Properly fertilize in the vegetable garden

Content

• Properly fertilize in the vegetable garden
• The most important rules when fertilizing
• Fertilize the plant species
• Which vegetables need how much fertilizer?
• Lime kitchen garden properly
• Have your garden soil examined
• Tips

Sufficient nutrients in the soil are the alpha and omega for a high crop yield

Properly fertilize in the vegetable garden

Like all living things, plants need food to grow and gain energy for their metabolism. Three of the most important nutrients, namely carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, absorb them as gases from the air or as components of the water from the soil. But in addition, they need a whole host of other nutrients that we need to feed them.

Previous article Lush neighborhood in the vegetable garden by mixed culture

The most important rules when fertilizing

Although almost all plant nutrients are in the soil, but by harvesting and removing the plant remains, the gardener also removes the nutrients bound in it, so gradually depleted the soil stocks. The purpose of the fertilizer is therefore to replenish the reserves of soil again and again.

Fertilize the plant species

Basically, garden plants (and thus also vegetables) are divided into star gourmets, medium tasters and weak eaters. This distinction tells you how many nutrients a plant needs. Preferably use organic or organic-mineral whole fertilizers, prepared for starvation according to the dosage statement of the manufacturer, for medium-dose users in half dose and for low-dose users in one quarter of the dose. Avoid over-fertilization of the soil, because on the one hand phosphates and Co. accumulate in the soil - and on the other hand over-fertilization as well as a malnutrition can lead to growth disturbances and an increased susceptibility to diseases and pest infestation. In addition, typical over-fertilization diseases can occur, which ultimately reduce the yield.

Which vegetables need how much fertilizer?

The following table shows you which vegetables need more and which rather less fertilizer. If you fertilize your garden with compost, then the additional fertilizer used should be reduced by half for the starter and middle earner. Weak drawers get in this case no more complete fertilizer. If you regularly apply two to three liters of compost per square meter in the spring, you can also do without the whole fertilizer and instead apply for heavy-wearers up to 150 grams of horn shavings per square meter and for middle earners up to 100 grams.

Lime kitchen garden properly

Very few gardeners know the exact pH of their garden soil. However, the soil should occasionally be chalked, and this is done with regular compost use according to this scheme: Sprinkle a slow-acting lime fertilizer every two to three years in early autumn according to the manufacturer's dosage information. If in doubt, the dosage should be a little lower.

Have your garden soil examined

In principle, it is a good idea to have the soil examined by a specialist laboratory about every four years and then to get tips for soil-compatible fertilization. A soil examination is due at the latest when the vegetables often show growth disorders or leaf whitening or even crop failures occur with unexplained causes.

Tips

Homemade nettle and comfrey plant extracts are well-tried organic liquid fertilizers that provide plants with nitrogen and potash fairly quickly. Both also contain other nutrients and plant-strengthening compounds such as silicic acid from the nettle.