To fertilize or not

[Byrnesy]

I have wrestled with this question for a while. I make my own garden soil mix which is made from a soil base, aged horse and chicken manure, aged grass clipping, saw dust and very aged mulch all mixed in. My vegetables seem to be growing well but I wonder if I should water with a weak liquid fertilizer once every so often or if this have a detrimental effect on the plants. I would appreciate your views to steer me in the right direction.

 

[Meadowlark]

A good soil test is the only reliable way to know for certain the answer to your question.

From your info provided, I would guess Nitrogen may be a needed amendment during the growing cycle. You didn't mention any legume based soil additives of green manure which provides a pretty much continuous supply of nitrogen through a growing cycle.

 

[gary350]

Every plant needs its own type fertilizer. Corn needs nitrogen. Potatoes, carrots and tomatoes need 5-15-15. Beans, squash, melons, peppers, cucumbers like 15-15-15. Onions need nitrogen for 6 weeks then 0-20-20 for 6 weeks. Many people refuse to buy chemical fertilizer, if I had not taken chemistry in school I would not want to use chemical fertilizer either. Nitrogen is nitrogen no matter where it comes from. Phosphorus, Potassium, Lime are all Phosphorus, Potassium, Lime no matter where it comes from. Would you feed your dog fish food? Would you feed a cat bird food? Some people think the entire garden needs the same plant food, NOT TRUE. Sweet potatoes and blackberry plants are strange they don't grow better or worse if you feed them or not. I put truck loads of free, saw dust, pine needles, ground up tree leaves, in my garden the soil looks great but that adds almost ZERO food value to the soil. Garden needs fertilizer. Several plants need calcium to prevent BER = Blossom End Rot, melons, peppers, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers. Farm supply stores have fertilizer in 50 lb. bags for $20, fertilizer in 50 lb. bags last me several years. Those tiny 5 lb. boxes of so called organic plant food is $25 each.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

It depends a bit how much of each, and their condition. Horse manure and chicken manure should be giving you nitrogen, but the things living on the sawdust may be taking some of it up. Some people decry artificials and say they damage the soil, or the plants, I suppose they might if you relied on them, like some farmers who plough and plough until all their top soil is gone and then rely on them, you are not doing that , and I can't see a bit of weak fertiliser every so often doing any harm.
I don't get lab tests on my soil, for a start I reckon the beds are not all the same, also it's money, and that is in fairly short supply. My best guide is the plants that grow in the garden, and how they do. Not just the ones planted, look at the weeds as well. I am don't know what they are in Oz, but I know, for example, that chickweed is a good indicator for nitrogen. It will nearly always grow, but sometimes it is scrawney and yellow, others dark green and lush, and I bet that is one we managed to export to you accidentally at some point.
I once asked my dad if he used fertiliser? He was a keen gardener, a biology teacher with a first in agriculture, so I figured he knew a bit, he said "I use whatever I can get". It's amazing what you can get when you look around, the only things I avoid nowadays is newspaper and cardboard, they used to go under the runner beans, but nowadays they recycle and mix in plastic to get it to hold together, I don't want micro plastics in my veg. The other is dubious hay or manure, there are some weed killers that are used on hay crops that are deemed safe for animals because they go straight through them, which can mean disaster for a couple of years if you give the garden a good coat of manure containing them.

 

[Meadowlark]

...the only things I avoid nowadays is newspaper and cardboard, they used to go under the runner beans, but nowadays they recycle and mix in plastic to get it to hold together, I don't want micro plastics in my veg. The other is dubious hay or manure, there are some weed killers that are used on hay crops that are deemed safe for animals because they go straight through them, which can mean disaster for a couple of years if you give the garden a good coat of manure containing them.

Some things are worth saying twice...or more...

I can't overemphasize enough the need to be very careful what you amend your soil with. For myself, nothing, absolutely nothing goes into my soil unless I know exactly what is in it. No exceptions. The recovery from that mistake can be literally years...and/or incredible $.

I do not use synthetic fertilizers (not because of cost or environment but that is another rabbit trail) and do rely on soil tests on occasion but more critical to me is never ever adding a soil amendment without knowing fully what is in it. With over 95% of the veggies we eat coming directly from our garden, you better believe I'm ultra cautious about what goes into my soil...and eventually my mouth.

