OK, it’s time for another garden post. In my last post I asked for tips on what I could improve upon in my garden and almost ALL of you suggested FERTILIZING. Now I can assure you there are about 70 million websites telling me how to fertilize, but they all seem different and some are pretty confusing. IDEALLY I would love to keep my fertilizing natural, but is this possible?
When I began prepping my soil this season I added 3 bags of sheep manure and 1 bag of peat soil to my existing soil with the hope that this would help. In the past I’ve ground egg shells, cut banana peels up, and tossed coffee grinds into my soil but it seems that this is not enough. My partner went out and bought me a bottle of this:I applied it to my tomatoes a few weeks back when the plant began growing fruit but it seems to be just sitting on the top of the soil. Do you use Miracle Gro Shake ‘n Feed?
Question for all my lovely gardener blog buddies: how do you fertilize, what do you use and how often do you do it?
Honestly when I started my garden I was focused on growing food, eating food, and growing some more. I had never really considered the ‘complicated’ parts of it such as soil pH, fertilizing and what to do when nothing is growing. Well I know I’m in good hands as you people are truly incredible with your feedback, tips and advice 🙂 I can honestly say it is a joy logging onto WordPress to see how your gardens are doing. Xoxo thank you loves
nannygrannie 
Yep. Got lots of green tomatoes, just like yours…. 🙂
The best thing you can do is get your soil tested. My friend who is a Master Gardener gets his tested every year. I’m paying for not doing that this year with absolutely no peppers. Of course, he says he doesn’t have any either and is blaming it on all the rain we’ve had. I have used Miracle Gro in the past with good results, but I always used the kind that you mix up into a blue solution and pour on. Don’t know about the shake stuff. Just remember, it’s always a learning curve and some years are good, and some years aren’t. And what was good last year, might not be this year. And soil test. Soil test. Soil test…. 🙂
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Haha oh dear, that’s too bad about your peppers! You’re right- there is always next year…good attitude…I should stop sulking about my lack of leafy greens. How do you get your soil tested? Are there kits you can buy? Thank you so much!
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Here in the states (Am I right in thinking you are in Canada?) we have Extension Offices that are part of the county/state system; they give us soil test kits and we send it in to them and they analyze it and it’s about $10.
And it might not be too late to plant some fall greens…. I’m planting spinach and kale and arugula on Wednesday.
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How did you know? Yes, I’m in Western Canada. I’ll have to look into my soil testing options here because it sure sounds worth it. Well I tried some kale but it has been in for months and is so tiny and has been getting eaten by some sort of bug. I shall keep trying!
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Yes. Probably the cabbage worms that turn into little white moths. If you plant it late, it will still grow in the cold when the worms are dead and gone. But, then, I don’t know about Western Canada.
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Sounds like the ones! What part of the States are you in? Too bad the little bastards live here too 😉
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I think they’re everywhere unfortunately — we’re in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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I like to use an organic fertilizer since I’m less likely to over do things and burn my plants. (Steve Solomon’s Gardening West of the Cascades is my go-to gardening book for my cool, maritime climate. I’d suggest trying to find a book/extension agent that knows your area.) Worm castings, compost, and other organic matter are important for a healthy garden. Gardening can be so hit-or-miss. Enjoy your successes and go to local farm stands and markets for the rest. Good luck!
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I’m UK-based, in South-East of England – but basically a good banker answer to almost any question on my horticulture course was ‘organic matter’. So well-rotted manure (basically a year old), household compost, old pot-plant compost, basically anything that’ll aerate, help the worms and other little bugs do their bit for the soil structure…
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If you have a smallish garden and a deep pocket, a water mixed fertilized works well. Follow mixing and use schedule on the box. It’s near impossible to burn(over dose) your plants.
Happy Gardening
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If I recall, you are in BC? Its expensive on the island to have soil tested I’m not sure about the mainland. I did it this year on a couple of our raised beds and found out I have been over fertilizing, go figure…so now I am only using a very small amounts. I only use organic products; fish bone meal for seeds and a little bit of granular fertilizer when i transplant seedings. I love these fertilizers, I was mixing my own but have been able to find a local supplier that has it premixed. It has not been a good year for gardening here, the cool damp spring delayed everything and the hot dry summer has been challenging to say the least. We are just starting to see our tomatoes ripening. Do you trim your tomato plants? Have you removed the lower leaves under the first set of fruit? This will hasten ripening . I just learned an interesting tip from a lecture that Linda Gilkesen put on, she says that leaving the roots from your plants in the soil helps to build good soil structure by leaving in essential micro organisms in the soil.
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