I recently did a soil test and found that my soil pH is at 6.5, which is great! However, my nitrogen levels were extremely low—they didn't even register. I'm planning to fertilize a 400 square foot garden with 3 pounds each of 10-10-10 fertilizer, 12-0-0 blood meal, and superthrive 4-4-4. Is this an excessive amount of fertilizer? My plan is to mix everything together, spread it, water it, wait two weeks, till the soil, and then plant 1-2 weeks after tilling. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
Home testing kits aren't always accurate. I've had similar results where they never show high nitrogen levels, but my plants thrive regardless. Just make sure your plants have what they need!
I hear you on that! Last year, my garden flopped, and I usually do well—I'm wary about those ratios. 3.2 pounds for 400 square feet is what the packaging suggests, and I also worry about adding too much nitrogen with the blood meal.
I'm in zone 7 too, and I plan to grow about 10-15 different veggies alongside some flowers. Just be cautious with your nitrogen levels, as some plants don't need as much, especially if you're mixing different types of fertilizers.
You raise a good point about soil samples. Proper sampling is key; if you're just taking from the top layer, it can come back low. I use a tube to get deeper samples for a better average.