Fertilizer question

[MangoMom]

Hi everyone,

Newbie here with a basic question. I'm prepping raised beds for tomato transplants. I'm amending the existing garden soil with bagged compost and Dr. Earth tomato fertilizer.

Is it better to work the fertilizer evenly throughout the bed? Or to put in a handful into the planting hole? Or both?

Thanks in advance!
Jenn

[Lcottomsvcs]

I like to put a handful of compost under my tomato plants at planting time. I want the nutrients to be close and available to the plant. Then in the fall, I dig in compost and manure throughout the bed. Make sure your compost is well-aged if it is coming in contact with plant roots (the bagged compost should be just fine). Happt Gardening!

Lora

[RebelRidin]

I like a bed well prepped with compost and organic fert. I prefer some homemade compost + manure. Then I also add a little extra organic fertilizer (I use about 1/2 cup of Tomato-tone) and mix in the bottom of the hole and backfill soil.

[kath]

I'm using a different granular organic fertilizer and the directions I got from the woman who owns Cross Country Nurseries and chileplant.com say to use 1/4 cup for each plant sprinkled in a circle 3" from the stem of each plant at plant out, scratched in a bit and covered with a bit of mulch. Last year I did it this way, but it sure added a lot of time to my plant out as I had about 175 plants. So I'm looking forward to the answers to this thread in hopes that maybe the fertilizing can happen ahead of time- or later.

[RayR]

Dr. Earth contains mycorrhizae and rhizobacteria propagules, you'll definitely want to mix it in and around the planting hole so they ss well as the ferts will be in the vicinity of the roots. I would only apply in a 2 square foot area figuring that would more than cover the area of the future root zone of the plant, but whether you need to apply fertilizer evenly throughout the bed or not depends on how big your beds are and how close together your plants will be placed.

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by RayR

Dr. Earth contains mycorrhizae and rhizobacteria propagules, you'll definitely want to mix it in and around the planting hole so they ss well as the ferts will be in the vicinity of the roots. I would only apply in a 2 square foot area figuring that would more than cover the area of the future root zone of the plant, but whether you need to apply fertilizer evenly throughout the bed or not depends on how big your beds are and how close together your plants will be placed.

RayR, are you saying 2 ft x 2ft area or an actual 2 sq ft area?

[dustdevil]

Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag.

[janezee]

Mangomom,

Welcome to the forum.

I have raised beds that are filled with compost. I take some dried organic fertilizer and sprinkle it over the bed with lime and bone meal and a little bit of mycro powder, all mixed together before sprinkling. Old habits die hard, that is what I did 50 years ago. Seemed to work.

Should you incorporate it into the soil? I rake or fork mine in and spread it as much as I can. I want those roots to have nourishment wherever they want to go.

Now, I add Tomato-Tone to the hole at planting, too. You can teach an old dog........

j

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

I think RebelRidin meant to say two cubic feet...

Just trying to make sure I understand the radius from the stem RayR is saying we expect the roots to grow. 2 square feet is ~ 9.6 inch radius around the stem where as a 2 ft x 2ft square centered around the stem allows for 12" radius around the stem...

[fortyonenorth]

Hi Mango and welcome to the forum. I've used Dr. Earth in the past and have had good success. Like any organic fertilizer, Dr. Earth will take some time to work. The organic nutrients must be mineralized by soil microbes before they are available for uptake by the plant. Working some fertilizer into the soil 6" - 8" deep several weeks prior to planting is definitely a good idea. After planting, you can side dress around the plant as well. Once your first fruit have set and are about the size of a quarter, you can side-dress again according to the directions on the bag.

Finally, if you haven't fertilized your seedlings recently, it would be a good idea to drench them in a 1/2 strength solution of Miracle Grow or another balanced (gasp!) synthetic fertilizer prior to transplanting. This will give them a good start until the soil warms up sufficiently to get the organic fertilizer working.

[Worth1]

Getting way to technical just put some on the ground under the plants.
I grab hand fulls and just sling the stuff.
Just dont over do it.

Worth

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag.

The fertilizer company would love for you to broadcast the stuff all around. Just watch those miracle grow commercials. Spray that stuff everywhere! Heck, wash the side of your house with it!

[dustdevil]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

The fertilizer company would love for you to broadcast the stuff all around. Just watch those miracle grow commercials. Spray that stuff everywhere! Heck, wash the side of your house with it!

I believe she said "...Dr. Earth tomato fertilizer." No mention of Miracle Grow spray was given by her. I believe she was referring to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-704P-.../dp/B000VZRV4C

[RayR]

Originally Posted by RebelRidin

Just trying to make sure I understand the radius from the stem RayR is saying we expect the roots to grow. 2 square feet is ~ 9.6 inch radius around the stem where as a 2 ft x 2ft square centered around the stem allows for 12" radius around the stem...

No need for precision here, 10"-12" radius around the stem would be fine. Working some fertilizer into the soil 6" - 8" deep like fortyonenorth said. I wouldn't be slinging around anything like Dr Earth Organic 5 or Tomato-Tone when transplanting, you can sling some around latter around the drip line when the plant is bigger.

No MG for me, fish or a fish/seaweed blend are the only miracle liquid fertilizers for me.

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by MangoMom

Hi everyone,

Newbie here with a basic question. I'm prepping raised beds for tomato transplants. I'm amending the existing garden soil with bagged compost and Dr. Earth tomato fertilizer.

Is it better to work the fertilizer evenly throughout the bed? Or to put in a handful into the planting hole? Or both?

Thanks in advance!
Jenn

As you see Jenn there is no single answer except that the plants do need to be fed. As RayR notes it really depends on your plant spacing. Plants can be spaced fairly close (say 2 feet apart), very widely (say six or more feet apart) or anywhere in between. No matter what the spacing only the area the plant roots will actually use needs to be fertilized. Since I space about two feet apart I prep the whole bed. If I just sprinkled it in a 1 foot radius around my plants... well I would be doing the whole bed that way as well. I also work that in 6 to 8 inches as noted by fortyonenorth and RayR above.

Good luck this season and keep us posted how things go for you. It is always nice to see other folks get into something you love.