First: why do you think your plants need anything? Are they showing signs of a deficiency, or do just feel the need to "do something" to them.

Second: What is helpful in my situation may not be in your situation.

what do your soil test results say?

I simply wanted to help them through this difficult season. It's only April and nearly 100 out.

Fertilizing in this weather will only hurt your plants. What they need is deep, prolonged watering and afternoon (artificial if necessary) shade.

Nutritional support won't help?

For veggies, I use fish emulsion and kelp. I also sidedress with aged horse manure and chicken manure mixed with alfalfa.
I used some Frog's Farm with myco this year in my tomato holes, just to get the mycos.

Unless your plants are showing a nutrient deficiency in their leaves, there's really no point to adding fertilizer. In fact, too much usually scorches the plant due to salt buildup at the root kevel. There isn't a plant equivalent of human growth hormone or steroids that we can give them to pick increase growth or stamina. Plants can only ab

that being said here in az if you're growing in the ground in natve soil you're allways lacking in nutrients so a good fert regiment is a good idea iff you haven't ammended your soil. i personally use the dreaded miracle grow and put in a constant stream of coffee grounds to keep the soil acidified.....

hellbound:
Since I don't drink coffee, can you think of something else to use to acidify, other than commercial products?

"Nutritional support" ... define that please. What do you think you are supporting?

REPEATING: Unless you have had a soil test and have a KNOWN deficiency, you are doing the same thing as walking around blindfolded and grabbing bottles off the shelves of Hi-Health and gobbling the contents. IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA!

What plants need in 100-degree heat is regular doses of dihydrogen monoxide ... that's the fancy chemical name for water. Water deeply, use a moisture meter to check water in the soil and water as needed. Vegetables need moisture to thrive, and need moisture DEEP in the ground if they are to survive May's 110 and June's 115 degree days. Over 100 is nothing.

ROFLMAO: I notice you immediately clutched at Hellbound's suggestion of applying something ... anything ... to the plants. I don't agree that "always lacking in nutrients" statement. And you will notice that he/she doesn't identify which "nutrients" your soil may be lacking ... just the blanket phrase "nutrients".

just a heads up i don't profess to know everything however i have been gardening about 30 years 10 of them here in az all of them in the desert sw i am just telling u the regiment i have used for the past 3 years once it gets really hot i stop the fertalizing but i do continue the coffee regiment as this is good for the soil and the plants fyi u can get used coffee grounds free at any starbucks unlike some people i'm not saying this is the only way to do it i'm just saying it's the way i do it. my plants produce very well almost year round and have survived through summers and winters dispite my meddling....and if u don't wanna add coffee to acidify u can allways add diluted vinager or urine diluted 20 to 1 also high in nitrogen theres a great article in mother earth news on making ur own liquid fertalizer there too making compost or manure tea as well.

Thank you, hell bound, for your kindness to a newbie. Had not thought of Starbucks! TONS of coffee grounds!
I would never have thought to use vinegar, either. It only makes sense, yet it stayed in the kitchen. As for urine, heck, I can do that!
I just found my fish air pump, so may brew up some tea per their recipes.

I decided to check this thread for any useful information, but instead I find myself commenting on the rude nature of "lazygardens" - no amount of information you provide (no matter how helpful or true) will be absorbed, let alone appreciated when you come across like a condescending twat. ROFLMAO at your pompous attitude and the way you immediately clutch to your feelings of superiority in knowledge of gardening.

That is besides the fact that your weak analogies don't even make sense (Hi-Health gobbling blindly? Give me a break, the guy ASKED for help!)

I apologize if I side-tracked discussion, but I felt so moved by your rude way of communicating that I actually felt it worthy of my time to retrieve my login and password simply to let you know, in case you were not aware of the "internet tone" you are using.

Here is part of paragraph # 2 of the clickable link below from the AZ Master Gardener Manual.

"..... In general, soils in Arizona will be lacking in nitrogen and phosphate. Regular applications of these two elements should prevent the majority of problems due to nutrient deficiencies. To avoid over application of nitrogen it is best to apply small amounts of more frequently."

I also recommend you read this overview of fertilizers in the AZ Master Gardener Manual. Parts of it are boring or may not apply to what you want to grow. Other parts are very helpful and informative. There are 8 pages. I recommend reading them all.
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/soils/fertilizers.html

Here is a link that might be useful: AZ Master Gardener WATER QUALITY AND USE: MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR FERTILIZATION

Ernie, this a great topic, thanks for posting.

I appreciate the reminder to look at the Master Gardener manual....I have one....it's dusty because I forget about it. Silly me.

If one is fortunate enough to live on a plot of land with fertile soil, lazygardens is right, one should not need additional fertilizer. If s/he managed to find such a spot here in the arid valley of Phoenix Arizona, s/he is very lucky indeed. Like many others here, I'm not so fortunate.

The two gardens I have planted in-ground have been heavily amended with compost and various granular fertilizers. Not always a particularly special fertilizer, just something in general to replace what leaches out. Last time I bought a bag of 16-16-16 at Summer Winds and I just toss a handful around here and there.

But for my tomato plants - well that a horse of a different stripe. I BABY those babies. One note no one else has mentioned is a trick I learned from my little brother when he was growing an herb, so to speak, back in the 60's. When plants are just beginning to grow they need lots of nitrogen for leaf development. So the first number on the bag should be higher, 8-6-4 for example. As the plant matures and begins producing flowers then fruit, the plant needs more phophorus so look for a higher middle number, 4-8-3 for example. (I've no idea if those numbers are truly available, it's just an example). Anyway, I use that same concept when growing tomatoes.

Again, thanks for posting. lazy, jeez take it easy, we're all here to learn something.

mary good point on the npk i use all pupose mg in the early spring then switch to bloombuster or tomato formula as the season progresses and make sure you dilute the urine it can be toxic without it

I keep trying to get hubby to pee in the compost barrel but he's too shy - or something!

I never cared much about fert's till I started gardening here. When I lived in northern California, in the mountains outside San Jose, I could spit on the ground and a bean stalk would grow. Those were the days.....and growing up in Vermont, same thing. Just plant and grow.

i'm from new mexico originally and it was alot alike less watering but we had to add truckloads of manure and burned grassclippings over the winter then till it all in in the spring then add rabbit droppings and we were set......btw miracle grow is alot easier....and the plants don't care if the nutes are organic or chemical npk is npk......

a friend of mine asked me about using mg for tomatoes (she bought several seedlings from me). I scoffed at her and said something like "Real gardeners don't use MG"....because of its chemical composition. Then I decided I'm becoming a fertilizer snob. And *that* will never do. I told her go ahead, it's easy and available. tsk tsk Mary.

i can see how it can be harmfull in areas where they get alot of rain and it gets in the waterways and creates algae blooms but here i goes right in the soils and no where else.....plus it makes a huge difference here....

What does MG stand for?

Miracle Grow.

Hi, I have been gardening here since 2002, learning as I go, what works for my yard, soil, exposure. I fertilize three times a year; feb, may and end of sept, with 10-10-10 for general plants in ground. Veggies I give fish emulsion when in greening/growing stage, and then start giving blood/bone meal mix as they begin to flower and set fruit. I give citrus the same three times a year with fruit/nut fert, and anything flowering blood/bone. I use the diluted vinegar and coffee grounds. Everything seems to do great, we feed half the neighborhood on 5 3x5 beds both seasons. They do all seem to benefit from the feedings and of course very deep watering to wash salts away from the roots. I throw compost and amended soils everywhere and have finally gotten some good "earth" Hope this helps..