Yes, the 10-10-10 will help, but not immediately. Did the soil test state how much nitrogen to add? A liquid, or water soluble fertilizer will work much faster, especially in the containers.

How often to feed has many variables - what your soil was amended with before planting the most important one. What soil-less potting mix you are using in containers is another.

Containers need feeding regularly, in-ground beds don't. Containers are often fed weekly with a diluted fertilizer, in-ground beds every 4-6 weeks with full strength.

But as Ed said liquids work faster than dry granular ones. Normally 10-10-10 is added to the soil and mixed in well 7-10 days prior to planting then used as a side dressing every 4-6 weeks thereafter. But these are all just general guidelines and much more information would be needed to be specific.

For example, what plants are you growing? Tomatoes I assume since this is the tomato forum? What varieties? Different vegetables need different amounts and types of fertilizer.

Dave

Ok the focus here is the tomatoes. You can get more info on all the other vegetables from the Vegetable Gardening forum here as beans, okra, squash and peppers all have different nitrogen needs. Although I will add that beans, like most legumes, do not tolerate high levels of nitrogen. They are unique from other vegetables in that regard. N supplements gets you big bushy plants but no beans. Google offers all sorts of information on how to grow and feed each vegetable.

Tomatoes are not big N eaters but they do need some. But blood meal is far to high in nitrogen for tomato plants so put it away. 10-10-10 is more than enough for them and a light side dressing of it every 6 weeks is plenty. Google how to side dress plants if you don't know.

Epsom salts is needed only if you know for sure that your soil is magnesium deficient. You don't know that and it is rare to find soil that has that problem. Use 1 T of it dissolved in 1 gallon of water to water each plant with once every 6 weeks and no more.

Bone meal is a very slow acting form of phosphorous which will not help you in any way until 6-8 months from now, It will still be in your soil next year. There is plenty of P in your 10-10-10 and phosphorous poor soil is even more rare than Mg deficient soil. So put the bone meal away.

As to fertilizer rating: 3-1-2 is a recommended ideal level of nutrients in general and numerous products in liquid form are available with that or similar ratings. Liquid products work faster and are more controllable than dry granular. They are used more frequently than the granular dry fertilizers are.

10-10-10 granular is too high in phosphorous, causes run off and ground water contamination. So unless a professional soil test shows your soil low in P then 10-0-10 is fine to use as a side dressing every 6 weeks. Dry granular fertilizers comes with several different ratings but you basically want one where the numbers can be roughly divided by 3-1-2 and then you use them accordingly.

For example:

3-1-2 used every 7-10 days
5-2-5 used every 2-3 weeks
10-0-10 used every 6 weeks
etc.

These are only very general guidelines, not the ideal by far and there is much to learn about fertilizers before next year. But since the 10-10-10 wasn't worked into the soil before planting this will work for this year.

Never make any changes based on a home soil test kit as they are actually testing your water not your soil and not even accurate to do that. Next year plan to get a professional soil test done from your local county ag extension office for about $10-$15. They will tell you exactly what and how much you need to add.

Hope this helps.

Dave

To OP ettaterrel, "everything is looking a lot better now."

One day after your original post you say everything is looking a lot better now? Yeeesh.

Yeah a bit of wishful thinking I figured. :) Nothing acts that fast.

Dave