Soil fertility is the key to good vegetable yields and healthy plants.
Table of Contents
All plants require micronutrients and macronutrients to remain healthy. Commercial fertilizers generally contain the three major macronutrients for plants: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Nitrogen is necessary to plants for green growth, especially in crops with lots of leaves.
Phosphorous is necessary for root growth and fruit production.
Potassium is necessary for photosynthesis and the production of proteins in plants.
There are organic fertilizers on the market which provide all three of these elements. There are also synthetically-produced fertilizers which also provide them
If you contact your local Cooperative Extension Service or Master Gardeners’ Association, they can provide you with a location and address which will, for a very small fee, test your soil. The Extension Service will also give you directions on how to collect soil for the test as well. This test will tell you how much of which nutrients your soil is deficient in, has sufficient quantities of, or is rich in.
Before fertilizing, have your soil tested.
Apply fertilizer to your soil before planting. This will provide enough nutrients for crops to get started.
Some leafy vegetables will need more fertilizer later in the season. Apply it after thinning your seedlings, just before the plants begin to flower, or when plants need it. Much of the fertilizer sold today (both organic and inorganic) can be easily dissolved in water and can be applied by spraying. Plants can take in nutrients through their leaves, stems and roots, so don’t worry about spraying well all parts of the plant.
Plants require more nutrients than just nitrogen, potassium and phosphate. Many of the micronutrients that plants need can be supplied through compost or composted manure.
Iron may be one element that plants need that is not available in compost or manure. Alkalinity in the soil also inhibits plants from taking in any available iron in soil. If the leaves of your plants begin to turn a little yellow, while the veins of the leaves are still green, this could be a sign of iron chlorosis.
If your plants are exhibiting chlorosis, you can use and iron chelate to them. Iron chelate makes iron more available to plants.
When using packaged fertilizers, ALWAYS follows directions on the label. These directions are required by law and are always on the packages.
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