Garden Chat

By Jean Lundquist

‘To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.’ -Mahatma Ghandi

Dirty logic

Take care of your soil, and your soil will take care of you

Isaw a poster not too long ago that read, “Don’t treat soil like dirt.”

The meaning, of course, is healthy soil means healthy plants. But if you think of soil and dirt as the same thing, that is all right with me (though, I think “soil” is what I have in the garden and “dirt” is what’s tracked in the house).

But before we set plants outside in the garden next month, this is a good time to think about your soil — and amend it if needed.

Years ago I bought something from a local big-box store that claimed to be a soil test. It had some funky little capsules in it and a color graph to compare your results with those on the packaging. I don’t remember what it cost me, but I know the value of that test was zero.

Because I’m going back into the garden this year in a big way after a couple years of gardening in grow bags, I’m opting for a full-fledged soil test from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. According to the website, it will cost me $17 and will be well worth it.

Unless a serious imbalance is found in your garden, soil testing is not necessary every year. The results will let you know what types of fertilizer or other soil amendments are needed.

As a rule of thumb, the only thing you need not worry about adding too much of is compost or organic matter. That is not true in a pot or grow bag but is almost always true in your garden.

Before you spend, and potentially waste, money buying fertilizer for your garden, it will benefit you to know what your garden needs.

When buying commercial fertilizer, you’ll see three numbers separated by a dash. For example, 10-10-10.

The first number is the percentage of nitrogen (N) in the mix. Nitrogen is needed for all plants to allow for lush, leafy growth. Higher amounts of nitrogen are great for green, leafy vegetables.

The second number is the percentage of phosphorus (P) in the mix. Phosphorus is needed for flower and root development. Some flower formulas of fertilizer may have a number of 10-54-10 on the label. However, if phosphorus is not needed in your soil, it can run off and become responsible for contamination in lakes and streams that causes excessive algae blooms. Use carefully.

The third number is for the percentage of potassium (K) in the fertilizer. The potassium helps the overall development of the plant.

When you see references to NPK, these are the nutrients to which they refer.

There are also micronutrients that may be lacking in your soil, or the pH balance may require amending. A soil test can alert you to these needs.

When I put fertilizer in my garden this year, I will be fertilizing the plants, not the whole garden.

I’m known to spread manure through the whole garden and compost manure/compost when possible. This may be more trouble than it’s worth, but considering all the weeds I let grow in my plot last year while I wasn’t using it, I won’t broadcast fertilizer across the whole garden. I don’t want to fertilize the weeds.

I’ll put the fertilizer by each plant I want to nurture, instead. In addition, it will be my attempt at being frugal.

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If you’re looking for a good, natural nitrogen fertilizer for your garden or your plants, I will advise against fish emulsion. It is exactly like it says — fish. I can’t stand the smell of it in the house, and the raccoons and skunks can’t resist the temptation of it in the garden or in a pot or in a grow bag.

Yeah, it’s good fertilizer, but use at your own risk, and don’t let it hit the leaves of your plants.

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Jean Lundquist is a Master Gardener who lives near Good Thunder. gardenchatkato@gmail.com