Subscribe via RSSFeeding the Soil and Letting the Soil Feed the Plants does so much more than reward you with
great looking plants. There’s more going on in the soil than expanding plant roots. There’s a whole world in there, teeming with life forms that contribute to one another. Synthetic fertilizers may provide a quicker fix, but a healthy soil can sustain itself and your plants for the long run.
If you are growing annual flowers or vegetables, you are going to need some supplemental
feeding during the growing season. It’s exhausting to keep blooming and producing without a rest.
Get a complete soil test. Find out what nutrients are missing in your soil and add amendments accordingly.
Enrich the soil before you plant your garden. At the very least, add 3-4 inches of decaying organic matter and work it into the top couple of
inches of soil.
Side dress established plants with compost or composted manure. This will slowly replenish the
soil where you needs it most – by the plant’s roots.
Don’t leave the soil uncovered. Rain and erosion can wash away nutrients, and weed
seed can take hold. Use a layer of organic mulch around plants and plant a cover crop on beds that are left fallow.
Identify the problem – or even if it is a problem – before you try to fix it. Walking through and
checking your gardens daily will alert you to small problems before they get out of hand. One
or two chewed leaves are to be expected. Look for the cause before you pull out the big guns.
If you see a colony of insects or an egg sack, then take appropriate measures. That might
mean simply removing the egg sack.
Know if it’s an insect or a disease. A good dose of fungicide may poison an insect, but no
amount of insecticide is going to cure a fugal disease. And some insects are good for the
garden, so you don’t want a spray that is going to kill everything in its way.
More is not better. Read and follow label directions. Even organic pesticides can be dangerous
if over used.