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Fertilizing For Healthy Soil, Plants and Food
By admin | April 15, 2008
Growing a bountiful garden is easier than you think. In fact, nearly half of the households in the United States grow vegetables and fruits for their dinner table. Growing fresh fruit and vegetables for your family is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature, while providing you with a healthy diet high in vitamins and minerals.
Soil Test
Before you plant anything it is always a good idea to do a soil test. Most farmers test their soil every few years to see what levels of nutrients are available for the plants. Home gardeners should do the same thing. It is the best way to make sure you have the proper nutrients to help the plants grow, while at the same time not over supplying unneeded nutrients.
While most home gardeners do not have the equipment to do soil test, you can contact you local Cooperative extension office. They can provide you with how to take the soil test and where to send it. Do not be shy about asking for their help. This is a public service you are already paying for with you tax dollars. They will be happy to help you; it’s their job. Look in you phone book under your county extension office.
The best time to take a soil test is about 6-8 weeks before you plan to plant. Keep in mind; some soil labs will get very busy in the spring because everyone is getting their soil tested at the same time. Once you get the soil test results, your extension agent can help you understand what is the best way to fertilize your garden.
NOURISH YOUR GARDEN
Just as humans need vitamins to supplement their diet, soil needs fertilizer to help plants grow to make nutrient rich vegetables and fruit. Fertilizers enrich the soil with naturally occurring elements. Choosing the best fertilizer will depend on your soil test.
Organic matter, such as animal manure, contains many nutrients that plants need. However, organics alone seldom provide the proper balance of nutrients. Also, some organics have high levels of carbon, which can temporarily tie up nitrogen in the soil, causing leaves to turn yellow.
With organic compounds you cannot always tell the amount of nutrients the plants are getting. With a commercial fertilizer it is much easier. Commercial fertilizers are labeled with three numbers, which provide the proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - the three essential elements for plant growth. For example, a bag of 10-10-10 contains 10% Nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 10% potassium. The first number of the three is nitrogen. Nitrogen is the nutrient that gives the plant energy to grow. The second number is phosphorus. Phosphorus is needed for root development. The third number of the three is potassium. Potassium, or potash is needed for the translocation of sugar and strong cell development to resist diseases.
When using organic fertilizers, higher amounts are needed since the concentration of nutrients in organics is far lower. For example, a typical organic fertilizer may be only 3% nitrogen, while a commercial fertilizer may be as high as 21% nitrogen. You would need to apply 7 times more organic material to give the plant the same nutrition with the organics. If you do use organic materials, keep in mind that it will take time for the materials to mineralize and be available for plants to uptake these nutrients. But don’t be discouraged by the limitations of using organic material. In most areas of the US, adding organic matter to the soil is always helpful to the soil structure. It provides a good nutrient foundation for plants, which will limit the amount of commercial fertilizer you need.
PLANT THERAPY
Select a garden location that gets plenty of sunlight - a healthy garden need six hours of direct sunlight everyday. The garden should be large enough to accommodate spreading of plants. Avoid low or wet spots that have standing water for days after rainfall.
Apply fertilizer to the garden one week before planting, by spreading the recommended amount of fertilizer evenly over the garden. This is another situation where the old saying “If a little bit is good, a lot is better” is not correct. Over-fertilizing will lead to excessive growth and limiting fruiting. Over fertilizing in many cases is worse than not fertilizing at all.
Water-soluble fertilizers should be applied about every three to six weeks after planting or according to the label directions. Fertilizer should be applied more often when plants are rapidly growing. This is the time when plants have the highest demand for nutrients. Buy a good quality water-soluble fertilizer. Just because it has a flashy label doesn’t make it the best. Avoid water-soluble fertilizers that list muriate of potash or potassium chloride on the label. Look at the label and if you see either of the listed under the derived from listing, do not use then on fruits or vegetable. These two items contain high levels of chloride, it will not hurt you but it will limit you plants growth.
Growing healthy nutritious fruit and vegetables is not difficult. It is a great way for you and you family to get outside and enjoy Mother Nature. Feed your plants well and they will feed you well. For more information on soil and other subjects, please visit the articles section of http://aperfectgarden.net
Earl Chipman has worked with plant nutrition for over 20 years. For more of his articles on gardening and landscaping, please visit http://aperfectgarden.net.
Tags: fertilizer, flower, garden, nitrogen, nutrients, organic, phosphorus, Plants, potassium, vegetableTags: flowers |