It’s Time to Fertilize!
By Paul James
The relentless storms have taken their toll on area gardens, and while much of the damage is visible – flooding, downed trees, and so on – it’s what you can’t see that concerns me, and that’s the leaching of nutrients through the soil as a result of torrential and incessant rains.
Leaching occurs when water moves down through the soil and carries with it many of the nutrients that plants need to survive. And given all the rain we’ve had lately, it’s a safe bet that whatever the nutrient levels were in your soil at the beginning of May, they’re a tiny fraction of that now. That’s especially true of nitrogen and sulfur, but my guess is several micro- and secondary-nutrient levels have dropped as well, perhaps even significantly in some cases.
And that’s why you need to fertilize. I strongly recommend the use of slow-release fertilizers because they’re not particularly water soluble. As a result, they release their nutrients slowly over time. Most slow-release fertilizers are also all-natural or organic – Milorganite is a good example, as are various products made by Espoma – but there’s also Osmocote, a synthetic fertilizer that’s coated with a material that dissolves slowly and releases nutrients over a period of months. And don’t forget good old compost, whether homemade or store bought.
And just when should you fertilize? Well, now would be a good time.
6 responses to “It’s Time to Fertilize!”
Back to Blog
Milorganite is a GREAT organic fertilizer AND, bonus, the gophers, deers, moles, and rabbits hate it! But, where can it be found in Tulsa?
We’ve got it here at Southwood. We sell tons of it every year. Come on down.
Good afternoon. I’m in BA. In the early spring I shoveled over 25 (40lb feed sacks) full of composted sheep manure from my friends farm and brought it to my house and added a small layer throughout my flower beds. (I have 3/4 of an acre with lots of flowerbeds) My beds are the prettiest and fullest they’ve ever been. Do you suggest that I also add compost again because of all of the rain or do you think “I’m good” for the year???
I’d say you’re probably good for the year, although it wouldn’t hurt to just scatter some of the compost around the perimeter of any plants whose leaves start to yellow in the next few weeks.
Great job, by the way. Compost is the greatest!
What kind of fertilizer do you suggest? My yard has a lot of trees and some sun . I participated in your can goods for tomato plant exchange for the first time and I see the difference from previous nursery plants. Your plants are very lively and strong. Hope the Nursery Buildings are okay.
I mentioned Milorganite in my post, and that’s always been my favorite. Give it a try.