Hey everyone! I'm new to gardening and just learned that I need to fertilize my veggies and outdoor plants after planting them. I've used some Espoma Bio Tone Starter when I first planted, but I'm unsure how often I should continue fertilizing. Is it a weekly thing, once a month, or every couple of weeks? And do I need to use fertilizer on all plants, including ones that have been there for years? I currently have Bio-tone Starter, an all-purpose plant food, and I'm wondering if I should also consider liquid fertilizers or worm castings. Any advice would be great!
3 Answers
I typically fertilize at the start of spring after cleaning up my garden. I use a 10x10x10 fertilizer, sprinkle it on, and let the rain help break it down for about a week or two before planting. It really boosts my vegetable yields and makes my flowers vibrant!
It really depends on your plants and the fertilizer you're using. Liquid fertilizers need to be applied more often than granular kinds. Look for directions on your specific products; some are slow release and others aren’t. For example, tomatoes usually require more frequent feedings as they grow. Also, if you’re using pots or gardening intensively, you’ll likely need to fertilize more to keep the plants thriving. New garden beds often need extra support compared to well-established ones.
Here's a link to the plants and veggies I want to fertilize! I'm not an intense gardener; I mostly just water and pull weeds. The only thing in pots is my mint. What do you think?
For me, it’s every two weeks at first. As the plants grow bigger, I switch to weekly feeding. If they're heavy with fruit, I might fertilize even more! I keep an eye out for signs of fertilizer burn, then ease off until I hit the right balance.
What do you use for fertilizing?
What about after planting? Do you continue fertilizing then?