Yes, it's important to have enough organic matter in the soil. Compost works really good and is the best fertilizer, I think.

I also like water soluable -- Miracle Grow and others.

Don't fertilize too much.

In fact, if you fertilize too much, you can either burn the plants or get only green growth and fewer flowers and fruit.

Good luck this year!

Hi Scott,
Time for me to chime in as I have done in various forums. The fertilizer thing can be pretty simple and easy IF you take a soil test. Here in VA, through the Extension Office, the results come back in about a week. The results are easy to understand and include all of the nutrients that may be in question. Oh, and the process is so FREE.
Please do not feel picked on. My dad,a chemist, has run his farm for many years without testing. When I took the tests his ph was so low he needed 2 tons of lime per acre for a start. His P and K were very high which indicated his last whatever years of fertilizing with P and K were unnecessary, AND the plants could not utilize the P and K because his ph was too low! Have I mentioned the tests are free? Anyway, I cannot find any problem with your actions thus far. I would just suggest a test.
Back to my Dad's situation, the lime was applied a year ago (after the test), a minimum of P and K applied, and 50 lbs. of N this year.The present hay crop is very large.
Hank

It's very good advice not to use fertilizer if you don't need it. A soil test will tell you what you have and what inorganic chemicals you may need to add. However, you really can't go wrong adding organic matter such as compost, leaf mulch, or hay around your plants and these will have many and long-lasting benefits such as soil conditioning, moisture retention and fertilization.

I am compelled to make a plea for less fertilizer use because I care deeply for the environment and can't stand to see it deterioriate further. Many people may not realize that nitrogen fertilizer is extremely water soluble and dose not remain in the root zone of plants for very long. When it rains it just washes right away and where does it go? Right into streams and into the Chesapeake Bay which is in sad shape from excess nutrients and getting worse every year. Fertilization of the bay from land runoff causes overgrowth of algae and depletion of oxygen in a large part of the bay every summer. Everyone who lives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed should be aware that their use of fertilizers directly impacts whether plants, fish and crabs can live in the Bay and know whether fertilizers are necessary before they apply them.

Thanks for reading. Gardeners should do what they can to use fertilizers wisely and protect the environment for the future.