potassium

[Mr. Wizard]

I've concluded my garden is low in potassium. No pea growth, radishes were all stalks, slow pepper growth and tomatoes are mostly stems and leaves with few flowers. It's only the 2nd year of trying to recover a garden that hadn't been used in many years. I mulched it heavily last fall. Can I add a source of potassium this late in the growing season and expect it to help? Ashes from the bonfire?

[Steve Foss]

If the veggies are that far gone, adding potassium at this point will help somewhat, but probably not enough to produce really nice crops unless you have an extended growing season.

But I recommend not basing your assessment solely on what the plants are doing. Before you add anything, get your soil tested. It's the only way to know for sure if there are deficiencies.

Here is a good place to start.

[harvey lee]

I totally agree with Steve. A soil sample is the only way to know for sure what your soil is lacking for any veggie to grow well.

Most fertilizer plants can also do a soil sample for you.