Question about fertilizing
 

I have several raised gardens and will be planting soon. My question
is, should i till the fertilizer into the soil so that it impregnates
the entire 11 inch depth of the soil or is it best to layer the
fertilizer on the surface and mix it with just the top layer of soil
and allow it to gradually work its way down into the lower soil as
the garden is being watered.
Thanks,
Johnny

Question about fertilizing
 

In article
,
Johnny wrote:

I have several raised gardens and will be planting soon. My question
is, should i till the fertilizer into the soil so that it impregnates
the entire 11 inch depth of the soil or is it best to layer the
fertilizer on the surface and mix it with just the top layer of soil
and allow it to gradually work its way down into the lower soil as
the garden is being watered.
Thanks,
Johnny

I presume this is a vegetable garden. I trust we are talking manure here
(manure, bonemeal, and wood ashes or some other combination of NO3, PO4,
and K). Manure builds soil. Chemical fertilizers at best don't help and
at worst kill soils. Conventenal wisdom would have you till it in and
then side dress with it later in the season. A heck of a lot easier is
lasagna gardening (Google it), which is no dig gardening and doesn't
disturb the worms hallways (aeration) or the fungi's mycorhiza
(conversion of organic material to a form usable by plants).

My choice to your problem would be fertilizer and then 2 - 3 inches of
mulch.
--

Billy

Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/

Question about fertilizing
 

Johnny wrote:
I have several raised gardens and will be planting soon. My question
is, should i till the fertilizer into the soil so that it impregnates
the entire 11 inch depth of the soil or is it best to layer the
fertilizer on the surface and mix it with just the top layer of soil
and allow it to gradually work its way down into the lower soil as
the garden is being watered.

Depends what you're planting... many vegetable seeds don't need
fertilizer until after they germinate and develop their true leaves.
And with fertilizer less is more, many people over fertilize and burn
their plants.

Question about fertilizing
 

Johnny wrote:

I have several raised gardens and will be planting soon. My question
is, should i till the fertilizer into the soil so that it impregnates
the entire 11 inch depth of the soil or is it best to layer the
fertilizer on the surface and mix it with just the top layer of soil
and allow it to gradually work its way down into the lower soil as
the garden is being watered.
Thanks,
Johnny

As others have mentioned, it all depends on how you are going to be
using the plot of land. If you are going to plant seeds don't fertilize
now. If you are going to use it for young plants you can fertilize now
or wait until you put the plants in. As to how deep to "dig in" the
fertilizer, it depends on what you are planting. Very few vegetables
require "deep" fertilizing. Things like tomatoes have fairly shallow
roots and, for the most part, do better with "surface fertilizing".

A note on fertilizer: Too mush is a lot worse than too little. Follow
the vendor's directions and it is better to use small amounts more often
than to fertilizer all at one time.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Gardening for over 40 years

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

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