Fertilizers are like nutritional supplements for humans and they should be applied the same way as we take our supplements: paying special attention to dosage, composition and the time of administration. Here are some tips to apply garden compost and fertilizers correctly in your garden:
- Test your soil – not all soils need the same type of nutrition and the best way to find out what the perfect nutrient cocktail should include is to take a sample of your soil and to get it tested;
- Choose the right fertilizer product – most fertilizers are composed of three main ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Choose your product based on the test results and also try to use only organic products – these fertilizers are safe for the natural environment and they decompose slowly, releasing their nutrient contents over a longer period;
- Stick to a schedule – ideally, you should start fertilizing soon after the soil has thawed in summer, around the middle of April. You should fertilize every 7-8 weeks throughout the summer or as the label on your product indicates, reducing the frequency in fall and doing the last fertilization session a couple of weeks before the first frost. Combine the fertilization with watering to make it easier for the nutrients to reach the roots of your plants, too.