How to apply fertilzer?

[obsessed]

So I have some 8 x 4 raised beds. Up til now I have not fertilized with fertilizer. I just added bunny poop, duck pond water, coffee and I think these are more amendments and not so much fertilizer. I am waiting for my soil test to tell me what to apply but I don't know if it will tell me how to apply.
The beds already have stuff in them so it would be too late this time to dig in fertilizer. Should I just sprinkle it on top? Should I use one of the water based fertilizers or a granule type? How long will the granule type be in the soil? And how often replaced/replenished?

I was told that the time release not so good here cause of the amount of rain we could get at one time could just kill every thing.

Also how do you fertilize things with different requirements in such a small place? Oh the complications of a garden!!!!!!!!

 

[blue skys]

This spring was my first real garden which I did not fertilize. I would like to know more about fertilizer too. Hopefully you get some good responses, I'll be watching.

 

[Southern Gardener]

obsessed, go to lsuagcenter.com - they have a pdf you can download. It tells the best vegetables for growing in Louisiana and when to plant. It also tells you when and how to fertilize. I printed it and keep it with my gardening books/mags and refer to it often. That should help you out!

 

[obsessed]

Thanks Southern Gardener. I have the planting PDf and have tried to use it for my planting dates. I didn't use it too much for variety because I bought seeds from Baker's Creek and SSE and I wanted more exotic varieties but when they were offered I did get southern varieties.

I didn't pay much attention to the fertilizer recommendations because I thought I was doing all I could do for my soil. Like the bunny poop was really enough. I am a little better than a novice gardener but up til now I was gardening at community plots on campus. So when I actually thought about it, those plots had been in production for like years and my soil is relatively new. I really took for granted soil fertility my whole gardening life. Even when I gardened in California I never thought twice about fertilizer. Things just grew. I occasionally added some steer manure and coffee grounds but nothing much else.

Now fertility is an issue due to my soil being so new. Even though the climate is different, I know I should be getting more veggies and bigger veggies. I am going to apply a general organic fertilizer that I got from mother earth news (in my other post) in addition the all my general adding in the spring. My soil may not be great this year but come a few years it will be ON!!!!!!!!!

 

[Southern Gardener]

My soil may not be great this year but come a few years it will be ON!!!!!!!!!

That's the gardening attitude! So how much native soil versus bunny poop do you have? Maybe it's overkill on the poop? Do you have a compost pile? As far as fertilizer, I fertilized one time with 8-8-8 and that was it.

I also ordered from baker seeds because I wanted something different from the normal stuff my parents planted when I was growing up. the beans did ok and I had lemon cukes coming out of my ears. I was pleased with my tomatoes and I absolutely loved the Brandywines.

My soil is also new and I was so disappointed the first year but in time we'll both have awesome gardens!

 

[obsessed]

My soil is a mix of nursury soil that I had delivered, coffee grounds from starbucks, compost, and bunny poop. I usually top dress the bunny poop. so I save it up from 4 bunnies and apply it a few weeks before planting. By the time I add it it has been sitting around under the cage for some months. If I have too much (very rarely), I add it to the compost pile to heat it up. It really gets that pile cooking.