise to get yourelf a composter for your kitchen scraps.

[Bill]

I've composted for 40 years without a composter .

Bill got one now however as the aeration aspect is easier.

[Billy]

For Tomatoes

100 - 180 lbs N per acre

Acre = 43,560 sq. ft.

2. Manure application rates. To apply from 1/4 to 1/2 pound actual nitrogen, add one of the following:

50 to 100 lbs. undried cattle manure 20 to 50 lbs. undried poultry manure 12 to 25 lbs. dried cattle manure 5 to 10 lbs. dried poultry manure

There after, use fish emulsion every couple of weeks. Occasional banana peels can't hurt either.

[Phisherman]

Some plants need more than others, peppers less. A soil test kit and the cheap fertilizer works for me. I get better yields using both organic (manure, compost, fish emulsion, seaweed) and inorganic fertilizers. Or, consider a time-release fertilizer formulated for vegetables and flowers. The plant doesn't care about brands, just that you feed it.

[Billy]

With peppers you will want to add the equivalent of three to four tons per acre of chicken manure.

should you fertilize your peppers? Take your choice -- either before planting or throughout the growing season. Little or no difference in yield was seen in a study that compared the effects of slow-release fertilizer applied before planting to soluble nitrogen fertilizer applied several times throughout the season. Careful with the Fertilizer You also have to be careful when fertilizing. Sometimes pepper plants will have lots of blossoms but not enough fruit. This could be due to extremes of heat (temperatures above 90° F) or cold (below 55° F). Under these conditions, blossoms will drop off the plant rather than set. A lack of magnesium can contribute to the problem. To restore magnesium, buy some Epsom salts at the drugstore and add about one tablespoon to an empty spray bottle. Then fill the bottle with lukewarm water, shake it up so the Epsom salts dissolve and spray the solution on the leaves and blossoms of your pepper plants. If you do this a couple of times during the blossom period, you should have plenty of peppers. fertilizer breaks down slowly, so it will provide nutriments through the growing season.

Once flowering begins with any of your plants, don't give them any high nitrogen fertilizers. Phosphate and potassium will help roots and blooms. To this end, fish emulsion on a bi-monthly basis is a good idea (low nitrogen), and add potassium magnesium sulfate (organic fertilizer:

0-0-22). If you didn't add rock phosphate to your soil before you planted add steamed bone meal around your plant (at anytime) and cover with mulch. The other choice would be to buy some Tomato-tone (4-7-10) with 3.0% Ca, or Garden-tone (4-6-6) with 3.0% Ca for post flowering feedings.

Also see:

[cheapdave]

What about worm castings? First, let me say I have very little gardening experience, but would like to plant one this year. Have been reading that worm castings is excellent/best fertilizer for garden. It is very expensive, is it worth the cost?

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[Billy]

If you have to ask, it is.

10% of your soil as worm castings at $25/40# bag?

A greenhouse would be nice to. How about potting soil at $12/2 cu.ft? I understand a drip irrigation system on a timer is very helpful. How about a house in Solano, CA, that has mild to warm weather all year round for $300,000?

If you prep your garden as you have been instructed, the worms will come. Do you want the highest volume production from your garden or highest quality? Do you want to do it cheap or spare no expense? Yer not going to get both.

You can dick around with paper and pencil until the cows com home but there is nothin' like making mistakes for learning. Now get out there and get your hands dirty.