Virtually any plant, veggie or other, will respond very well to a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer. The Miracle Grow 24-8-16 is such a fertilizer.

The other 2 fertilizers are high phosphorus (the middle number) fertilizers which are completely pointless for any plant on the planet as there isn't a plant that uses more phosphorus than nitrogen (the first number) and potassium (the third number).

All container plants including veggies will respond well to the MG 24-8-16. If you feel so inclined head over to the container garden forum and we can point you to more info.

If you really want to know what your soil needs, call your county ag office and get a soil test done. It's cheap.

jerem,
I myself us fish emulsion and liquid seaweed mixed together and i foliar feed my plants and they are growing out of control... this year has been a really wet one so any chemical fertilizer you use, is probably getting washed out when you foliar feed they absorbe it right into the plant, i also use alot of organic material in my garden from leaves to grass clippings to old kitchen scrapes to anything that is bio degradable i am not puutting chemical fertilizers down i just prefer organics over chemicals and i am amazed at how well my garden is doing....

Use fish emulsion, don't support the Miracle Gro empire, which is dedicated to dumbing down gardeners/leaching excess nutrients into the ecosystem.

I too am using fish and seaweed for the first time this year. I did get some burn on my basil and servere burn on a shrub even though I thought I rinsed well with water. Also my tomatoe seedlings don't seem to be doing too well with this mixture. How often do you apply it? Any suggestions?

Use a 50% strength solution of it if they're developed seedlings, 10-25% if they're young seedlings.

You are diluting it before you use it, right? As opposed to just dumping what's in the bottle around the plant and then watering?

You should mix it with water before applying.

And you really don't have to fertilizer seedlings until they're at least 3-4 weeks old.

Compost is your friend. Feed the soil, and the soil will produce all your heart's desire.
Also, get that soil test.

Use fish emulsion, don't support the Miracle Gro empire, which is dedicated to dumbing down gardeners/leaching excess nutrients into the ecosystem.

I suspect they are dedicated to making a profit, like every other company including the producers of fish emulsion and other organic fertilizers. The only difference between an organic fert and a synthetic one is whether biological processing is required before plants can use the nutrients. What enters the plant is identical.

Synthetics have effectively led to a dumbed down culture of horticulture, leading to a misunderstanding that NPK is all we need to grow plants. It leads to over fertilization/ nutrification of ecosystems, high petrocem usage, and missed opportunities for conservation of organic waste. Profit is the lesser of the issues.

Where can one get fish emulsion & liquid seaweed? This has my interest tweaked? I am not big on using chemical fertilizers although the last year or so I have been using straight 38-0-0 ammonium nitrate in the corn patch because of them being heavy feeders. Everything else dumped in is just grass clippings, leaves, wood ash etc.

I read on the tomato forum (last year?) that the Neptune brand produces excellent fertilizers for vegetables. To choose among the many different fertilizers, you could search over there. If I find the post, I'll post it later.

I guess, for leafy greens, you'd need more Nitrogen (the first number in the N-K-P lineup. For fruiting, a heigher middle number in the N-K-P would probably be best.

Folks, please correct me if I'm mistaken in this advice!

Best of luck with your garden!

Here is a link that might be useful: Neptune Harvest

Hobbiest, I've found fish emulsion and seaweed at most big box stores and many nurseries. In my area they are cheaper at the big boxes. Fish Emulsion has sky rocketed in price, in recent years.

I use neptunes occasionally but it's so damn expensive, I usually just use compost and mulch along with seaweed for mulch every now and then from the beach

Synthetics have effectively led to a dumbed down culture of horticulture, leading to a misunderstanding that NPK is all we need to grow plants..

While many home gardeners don't know much about plant fertility (and thus many fertilizer makers organic and synthetic profit from their ignorance), I can assure you that anyone growing for profit understands it isn't all NPK. It leads to over fertilization/ nutrification of ecosystems, high petrocem usage, and missed opportunities for conservation of organic waste

So do organic ferts that come in plastic bottles and are trucked/flown/shipped from origin to destination. What's the difference between a synthetic high P fert and an organic one? In both cases the excessive phosphorous ends up in public water bodies choking the life out of them.

One could use seed grains for fertilizer, but at this point most of them are GM seed from Monsanto, so how is that an improvement in terms of who is being supported with our dollars?

I found excellent advice in the linked Tomato-Forum discussion on kelp and fish emulsion ferts.

Caroline is one super expert, and her advice is trustworthy. Ditto many other posters ' advice in that thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Kelp Sprays

"While many home gardeners don't know much about plant fertility (and thus many fertilizer makers organic and synthetic profit from their ignorance), I can assure you that anyone growing for profit understands it isn't all NPK."

The difference is that miracle gro isn't organic and promotes the "chemical crystalline substance is all I need" mentality. Fish emulsion at least connects humans with the idea that organics = fertilzier...not....petrochem = fertilizer. That's how I see it. It leads to cultural misconceptions. Only now are they trying to promote organics, these synthetic fert companies.

"So do organic ferts that come in plastic bottles and are trucked/flown/shipped from origin to destination. What's the difference between a synthetic high P fert and an organic one? In both cases the excessive phosphorous ends up in public water bodies choking the life out of them."

There isn't a difference in overuse, only that, synthetics are easier to overuse for the avg joe.

Neptunes is almost in my backyard, so I don't feel bad about buying it every now and then when I need a fert boost because I haven't gotten around to laying my organic waste or something.

"One could use seed grains for fertilizer, but at this point most of them are GM seed from Monsanto, so how is that an improvement in terms of who is being supported with our dollars?"

The idea is that the synthetic fert industry shuts off the public to ideas of using organic waste for our gardens.

Thanks for all the advice here im going to pick up some of the 24-8-16, i have read different opinions on what to use to which, do i need to use a high phosphorous for my fruit bearing plants (peppers, beans)? and if so do i use the 24-8-16 until they start to grow fruit and then switch to a higher phosphorous?

well i do know the neptunes harvest fish emulsion and liquid seaweed extract do have all your micro and macro nutrients it is COMPLETE fertilizer unlike chemicals that do not have micro and macro nutrients !!!!

My seedlings where plenty old enough and yes I did mix it according to directions and then diluted it. Don't know why the basil was so sensitive.

Can I use chicken manure where I am going to grow corn? Anything else that can be grown using chicken manure?