FALaholic
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Wanted to ask, how often do you fertilize?
How often do you fertilize?
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DonH
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It would depend on your soil. I didn't fertilize this year after I planted and most of the plants didn't need it. But some of the newer plots probably could have used it once in June. But I put down a lot of compost, manure, blood and bone meal in the off season and most of the area had red clover cover crop.
I go by how the plants look.
I go by how the plants look.
AmaxB
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Do a soil test..... to start..you may not need to through the season.
FALaholic
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So if I'm in the right range prior to transplanting...never fertilizer at all?
AmaxB
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I did give mine a boost but was no more than liquid fish fert mixed with water and I added it some 2 - 3 weeks after planting. Don't know if it helped much or if it was even needed.
AmaxB
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Watch your plants if they are looking healthy I wouldn't but if I just had too I would use something not to strong.
I'm a first year so a rookie at best.
Recommendations for the commercial growers is a balanced fertilizer at planting, depending on soil tests, and a shot of nitrogen midway through the season.
I use compost, add a tablespoon of 6.5-6-26 mixed in before planting, water the transplants in with 15-30-15 liquid, and feed the plants a cupful of 250 ppm nitrogen every 3 - 4 days starting a couple of weeks after planting (once the plants get their feet under them!), shutting off mid July to let them use up the N so it doesn't affect taste.
Takes about 20 minutes per feeding for a hundred plants. It's a good chance to check each plant for possible problems, and suckers.
I use a 200 ml tuna fish can dipper screwed onto a 3 ft broomstick handle, and pour the solution around the base of each plant, onto the ground rather than the leaves to avoid possible burn. My weed barrier is shaped to form a 12 - 15" bowl around each plant to funnel the liquid into the base of the plant rather than running off to the sides, and I pinch off most of the bottom leaves to give me a clear shot at the base of the plant. They don't amount to anything anyway, and a friend dries them and uses them in his bee smoker.
Haven't done a control without the "spoon feeding", but it seems to work ok, and makes me feel good too!
I tried different feeding rates on one variety last year (one scoop, 2 scoops, 3 scoops per feed on each of 10 plants) but saw no visual difference. And the leaf is still aging in storage, so haven't got finished weights from the different trials yet.
I use compost, add a tablespoon of 6.5-6-26 mixed in before planting, water the transplants in with 15-30-15 liquid, and feed the plants a cupful of 250 ppm nitrogen every 3 - 4 days starting a couple of weeks after planting (once the plants get their feet under them!), shutting off mid July to let them use up the N so it doesn't affect taste.
Takes about 20 minutes per feeding for a hundred plants. It's a good chance to check each plant for possible problems, and suckers.
I use a 200 ml tuna fish can dipper screwed onto a 3 ft broomstick handle, and pour the solution around the base of each plant, onto the ground rather than the leaves to avoid possible burn. My weed barrier is shaped to form a 12 - 15" bowl around each plant to funnel the liquid into the base of the plant rather than running off to the sides, and I pinch off most of the bottom leaves to give me a clear shot at the base of the plant. They don't amount to anything anyway, and a friend dries them and uses them in his bee smoker.
Haven't done a control without the "spoon feeding", but it seems to work ok, and makes me feel good too!
I tried different feeding rates on one variety last year (one scoop, 2 scoops, 3 scoops per feed on each of 10 plants) but saw no visual difference. And the leaf is still aging in storage, so haven't got finished weights from the different trials yet.
Correct!
Keep in mind, commercial growers get paid by weight- not flavor/taste. More fertilizer will usually equate to a bigger heavier leaf, not neccesarily a better tasting leaf.
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