Posted in Homestead Garden and Farm

We’ve all heard the old adage, “You are what you eat.” Words of wisdom to consider when you’re choosing what to feed your body. In my opinion, we should think along these same lines when we’re feeding our gardens, too. Especially when we’re  fertilizing our food crops: vegetables, fruits and herbs. Organic or all-natural fertilizers are simply the safest best bet for all your gardens, I believe.

 There are of course lots of options, methods and products to choose from, many of which are excellent. I’ll share a little about how I feed my gardens and some of my favorite products today.

First of all, when I prepare the soil for my garden or potted plants, I always add compost to the soil mix. If I’m building raised beds or filling pots or planters, I use the mixture suggested by Mel Bartholomew in Square Foot Gardening: 1 part Compost, 1 part Peat, 1 part Vermiculite. This makes a light and fluffy soil mix that I’ve had good results with. If I’m preparing traditional garden beds, I add a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost on top of the soil and then mix into the top few inches of soil.

When planting seeds in a bed, I sprinkle a thin layer of compost on top and plant my seeds in that. I also cover the seeds with more compost. When planting seedlings or potted plants, I add compost to the bottom of the planting hole, and then top-dress the plant with even more compost on top. The compost will make for healthy soils and happy plants.

After my plants are established and growing, I usually fertilize about once a month during the growing season.  Some crops are heavy feeders and will need to be fertilized more often.  Check your growing guide for how often to fertilize if you're unsure. 

My favorite liquid fertilizer is by Ladybug Brand. It’s called John’s Recipe Liquid Fertilizer. Here’s a link to their website for more information about the product: http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/ladybugbrand/index.html

They also have an organic granular fertilizer, which I’ve not used yet; but plan to  try in the future. If you’re anywhere near the Austin, Texas area, I highly recommend a visit to their garden center, called The Natural Gardener. It’s a beautiful place, with excellent quality plants, seeds, soils, display gardens, pottery, a garden shop that I could spend lots of time and money in, and some really fun animals! Here’s a link for those who don’t live close enough to visit: http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com/ Be sure to check out the information page, which has lots of good growing information, to do lists, and even the recipe for John’s Natural Fertilizer mentioned above! I prefer to buy it pre-mixed, when you see the ingredients, you’ll probably understand why; but if you can’t find it locally or are a bit adventurous, perhaps you’d like to make your own! It smells and looks pretty bad, but the results are worth it, in my opinion.

You can also use your compost and make “Compost Tea” to feed your plants. Here’s a link to an entertaining and helpful “how-to” article on the subject:

 www.ann-mccormick.com/HerbNCowgirl/CompostTea.htm

If you have a favorite organic fertilizer or plant food recipe, leave a comment so we can check it out. Remember, you are what your plants eat!

Garden Blessings,

Catherine

Catherine Love lives and gardens in Texas with her husband Carl, and her 3 little garden girlies, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They are currently living the “urban homestead” adventure in an apartment; but hope to be country homestead bound soon! Visit Catherine as she blogs more on gardening, herbs and her homestead happenings at: www.homesteadblogger.com/CatherineAnn  .