Fertilizers?

[lesa]

Is this the first time you are gardening this area? It sounds like your soil is already in excellent condition. Why not just plant and add fertilizer later if it looks like something needs it? Most plants just aren't that picky-if your soil is good and you keep things watered, you'll probably do fine....

 

[patandchickens]

Well, I went with a tomato fertilizer. It had the most balanced nutrients. The soil that we have is BLACK from worm castings and excellent nutrients. Plus, I plan to use compost from the city park to add to my soil when we til it.

Oh, goodness, then don't add fertilizer now! If you really feel you must do something, get a soil test done, or buy a kit; but you really shouldn't just add fertilizer 'just because'

How can I make sure that I don't have any fertilizer when my plants are fruiting? I'm unsure of how I would be able to get it into the soil beside the plants after they're planted. I don't understand how you'd get it to the plants without damaging them. How far away do you fertilize?

If it is granular fertilizer, you just lightly scratch it into the topmost layer of soil, around the plant. If it is liquid fertilizer, you water it in (or can spray a dilute solution on the foliage, in some cases). It is really not a big deal. So, the way to avoid fertilizing fruiting plants is to avoid putting fertilizer on them at that time, seriously it is that simple

Honestly it sounds like you may well not need any fertilizer this year at all, though. Wait and see what happens.

Goo dluck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

Pat and Lesa are right. I have HUGE plants that do amazing, and I don't fertilize because I just turn in compost before I plant. Compost and worm casting are the real deal organic way of gardening, because those are true organic and natural fertilizers. For people who just use what soil they have available, or a soil they test and significatantly lacking in nutrients, those are the people looking for the fast fix fertilizers.

Your soil sounds perfect and without any need for additional fertilizers.

You know over fertilzing can burn and kill new plants, or send so much nutrition you will end up with an abundance of green leaves, and healthy stems and they'll put little production into flowering and fruiting.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not a case of your not wanting any fertilizer when they are fruiting. You do want them to have fertilizer or at least the right nutrients. Fertilizers usually come labelled with three numbers. These show the amount of three nutrients in that specific fertilizer. The first is Nitrogen, the second is Phosphorus, and the third is Soluble Potash. They do different things and different plants need different amounts of each. That's why I suggested a soils analysis, so you know what you have available as your starting point and what you may need to specifically add. Plants also need other nutrients but these are usually the big three.

Nitrogen is the most well known. It generally promotes vegetative growth. Tomatoes need nitrogen especially when they are first set out so they can grow into big healthy plants, but you don't want a lot of excessive nitrogen when they are setting fruit or they will continue to grow huge plants instead of concentrating on setting fruit. It is a balancing act. Very few of us get it perfect and most of us do OK. What you want to avoid with tomatoes is adding a high nitrogen fertilizer when they are setting fruit. Some nitrogen is OK, just not a lot.

When I side dress growing plants with fertilizer, I sprinkle it on the ground surface about 6 to 8 inches from the plant. I don't put it on real heavy, but that is a judgment call that comes with experience. What is heavy to me might not be heavy to someone else. I like to slightly stir the surface of the ground to mix it in a bit to break the concentration up. You are right to be concerned as if you disturb the ground too deeply you can injure the root system. Many people do not stir it at all. When it rains or you water, the nutrients in the fertilizer will disolve and be carried down to where the roots can get it. A lot of people use other ways to provide the nutrients, not just the commercial fertilizers. There area lot of different methods to garden also; square foot, raised beds, containers, etc. Some people use different techniques within these different methods. No one answer or technique is going to be right for everyone.

I think Lesa makes a great point. Don't overthink it or worry too much about it this year. Try it, observe what happens, adjust as the season goes on, and use it as a learning experience. Odds are you will do OK.