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When To Fertilize - Urban Farmer's Guide
Home > Gardener's Guide > When to Fertilize
Even if you have some of the greatest soil around, growing vegetables is a process that takes many important nutrients. You will need to add fertilizer to your soil at different times in order to feed your plants and keep them in optimal health. How much fertilizer to add depends on your soil and the plants your growing. That's why its important to do a soil test to see what you need to add.
Depending on your fertilizer, crops and soil, you may need to add repeat doses of fertilizer throughout the summer. This repeated practice of fertilizing is called side-dressing. A 5-10-10 fertilizer is a great choice for most crops. You can either spread fertilizer down each row or around each plant. Rake the fertilizer gently into the soil and water. Be careful not to add too much fertilizer as this can be more harmful than too little. Excess fertilizer accumulates as salt in the soil and causes damage to plant roots.
They type of plants you grow makes a big difference in how much to side-dress. Plants that take a long time to mature such as tomatoes and heavy foods generally benefit from side-dressing. Plants that grow quickly , such as lettuce easy fix their own nitrogen and has little benefit. Below is a table to help you better know when to side-dress your vegetables.
Vegetables When to Fertilize
    | Beans, green Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Lettuce Muskmelons Onions Peas Peppers Potatoes Pumpkins Radishes Spinach Squash, summer Squash, winter Tomatoes | Not necessary. When tops are 4 to 5 inches high. Go light on nitrogen. Three weeks after transplant. Go light on nitrogen. For to six weeks after transplant. Three weeks after plants are well established. Four to six weeks after transplant. Three weeks; again at 10 inches; lastly when tassels appear. When they first begin to run; again when blossoms set. Three weeks after planting. Three weeks after transplant; again when head forms When they begin to run; a week after blossom; 3 weeks after that. Three weeks after planting; again when tops are 6 to 8" inches. Not necessary. Three weeks after transplant; again after first fruit set. When plants blossom. When plants start to run; again at blossom set. Not necessary. When plants are 3 to 4" inches tall. When plants are 6" tall; Again when they bloom. When plants start to run; again at blossom set. 2 weeks after transplant; after first picking. Go light on nitrogen. |
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