when to stop fertilizing the garden?

[waxworm09]

We planted our first garden this year. When I tilled the soil I used chicken dump for fertilizer, and have been using miracle gro, the stuff you mix in a water can, once a week. I am now out of miracle gro, do I get more and continue to use it or is it good now since all the plants are getting big? When do you stop adding miracle gro and things like that, or don't most people use it at all anyways? Thanks

[nofishfisherman]

I don't use miracle grow at all. We till the soil and add a good amount of compost and peat moss every year. We've done it enough years now so that the soil is in really good shape for a garden. For fertilizer we will put on an organic fish fertilizer once or twice a year but not always. Seems like fertilizer tends to make the plants greener and bushier but doesn't always produce more fruit.

Currently my neighbor is using miracle grow on a regular basis. His tomato plants are bigger than ours but we are about equal in terms of fruit.

Now I'm no expert, I just know what I've done and what works for us. We normally get more veggies than we know what to do with so I stick to the same plan.

[delcecchi]

For a garden you can use the inexpensive 10-10-10 stuff. Depends on how big the garden is. The 10 10 10 stuff is only put on once or twice.

[harvey lee]

Miracle grow has to much nitrogen in it for me. Now, if I was growing a plant to see if I could grow the tallest and one with the most branches, them Miracle grow away.

I mix up my own as I get my fertilizer from the fert plant so I can get the analysis I want without all the nitrogen.

I fertilizer after I till and again maybe 4-5 weeks later.

[pushbutton]

Not really all that knowledgeable about the specifics of chemical fertilizers, but for sure for fruiting plants, it is probably best to start backing off on the nitrogen for sure. At this point you want to promote flowering and fruiting and not leaf growth. Any type of fertilizer used now should have a higher middle number and a very low first number. Suppose you could find some miracle grow type product that would accomplish this.

Personally, like mentioned, usually just use some cheap 10-10-10 once early in the year and also like mentioned have a really high organic matter content in the soil via a butload of compost that is added every spring.

[Tom7227]

You probably don't need to do any more fertilizing. You are going to need to keep a lookout for bugs, snails, rabbits, raccoons,and fungus. You also are likely going to have to start finding people to give your excess to since most first timers badly predict how much to plant. I have already seen zucchini on the table at work. In a month or so you are going to be learning about canning, freezing, drying and eating a lot.

[KEN W]

I also use 10-10-10 as a side dress.I add a tablespoon or so to tomatoes and peppers when fruit start to show.Then cover with mulch.

I also fertilize onions when they start to bulb.That's over now and my onions are all laying down and ready to pull and hang in the garage for a couple months.

I grow a lot of sweet corn and when it shows silks,I side dress for big cobs.I'll be doing that over the next month as my different plantings show silk.

That's about all I fertilize during the summer.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I also fertilize onions when they start to bulb.That's over now and my onions are all laying down and ready to pull and hang in the garage for a couple months.

I was just researching on how long to dry onions Ken W. Does it work good to hang in garage? I was wondering about the attic because it is warmer in there but may not have enough air circulation. Any thoughts? You hang them for a couple months? I have a good crop of yellow and red onions and I didn't dry them good enough last year because some got rotten on me.

I also must have planted them a little shallow as a lot of them are sticking out of the dirt most of the way. Is this a concern, I could put some dirt around them if needed. About half of them are laying down already.

[Early Riser]

I have moved to mostly no-till and do not use commercial fertilizers. The only tilling I do now is around the perimeter.

I add about 2 yards of compost in the spring. In the fall I have a bagger that chops up all our leaves and then add those on top of the beds for winter.

I fish almost every weekend and all fish remains go into a 5 gallon bucket then filled with water. This sits overnight. In morning I water tomatoes, carrots and peppers with this "fish Juice," then bury the remains in the isles so the roots from the beds eventually grow into these worm and nutrient rich areas. When it is getting dryer like it is now I bag all grass clippings and use this as a mulch.

[KEN W]

I just put some nails into the studs.Take a bunch,tie together,make a loop and hang them.They come in the house in late Oct when it gets to cold and they might freeze.Depending on the variety you have,they keep all winter in the house.Usually I put them in the fridge end of Feb,early March.

I have reds and also yellow Candy.If not properly dried,they get stem rot.

No problem with bulbs laying close to the service.If half are laying down,they are ready to pull and hang,since they are finished growing.