How to Fertilize a Vegetable Garden
Having a vegetable garden at home is a great way of getting fresh and healthy food without spending too much money. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of the plants in your garden in order to get a continuous supply of vegetables. For that purpose, fertilizing the garden is really important and for a small amount of effort, you will surely be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.
Things Required:
– Tiller
– Soil-test kit
– Fertilizer
– Gloves
Instructions
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1
Consider tilling the garden during the fall season, as the leftover plants in the garden add nutrients to the soil.
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2
You now have to obtain a soil-test kit from you local agricultural extension office and use the user manual to obtain the sample. Send the sample for testing purposes and check the results.
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3
Now you can plan about what things you will be growing in your vegetable garden during the next spring season. This is necessary because different plants require various levels of fertilizer. For instance, if you are planning two grow peas, beans or watermelons in your garden, then you will need less fertilizer. On the other hand, more fertilizer is needed for vegetables like tomatoes, corn and carrots.
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4
Put on your gloves and spread the fertilizer evenly in your vegetable garden. Here, you have two choices, whether to use a natural fertilizer or you can also go with a chemical one. If you prefer using chemical fertilizer, then it is advised that you should go for a well-balanced, slow-release variety. This is a great way of providing your vegetable nutrients throughout the season.
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5
You can apply chemical fertilizer in both the spring and fall seasons. However, if you are using manure, then you have to apply it only once in the year, preferably in the fall season. Manure contains a number of pathogens like E. coli. These can transmit to the surface of the vegetables when you water your garden. When you apply it in the fall season, it can take some time to break down and mix with the soil.
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6
After you are done applying fertilizer, you should once again till the garden. This will make the fertilizer add nutrients to the root area of the soil, where the plant seeds will be able to use them.
