Fertilizer Guide for Veggies
Do you find it challenging to know which fertilizer to use on different crops? Well, this simple fertilizer guide should make it a lot easier! Just look for the crop that you want to grow and you’ll learn the type of nutrients they need. Be sure to read the notes below the chart, because they are just as important!
| Type of Crop | Which Fertilizer(s) to Use | Extra Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Root crops: Beets, carrots, garlic, leeks, onions, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, shallots, turnips | They require phosphorus in order to develop their roots; bonemeal works great. (Look for something like 4-12-0) | Do NOT give them nitrogen fertilizer! |
| Leafy crops that DON’T produce fruits: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard | They require nitrogen, use fish fertilizer (look for something like 5-1-1) or use composted chicken manure to their bed | We like to give young transplants fish fertilizer at planting time and again 2 weeks later OR we add a bit of high-nitrogen fertilizer to the bottom of the planting hole when we plant them. |
| Crops that bloom and set fruit: Cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, summer squash, winter squash, tomatillos, tomatoes | Fish fertilizer while starting them indoors (look for something like 5-1-1). Add compost to the planting bed. Organic granular fertilizer in the planting hole at transplanting time and again in 2 weeks | When starting them indoors, we give them some fish fertilizer every 2 weeks. When transplanting them outdoors, switch to organic fertilizer that is highest in phosphorus but still provides some nitrogen (look for something like 4-6-2) |
| Crops that produce pods: Beans, peas | Dampen pea seeds and sprinkle inoculant (available at garden centers and online) on them prior to planting. | You can also add compost to their planting bed. We typically don’t use inoculant on our bean seeds but it can help them grow and produce more vigorously. Both peas and beans fix nitrogen in their roots, which also benefits crops that grow in the beds after them. |
| Grassy crops: Corn | Add compost or composted chicken manure to the planting bed |
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT USING FERTILIZERS:
GO ORGANIC! It’s so important to use organic fertilizers because they contain small amounts of exactly what plants need. Non-organic fertilizers contain way more nutrients than our crops can use. The excess amounts can kill the beneficial microorganisms in our soil and those nutrients also go into our groundwater.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS: There are 3 numbers on all fertilizer packages. They represent the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (in that exact order). If the first number is the highest, it will primarily provide nitrogen to the plants. If the middle number is the highest, it provides phosphorus to crops. NOTE: Potassium is also beneficial for plants but you mainly want to focus on the amounts of nitrogen and/or phosphorus that you want to give the crops, based on how they grow and produce.
ADDING FERTILIZER TO PLANTING HOLES: Dig a slighter deeper hole than the seedling’s root system, add the fertilizer and cover it with a little bit of soil, then finish planting the seedling. That way the roots don’t come into direct container with the fertilizer right away.
ANIMAL MANURE: I do not recommend using horse manure because it can contain persistent herbicides that take years to dissipate. I’ve found that chicken and rabbit manure are the safest to use when you want to add nitrogen to the soil.
Watch my special “Fertilizer Basics” video below to learn more: