Hi everyone! My modest garden is coming right along this year. Most of my plants(cukes, squash, okra, beans) I have no worries about getting large production from but there's two groups, Corn & Pumpkins I'd especially like to get healthy yields from. I've heard that the corn likes high nitrogen levels, and pumpkins need phosphorus when growing fruit and I know they'll need lots of water especially in the dog days of summer down here.
I've never used fertilizers before though...we always just stuck em in the ground and watered until the end of the season. Does anybody have recommendations for those two plants in particular? Or should I just let 'em go and see what happens? The ground is fairly fertile, but hasn't been very heavily composted ever that I'm aware of. It just had weeds growing in it before I dug it all up.
Edit: I've been eye-balling Bone Meal and Blood Meal I dunno if those would be the way to go tho.
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
If you are going to buy something in a bag, I would get something like 16-8-8 turf builder and put it on at the rate suggested on the bag. Then water it in. You can buy this stuff at any garden center.
This may be your best bet right now.
There are some other alternatives with manures, but they are best put on in the fall and worked in then let decompose over winter.
Compost is good to add anytime. If you don't have a compost pile, perhaps you can think about starting one?
This may be your best bet right now.
There are some other alternatives with manures, but they are best put on in the fall and worked in then let decompose over winter.
Compost is good to add anytime. If you don't have a compost pile, perhaps you can think about starting one?
I'm definitely starting a compost pile, It'll just need some time I reckon. I hadn't planned this garden out very far in advance but the spot I picked to plant had the best looking soil to me. The last couple of years we've mulched up most of our leaves on that spot and left it them there, so when I tilled up the dirt I could see some pockets of that black gold.
In years past I side dress my corn with blood meal, high in nitrogen. After I side dress I can see my corn perk right up like they had a couple cups of coffee:)
Does your town of have a free compost site?? Usually if they do and their should be one close to you, they always have a nice compost Pyle where you can dig up and take as much as you want.
I live near two of them, one is at a landfill, I have to go their during work hours because its fenced in and locked when no one is working.
The other compost Pyle is at a different town nearby that's open 24 hours, you can drop off as much leaves, grass clippings, tree branches as you like, and they have rows of free compost, so far I loaded about 5-6 tons or 9-12,000 pounds with the trailer I have, all with a shovel. One load at a time...
The reason I know how much I can fit in my trailer is because at the landfill they make you weight out on the scale they have but its still free:)
Its work, but in the long run its worth it. About 13 days ago I developed tendonitis in my wrist, I'm guessing it was from all the shoveling, but that doesn't stop me, pain and all I'm still shoveling and shoveling
Does your town of have a free compost site?? Usually if they do and their should be one close to you, they always have a nice compost Pyle where you can dig up and take as much as you want.
I live near two of them, one is at a landfill, I have to go their during work hours because its fenced in and locked when no one is working.
The other compost Pyle is at a different town nearby that's open 24 hours, you can drop off as much leaves, grass clippings, tree branches as you like, and they have rows of free compost, so far I loaded about 5-6 tons or 9-12,000 pounds with the trailer I have, all with a shovel. One load at a time...
The reason I know how much I can fit in my trailer is because at the landfill they make you weight out on the scale they have but its still free:)
Its work, but in the long run its worth it. About 13 days ago I developed tendonitis in my wrist, I'm guessing it was from all the shoveling, but that doesn't stop me, pain and all I'm still shoveling and shoveling