Food for Thought

Fertilizers are a key component to any garden. They are the building blocks that your plants need to grow and reproduce.

All fertilizer packages list three numbers, for example 5-5-5 they are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectively or NPK. Nitrogen is for leaf growth, phosphorus is for root and flower development and potassium is for maturation and development. NPK are the three major nutrients required for plant growth. It is important to have some of all three ingredients in order to complete a plant life cycle.

Today you generally have two choices: organic or conventional fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are generally derived from animals (e.g. manure, feather meal) or from plants (e.g. alfalfa meal, soybean meal). Whereas conventional fertilizer are man-made. I like to know where my fertilizers come from so I use organic fertilizer because it is clear what sources the nutrients came from. Conventional fertilizer generally takes a lot of energy to produce and is usually in the form of a salt - which isn't the best for the long-term health of the soil (think of the Romans "salting the earth" of their enemies).

I use Bat Guano at planting and liberally about once a month during the growing season. I also fertilize once every two weeks with a liquid organic fertilizer (one that lists its constituents). Finally, twice a year, in between seasonal plantings, I deeply amend with a quality compost and Soybean Meal. I like soybean meal because it is a really nice slow release fertilizer that will feed for a long time. I like Bat Guano because it is a quick source of nutrients. However, there are many blends so I have to be careful to get one that is balanced.

There are many other nutrients that are required in MUCH smaller amounts which are generally found in adequate amounts in the soil. Their deficiency is rare and adding them liberally can lead to even greater problems then a deficiency. However, if you're concerned about a lack of micro-nutrients (so-called because they are needed in VERY SMALL amounts) try a seaweed based fertilizer.