(If the fertilizer you use has a higher percentage of nitrogen - in other words, if the first number is greater than 5 - use correspondingly less fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer over the garden bed in early spring, prior to planting your seeds or vegetable plants, and mix it into the top 3 to 6 inches of soil. The good news is that there are plenty of ready-to-use fertilizers for your vegetables that will help yield rich, luscious salad fixings and tasty side dishes. Timing is everything when it comes to fertilizing vegetables. These fertilizers usually are easy to find. Broadcast Fertilizing : When you're preparing the bed for spring planting, apply a complete fertilizer -- such as 10-10-10 -- evenly to the entire garden according to the soil test recommendations. All edible plants remove some nutrients from the soil, and some have such huge appetites that they will quickly exhaust the soil (and then produce a poor crop) without the help of fertilizer. Prior to planting, spread fertilizer (not manure) over the growing area and incorporate it into the soil with a rototiller, spade or garden rake. Fertilizing your vegetable garden is a two-stage process, performed before planting and again midway through the growing season. One application every four to six weeks after planting is typically enough. It contains over 50 nutrients and amino acids. Fertilizer is sprinkled along the sides of rows and watered into the soil (Fig. Worm castings are our number one go-to natural fertilizer. I like to use organic fertilizers because I want to support my plants naturally. Spread your urea-based fertilizer evenly across your crops. The method you use to apply fertilizer to your vegetable garden depends on the fertilizer you’ve chosen, whether it’s liquid or granular. In terms of when to fertilize, I tend to split it into two applications because life gets busy, plus it’s easier to apply mineral fertilizers to the vegetable garden during early spring and late fall when many of the plants aren’t there. To apply fertilizer, spread 10 pounds of composted manure or two to three pounds of 5-10-10 or other complete fertilizer per 100 square feet. Urea is less dense than other fertilizers. How To Fertilize Vegetable Garden - Short Term. Apply your fertilizer mixture as you would apply urea on its own, spreading it evenly across the soil. Determining the amount of nitrogen in a fertilizer and how much of the fertilizer product to apply is easy. Because they are water-soluble, they are available to plants even when the soil is still cold and soil microbes are inactive. Generally, it’s best to fertilize in the morning when it’s cooler and less windy. But what to apply for long term soil building? For standard bagged fertilizer mixes, such as 6-24-24, 12-12-12 and 13-13-13 NPK formulas, you’ll apply about 6 pounds of the fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of garden area. Avoid applying dry fertilizer on foliage as burning can occur. If your vegetable garden has fertile soil enhanced by compost and other organic materials, fertilizing may not be necessary. For more on how to make your own, see our article: 4 Liquid Fertilizers That Work Like Magic #4 … Then water and till the soil in order to incorporate the fertilizer. Applying fertilizer too early can easily burn the tender young roots and foliage of transplants or seedlings. The application of nutrients other than nitrogen should be based on a soil test. Young plants, especially transplants like tomatoes and peppers, have a hard time adjusting to the shock of outdoor life. Certain nutrients can be added to a plant by spraying it onto the foliage when … Sidedressing increases the yield of most vegetables. Too much wind can evaporate liquid fertilizer or scatter pellets. If you still want to make use of fresh manure, don't apply it after your garden has been planted.