Gardening Tips

Good afternoon! So glad you decided to stop by this week to see the latest info we have for you!

This week I wanted to share some information that will help you with your gardening.Whether you're  planting the herbs and vegetables in a pot/container or the garden .…here’s the tip of the week. 

Your plants will need light, water and food. Plant food or fertilizer comes in many different forms with so many different choices where do you even begin to figure out what is best for your situation ? Let’s just simplify some basics. The three basic ingredients in fertilizer is Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash. The numbers listed on the packaging will appear as a set of numbers like 15-15-15. This is the percentage of the three ingredients.

 Just remember, UP, DOWN and All Around 

·         What is the nitrogen needed for? It’s the up. It promotes plant growth and greening thus providing more foliage, color and density.

·         What does the phosphorous do? This is the “down” number. It stimulates cell building and root growth, and is particularly beneficial in helping seedlings, flowers and vegetables to develop.

·         What does the potassium do? It assists plants in forming starches and proteins thus promoting plant hardiness, disease resistance and a tolerance to drought and cold. It’s the “all-around” number.

So, as you pick out the fertilizer you need, you’ll see 10-60-10 and know that it is high in phosphorus which will help with flowering and roots. Starter fertilizers will be made specifically to stimulate new plantings or seeds. Too much fertilizer can be harmful and kill your plants. So, a little is better than over doing it. You might try one that is time released so that every time you water, slowly the nutrients will be dispersed. You can find time released fertilizers that can last as long as 6 months or more. Water soluble fertilizers work well for a short period of time, but seem to last just a few weeks. Organic fertilizers are also available and I’ve used blood meal (has nitrogen) and bone meal (has phosphorous) with great success. Of course, read the packaging to decide what will be the best rate of application and product for your particular needs.

Thanks again for dropping by and be sure to check back next week for more information and discoveries. Happy gardening!

 

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