 

[gary350]

Don't put sawdust from, plywood, OSB or kitchen count tops in your garden they are full of glue.

 

[GFTL]

I have wrestled with this question for a while. I make my own garden soil mix which is made from a soil base, aged horse and chicken manure, aged grass clipping, saw dust and very aged mulch all mixed in. My vegetables seem to be growing well but I wonder if I should water with a weak liquid fertilizer once every so often or if this have a detrimental effect on the plants. I would appreciate your views to steer me in the right direction.

Check out this video. The whole thing is interesting but I think you can answer your question starting at 12:30 in the video. He talks real slow so you might want to run it at 1.5 speed.

 

[Byrnesy]

Check out this video. The whole thing is interesting but I think you can answer your question starting at 12:30 in the video. He talks real slow so you might want to run it at 1.5 speed.

Thank you...Interesting information.

 

[GFTL]

Thank you...Interesting information.

This guy has a lot of good info videos. Common sense and real world gardening.

 

[blenor]

Anyone tried Comfrey or Nettle tea? I use this on cabbages, runner beans etc as a foliar feed, when I have some brewed up in Spring and Summer.

 

[smitty55]

Anyone tried Comfrey or Nettle tea? I use this on cabbages, runner beans etc as a foliar feed, when I have some brewed up in Spring and Summer.

I use comfrey tea all the time ever since I started growing it here on my property. I have a plastic rain barrel on the go all summer that continually gets replenished with fresh leaves. I just finished planting two beds with my garlic and am using all the water in that barrel to water them as winter is coming and that barrel will be tipped over soon. The bottom half of the barrel will be used today for the last watering before the beds get covered for the winter.

 

[GFTL]

I have a Johnson Su style compost bin that I constantly ad new material to the top and remove compost from the bottom as needed. It is made with an IBC frame about 6 feet tall with a 4" IBC tank bottom at the bottom. At the drain at the bottom there is a 1 gallon cut off milk jug that catches any excess rain run off from the bin. I pour that liquid into my gardens and sometimes just pour it back into the bin. Not sure of the strength of the solution. Might be able to dilute it.

 

[gary350]

Plants need nitrogen in the form of NO3 and NH4. It makes no difference where NO3 and NH4 comes from, manure, compose or synthetic it is still NO3 and NH4.

Plants need potassium in the form of K it makes do difference if it comes from, manure, compose or synthetic fertilizer.

Plants need phosphorus in the form of H2PO4 and H2PO42 for roots. It makes no difference where this type phosphorus comes from, manure, compose or synthetic.

If I had not taken college chemistry class I would not know better.

 

[smitty55]

Of course it matters where plants get their nutrients from, you couldn't be more wrong. Soils that are fed with synthetic ferts eventually become dead with all the most important soil biology killed off by those chemicals. Then they become dependent on continual applications of more chemicals each year. The soil microbiology is how those all important microorganisms feed plants through their roots. That is the whole basis behind organic gardening to develop a living, thriving and vibrant soil microbiome in the rhizosphere. I highly suggest you do some research on the Soil Food Web to learn how it works so you can toss your college chemistry class in the garbage where it belongs when it comes to horticulture. Anything from Elaine Ingham is a good place to start, she is world renowned in her field. Or even just go back on posts here from Meadowlark who has developed great gardens over the years with healthy soils that never get added NPK and proven by soil tests. These links will be a good start if you actually want to know how soil and microorganisms work.
How It Works - Soil Food Web School - Regenerating Soil
How to Build Great Soil - A Soil Science Masterclass with Dr. Elaine Ingham (Part 1 of 4) - YouTube
How to Build Great Soil - A Soil Science Masterclass with Dr. Elaine Ingham (Part 2 of 4) - YouTube
How to Build Great Soil - A Soil Science Masterclass with Dr. Elaine Ingham (Part 3 of 4) - YouTube
How to Build Great Soil - A Soil Science Masterclass with Dr. Elaine Ingham (Part 4 of 4) - YouTube

 

[Meadowlark]

Of course it matters where plants get their nutrients from, you couldn't be more wrong. ...

Well said @smitty55 ...