Garden soil, compost tea and more than you probably want to know aboutNPK

There is the saying, 'You are what you eat'. Similar could be said that your plants (and their fruit) are what's in the soil. Just think of the biblical term 'Fruit of the Earth'.

So it seems that a general veggie gardening rule should be Feed the soil not the plant! (Although I'm still having a hard time with that concept).

Feeding the soil in theory will feed the plant which will in turn feed you! Makes sense. Just ask an old timer why they put manure on the garden before they plant...it makes the plants grow. The manure enriches the soil which in turn feeds the plants that call the soil home. The manure also helps feed all of the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.

I've given this concept a lot of thought. And I must admit that trenching my garden beds and burying partially composted 'stuff' has really improved the tilth of my soil. The plants seem to like it too. Just look at the picture of these tomatoes. Same variety...Early Girl.

The first was planted on 5/17 and given a popular fertilizer that my hubby swears by (MG). The soil is not amended with anything other than compost, Azomite and egg shells. If you look you'll also see there are two plants in one space.

The second was planted on 5/18, is planted in a section of my organic garden that I didn't trench with compost, but I did have cabbages that overwintering there. The soil was amended with compost, Azomite, worm castings, and egg shells. I also drenched them with worm casting/dandelion/chicken poo/compost tea made with rain water.

The second plant doesn't have as many leaves (probably because it is just one plant), but the stem is thicker and the leaves and overall plant are taller. This is going to be a contest between the hubby and I to see which works better. Organics/polyculture/permaculture or conventional methods.

So back to feeding the soil. So just what do you need to feed your soil to make it healthy? Here is a quick primer.

First, on most fertilizer you'll see the initials NPK. This stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (K). These are the major elements all plants need for optimal growth.

Ph balance is also vital to plants. Most do best in soil with Ph ranging between 6 to 7.5. This is the Ph level at which phosphorous in the soil becomes soluble and encourages root growth and blooming. This is important because the more blooms a veggie plant has, the more fruit you'll reap!

Gypsum and sulfur decrease soil Ph; acidifying it. Sawdust or pine needles do the same as it decomposes which makes a good mulch for blueberries. Lime increases soil Ph; making it more alkaline.

So once you've got your Ph in balance you've got to consider what sources of NPK you'll use. In theory, if you amend your soil right (including a soil test to determine what you've got vs what you need) then you shouldn't need to 'fertilize'. But I'm lazy and haven't tested my soil. And I like the thought of 'feeding' my plants.

Most important for us organic gardeners, you don't want to use any of those nasty synthetic fertilizers because, while they do make plants grow and produce, they can harm or kill all the healthy microbiology in your soil.

To make matters worse, there are ALOT of organic fertilizers out there and some synthetics appear organic but are not. So what is a gardener to do?

I've researched and come up with the following...

First, and this is still hard for me to get my head wrapped around, is that the bigger the numbers doesn't necessarily mean the better the fertilizer. The MG fertilizer hubby swears by is 18/18/21. I've yet to find an organic fertilizer with those numbers. Hence my search for more info on organic forms of NPK and what is best.

I learned that certain forms are not water soluble and therefore are slow release...good for amending garden beds. Others are water soluble and therefore are rapid release. Good for lazy gardeners like me who don't test their soil.

Nitrogen is essential for plant health and growth. Adding high carbon organic matter (like sawdust) can actually rob the soil of nitrogen. High nitrogen content organic matter includes grass clippings and manure. Blood meal rates as a 12/0/0 most of the time on the NPK scale or it might have some phosphorus in it, and it is rapid release. It can be found in most garden centers or at online garden suppliers. Cottonseed meal rates at around 6/2/1 and is slow release. Bat Guano rates around 9/3/1 and is rapid release. Plus you can dilute it in water at around 2-4 tbsp per gallon water and use to foliar feed or for simple 'fertigation'. (Love that term!) Seabird Guano is another rapid release option coming in at 12/12/2. Of course I've not used any of these yet...just read about them.

Phosphorus is used in photosynthesis and encourages root growth and blooming. (If you're a nut like me, apply it during a biodynamic root phase so the roots will take up the nutrients better...but that could be said for anytime you add a fertilizer or supplement to your plants.) if you use the Seabird Guano mentioned above, you'll take care of both Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Bone meal is also a good source of this and rates around 0/12/0 or 3/15/0...it varies by brand just like any fertilizer. So just check the rating on what you purchase. And ditto...I've not used any of these as fertilizer yet.

Potassium (Potash) is also helpful with photosynthesis and helps the plant with creation of proteins. Lack of potassium results in stunted growth, curled leaves at the tips and the plants will be more susceptible to disease and damage from weather. So be sure to compost your banana peels! But in the meantime, Lengbeinite is a source high in potash...rates 0/0/22. It's also a natural mineral containing magnesium and sulfur. Potash can also be found in molasses (preferably non-sulfured) and has an average NPK of 1-0-5. It contains many trace minerals and can serve as a nutritious soil amendment. Plus the carbs in molasses helps feed the beneficial microorganisms in the soil! Not only that, but it acts as a chelating agent so if you mix it with other water soluble fertilizers, the molasses helps the plant absorb the nutrients/micronutrients better. Again, I've not used any of these but it's good knowledge. But I think I'll try the molasses sometime soon.

Epsom salt can be added to increase magnesium levels and won't alter Ph levels. Magnesium helps plants with photosynthesis and helps metabolize energy. I used this last year on my tomatoes and peppers and they had never looked so green and healthy. I've also given the tomatoes and peppers in both gardens a helping of this.

Calcium helps plants build cell walls. Plants lacking calcium will usually exhibit brown spots and/or stunted growth. If your tomatoes ever suffer from blossom end rot, a lack of calcium is likely the culprit. I always add crushed egg shells into the planting holes of my tomato plants and so far haven't been faced with blossom end rot. Crushed Oyster Shells, which are commonly given to chickens as a source of calcium can also be used to enrich the soil. A friend of mine uses powdered milk for the same purpose.

Sulfur helps plants with creation of proteins, enzymes and vitamins. It helps plants be more cold hardy and helps them grow bigger and stronger. Rain water is a natural source of sulfur! Gypsum also contains some sulfur. I've used both of these in limited amounts with success.

So after all this research, what have I decided to do for fertilizing my plants? Right now I'm using compost tea made with compost (1/1/1), green dandelion leaves (.2/.2./.2), worm poo (1/0/0) and fresh chicken poo (1/1/1). (The NPK values of each are rough estimates.) So far the plants seem to like it, its rapid release, and except for the worm poo...it's free. Not to mention it goes with a permaculture philosophy which I really like. After looking at estimated NPK values of it all, I think it's fairly balanced. I think I'll try mixing in molasses next time I feed the plants and see what happens. So more to come on that.