Fertilizing

[desertgirl]

I found a nice organic fetilizer for my square foot garden veggies. It is 8-1-1, and says to use it twice a week. Thoughts? This seems a little excessive....

 

[desertgirl]

Anyone?

 

[vfem]

That does seem excessive, but it also sounds like it doesn't offer much as far as nutrients right off the bat?!

I have 10-10-10 fertilizer I use right now... and I use it twice in a season that's it.

 

[desertgirl]

Hmmm,that's quite a difference. Yours is a raised garden or ground? Mind if I ask what kind you use (or is that bad etiquette to ask someone's secret...I'm kind of new to all of this)

 

[vfem]

LOL....secret...

I goto Tractor Supply Company and buy a bag of their brand. I get a lot of $5 and $10 off coupons from them. So I just grab a big bag for the season.

I use this in my veggie garden, for my shrubs and trees (not my azealas, I use a higher acidic fertilizer from Planttone for them). I use it for all my raised beds or flowers as well.

If I was to give you my FAVORITE fertilizer I've ever used its planttone without the acidic addition (that one is only for things like azealas, pines and holly bushes). Its a good fertilizer, its all organic and comes as a 5-5-10 or a 3-5-5. I think for the square foot technique and just starting off really look into Planttone. Nurseries carry it, and Lowe's carries it. I did not see it at TSC, Walmart or Home Depot this year.

Which ever one of those would probably be best for what you are doing.

 

[desertgirl]

You are the best! Thank you for all of the great advice (here and on other posts!).

Much appreciated!

 

[patandchickens]

It's not the nutrient content of the fertilizer that matters (although note that yours is a VERY nitrogen-biased one...); it's the CONCENTRATION. The actual number of nitrogen (etc) atoms you are putting on. (edited to clarify: if you are putting it on STRAIGHT, 8-1-1 has about the same N immediately available as 10-10-10, but the bottle may be wanting you to dilute the bejeebers out of it, which changes the situation)

For a very weak fertilizer, twice a week is perfectly reasonable.

For a fairly concentrated and/or time-release type fertilizer, twice a year is perfectly reasonable.

You could do some math, and see what it amounts to.

(Frankly, I am much more of a believer in building soil quality than in fertilizers as such, organic or not, although certainly they do have their place)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Rusty]

I like a manure tea. Locally the bran comes in a plastic "burlap" bag (very loose weave with lots of good circulation), so when it is empty, I fill it with fresh horse manure and let the whole sack soak in a big bucket of water for about 24 hours. Then I remove the sack and use the resulting "tea" on anything that needs fertilizing. Plants seem to love it. What I love is the price!




Rusty

 

[desertgirl]

The fertilizer I am using is 8-1-1, mixing 1 tbsp in a gallon This would make it a weak fertillizer (and therefor ok to use twice a week)? Also, my garden is a square foot garden, ad the soil I've started with is a mixture of supersoil,peat and mushroom compost (with red wigglers)I am also composting and vermicoposting. How does one build soil quality?