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Square Foot Gardening

First year in the SQ FT Garden...Fertilize??

15 years ago

Do I have to feed anything that I am growing, I started with fresh mels mix, but do not know if there are things I need to add.

I have cantaloupe, corn, cukes, onions, carrots, bush beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, crookneck, eggplant, basil, rosemary, mint and lemon cuke.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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Comments (9)

Melissa Houser
15 years ago
If you managed to find 5 types of compost, you shouldn't need to feed/fertilize anything, at least in theory. The Mel's Mix should cover all the nutritional needs of the plants.

Are you having specific problems with anything not growing well?
m_lorne
15 years ago
Agree with lissa. If your original mix has a good range of compost sources, then there really is no need. The list of veggies you supplied doesn't really have any heavy feeders. That being said, I have applied some diluted fish emulsion once or twice to my heavier feeding brasicas. Don't be tempted by the commerical gardening industry advertising: spraying Miracle-Grow on everything you put on the ground is not necessary, is harmful to some plants, and over time is (in my opinion) counter-productive at best and toxic at worst.

When you are done with a square (i.e. taking out bolted lettuce), you can apply a small amount of blood meal and bone meal or well decayed compost to the soil and work it in well. Leave it sit for a few weeks, and then plant your fall crops. They will appreciate the boost.
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the_seventh_worm
15 years ago
Agree with the others. In general, you don't need to do that. But what is a rule if not for breaking? :-)

I read somewhere that a foliar spray of kelp is good to revive stressed plants, and since I had a small bag of the stuff lying around, mixed it in water to make some kelp solution and sprayed it all around. Other than that, no fertilizing so far.
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
I use miracle grow every 14 days. Ok, no one throw anything at me........
Melissa Houser
15 years ago
LOL, engineer! I won't throw anything at you, especially as I'm the bad kid who uses Sevin dust! I'm seriously considering fertilizing my black beans since they haven't started turning any greener yet. I'm harvesting from my blue lake beans, so I think there's a problem there! :)
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Lissa, I wasn't using anything for fertilizer on a regular basis, then one day my 74 year old dad came out to the garden and (as usual) gave me advice, whether I wanted it or not. He said "Looks to me like you need to put some fertilizer on that there stuff, see how yeller them leaves are?" He has a very short memory, and had forgot that it had rained 6-8 inches in 2 days the week before.(Of course, I had already put miracle grow on the week before it rained so much). But, anyway - About a week later I put some more on there, and the next day he said "told you so, see how much better everthang's lookin?" I just smiled, and said "I can't do enough for you, dad." Oh well, helping me with the garden gives him something else to do, besides stir up the anthills in the yard with his walking cane. He says he enjoys aggravating them.
sinfonian
15 years ago
I don't see corn in the list so you're probably fine. Though I put some tomato fertilizer in my SWC just to be safe.

However as I'm replanting several squares and my compost is still mighty fresh, I may put down a bit of all purpose veggie fertilizer. My nursery warns against the salt in MGro (though they sell it, go figure).

Just be careful not to burn seedlings.
sarahs_eden
15 years ago
I use Garden Tone. I didn't use anything for about two months, and then I realized the one kind of compost I bought from the store (DOH!) wasn't sufficiently meeting their needs. Hellooooo yellow leaves!
So I put some Garden Tone Vegetable fertilizer on them and WOW! They perked right up - grew a bunch. I'm thinking it's about time to do it again. Especially if it's going to be another rainy weekend (good to water in after using the granules).
socalgirl-10
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone! Things look good was just wondering.

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