How to Fertilize Vegetable Garden Soil

Vegetable gardens thrive with the proper nutrients.

Growing vegetable gardens is rewarding work but is difficult to do in poor soil. Find out what nutrients your soil needs by taking a soil sample to a lab for analyzing. Some garden supply stores will test the soil for you. Fertilizers are available in a formula that consists of three numbers. Each number represents nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectfully. Different plants have different requirements. Leafy vegetables need a soil with 12-12-12 nutrient levels, root vegetables need 6-24-24. Find out what your garden is lacking and add fertilizer to compensate for it. Manure is rich in nitrogen, ash has potassium and phosphorus, and compost generally has a mix of nutrients.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Tiller
• Lawn clippings

Instructions

1. Till fertilizer into the soil after the gardening season is finished in the fall or before planting in the spring. Add 1 to 2 inches of compost to the garden and till it into the earth using either a hand till or a motorized one. Aged manure is also a good fertilizer that can be tilled into the garden. If your garden doesn't drain well, you can add sand to increase drainage.

2. Apply a mulch such as lawn clippings to the surface of the garden once it is established. As the mulch starts to degrade, the nutrients leach into the soil and act as a fertilizer. Dry lawn clippings in the sun before adding them to the garden so they don't grow mildew. Mulching works well on perennial vegetables or plants that have a long growing season.

3. Apply a liquid fertilizer to vegetables that need an extra boost of fertilizer. Use a commercially available liquid fertilizer or make your own, using compost ingredients steeped in water. Pour the fertilizer onto the soil or spray it on the leaves and allow it to run into the soil. This type of fertilizer isn't as common but works well in container gardens for plants that need extra nutrients.

References

• Ohio State University: Fertilizing Vegetable Garden Soils; Marianne Riofrio
• Vegetable Gardening Online: Vegetable Garden Soil
• Cyber North: Home Gardening Guide
• Virginia Tech: Fertilizing the Vegetable Garden; Diane Relf; May 2009
• Fantastic Farms: Compost Tea
• Green Living Tips: Natural Fertilizer; June 2007

Resources

• Gardening Resources: Organic Fertilizer
• Mississippi State University: Discover Garden's Fertilizer Needs