How to feed my cucumber plants?

[Karena]

I transplanted my cucumber plants into my garden three days ago without using any fertilizer or plant food.
I've since gone out and bought a bag of slow release plant food for them, 10-12-12.

My question is: What's the best way to get the food to the plants once they are already in the ground?

Thanks

Karen

[RamonaGS]

I usually get an empty juice bottle, and use a mixable fertilizer, and mix it with water, then pour it on the plants in the morning when it's still cool and sinks into the soil without evaporating as much. Also, if you steep some cinnamon in water, let it cool and then pour it on the transplanted cucumbers it can help with getting them to root. A number of organic gardeners are using it instead of rooting hormone. Those are suggestions that work for me, but perhaps someone has another suggestion that may help more.

[jal_ut]

In my garden I must water with sprinklers. I just spread fertilizer on the ground before turning on the water. Remember that the roots soon go way out and they will find the goodies. Be careful if you are going to pour it right on them and don't have the solution too strong. If the fertilizer solution is denser than the liquid in the plants, it will draw the water out of the plants. Chemical wilt is bad news.

[imafan26]

I usually add a little of the fertilizer to the planting hole and mix it in. If I side dress, I like to scratch it in around edges where the roots not the stem of the plant are or should be going and water it in.

If I am planting a row of something, I will side dress with a furrow about 8-12 out from the row cover it and water it in. I prepare the garden for planting by adding bagged compost and a starter fertilizer, preferably a slow release. If I do any side dressing it will almost always be 1/4-1/3 of the total nitrogen requirement and I will side dress at intervals.

If you have not done a soil test it is a worthwhile investment. My last soil tests showed that I only needed to add a little nitrogen. My phosphorus levels varied from 245- over 2000. I won't have to add phosphorus for years at those levels. (Expected phosphorus levels was 37.5 ppm) I did add some compost which does contain some phosphorus but I only added blood meal as a started fertilizer.

https://landresources.montana.edu/NM/Modules/Module9.pdf
https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/files-2005/ph ... Provin.pdf

[*dim*]

I add a handful of worm compost around the plants, then also add a bit of bat guano .... I then foliar feed once a week and alternate between Advanced nutrients iguana juice grow, Biobizz fish mix, and Biobizz Alga-mic (seaweed and algae extract)

when the veg starts fruiting, I add extra bat guano (Plagron Bat Guano which is lower in N, but higher in P and K)

for my own vegetables, once a week, I also apply Actively Aerated Compost tea that I brew myself ....

for most of my clients, I just use the foliar feed, worm humus and bat guano