FAQ FRIDAY: Fertilizer
APRIL 28, 2024All the details you need to fertilize your flower garden intentionally and organically.
Whether you grow flowers, food, or both - you probably want to make sure your harvests reflect your effort.
The first year I grew flowers, I wound up disappointed with the size of my blooms, the health of my plants, and the quantity of what I harvested. Fast forward 6 years, and I have my fertilizer schedule on lock.
Let’s start with a little vocab:
Granular Fertilizer: a fertilizer composed of pellets or granules, which slowly release into your soil over a long period of time (months). Apply this by sprinkling the fertilizer over the soil surface, scraping the surface to ensure it’s mixed, and watering it in to activate it. Sometimes granular fertilizers are applied into the planting hole so that the roots of a plant has access to the nutrients.
Liquid Fertilizer: nutrients suspended in a liquid, which can be applied by diluting in a watering can or spray pack. A soil drench means to water the soil with the diluted fertilizer. A foliar feed means the diluted fertilizer is applied to the leaves (plants eat from their leaves and their root!)
Fertilizer Schedule: the frequency with which you apply fertilizers. Granular fertilizers (specifically slow-release organics) can be applied every 3-4 months, whereas liquid fertilizers are applied more frequently: monthly, biweekly, or weekly (directions will be on the bottle)
Now, let’s chat about the nutrients:
NPK Ratio: the ratio of three main nutrients within the fertilizer
N is for nitrogen: helpful for green growth (baby plants + leafy lettuces)
P is for phosphorus: the nutrient a blooming plant - flower or fruit - needs to produce blooms (tomatoes when blooming, zinnias, dahlias, roses, and more!)
K is for potassium: the nutrient for all around plant health.
Other nutrients: might include things like trace minerals, hi-brix molasses, and more
The fertilizers I use in my garden and when:
MicroLife Ocean Harvest (4-2-3): this liquid is considered a balanced organic fertilizer, derived from kelp, fish, molasses, fulvic and humic acids - this is my “ride-or-die” fertilizer. If you only buy one, buy this. I apply this regularly (weekly, every other week, or monthly are all “regularly” in my book) - by filling a 5 gallon watering can with water and adding in a glug of this. When I apply, I aim for the roots, but don’t worry if the leaves get some splashed up; because of it's organic nature, it wont ever burn your plants
MicroLife Max Bloom (3-8-3): in this liquid fertilizer, you will see that the middle number is highest by a lot, indicating this fertilizer is phosphorus heavy. This is what plants need as they bloom, and I apply this weekly to my blooming plants all spring and summer long (pausing only when temperatures are routinely above 90 degrees and plants go dormant because of heat stress)
MicroLife Super Seaweed (0-0-.03): I like to use this liquid on baby plants (transplants) that have been in the garden for less than a month, because of how gentle it is.
MicroLife Liquid AF: this liquid is NOT a fungicide, but serves the same purpose. The 8 beneficial microbes can outcompete soil and leaf pathogens without harming beneficial microorganisms. A newer one for me, but one I reached for over and over this summer
MicroLife Soil and Plant Energy: this liquid is a root stimulator with 63+ minerals, this combination of humic acid and molasses will feed your soil and stimulate root growth!
MicroLife Humates Plus (0-0-4): this granular fertilizer is pretty much super charged compost - I try to add some across any empty bed before top dressing with fresh soil and planting!
MicroLife Ultimate (8-4-6): this granular fertilizer is the one I use each quarter, applying to the soil surface before planting, and adding the larger planting holes
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