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| I've got a few tomatoes starting to show up, and a few small peppers too ! My question: Should I apply some fertilizer to these plants to help them along and ensure the veggies are given ample nutrients??? if so, what kind? I fertilized fairly heavily upon transplanting to the garden about a month ago (Chickity doo doo, tomato tone, yard compost, worm castings) since then I have applied a light foliar spray of Neptune's Harvest fish fertilizer every other week, and sprayed with aerated compost tea once. What suggestions do you have for fertilizers mid-season when veggie blossoms and small tomatoes and peppers are starting to show up ? Thanks, Eric in MN |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by Tomatovator1 none (My Page) on Wed, Jul 3, 13 at 16:53
| I personally have had better luck by not fertilizing after I plant out. If the plants look healthy and happy then I would leave them alone. If it ain't broke then don't try to fix it. IMO |
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| Mid-season I usually side-dress everything with fresh compost and maybe some alfalfa meal or cottonseed meal because in my heat, my compost breaks down rather quickly. In your climate not so much. :-) But my fertilizing is throughout the season with fertigation as I water. Your soil in your climate and with all your amendments is probably in good enough shape so if the plants are doing well nothing more may be needed. Those that don't do such a good soil prep before planting would definitely need to feed mid-season I think. Dave |
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| Here I am, within the reach of harvest(hopefully). And I admit that have perhaps over fertilized mine. I got dark green lower leaves. NO yellowing of any kind. So I GUESS I will stop fertilizing for good long time to come. Also, my peppers are have nice green shiny leaves. |
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| Just got my soil tests back from samples taken after all the rain - no surprise low in N, high in P (though they had been showing signs of P deficiency it was b/c of poor root growth due to rain). But surprised low in K (didn't think that was as mobile as N). So now that all the plants are in the ground, would it do any good to side dress with some composted manure that tested Medium in N (it washed out too) and Very High in P,K, Ca, Mg? Would the K in the compost get down to the roots if sidedressed or does it need to be dug in at planting time (which I did throw a shovelfull in each hole then but maybe that's not enough, samples were taken from surface though)? Beds are still Very High in Ca and Mg due to amending with this compost, not sure why K is Low in beds but still Very High in the manure pile (have to check the one that was covered with landscape fabric, sample was from pile that had been covered with construction plastic that broke into pieces after a year in the sun). May have to buy some greensand for next year. I plan on watering with fish emulsion next time I water (I did a foliar spray 1 day when soil was still wet from recent rains but it wasn't going to rain for another day or so). Plants are looking pretty good now, some flower buds, it hasn't rained (except for a sprinkle yesterday) since 1/2" on Monday and it's been 90 so I may even have to water tomorrow (esp. the peppers I just put out). |
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