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Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Vegetable gardens need soil-filled nutrients for a strong, healthy, productive season.

The nutrients that vegetable plants need to grow, mature and set and ripen fruit are naturally present in most undisturbed soils and those prepared for planting. But because nitrate salts and some of the micronutrients and trace elements are water-soluble, and because plants use other nutrients as they grow, soil that was once adequate for your plants can become exhausted in short order. (This is especially true for soils used in containers.) If your plants start lacking vigor, have yellowing or purpling foliage, experience stunted growth or are becoming more susceptible to pests or diseases, chances are they’re suffering from a nutrient deficiency.

The best way to provide nutrients for your plants is by thoroughly preparing your soil prior to planting. During the season, use organic mulches like salt hay, compost or straw, which decompose slowly and release nutrients into the soil, especially as you work them in while cultivating your garden. If necessary, you can add additional nutrients and trace elements when you water by fertilizing with an organic liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or a tea made by soaking manure in water. This approach will provide low levels of the nutrients your vegetables need, while avoiding any hazard of burning them by applying too much nitrogen fertilizer.

Solid organic fertilizers are another option when vegetable plants show signs of nutrient deficiency. Choose well-rotted or composted manures, blood meal or manure-fortified composts of decomposed plant matter. Avoid bone meal made from ground, sterilized bones of cows, pigs and other slaughtered animals because they may harbor infectious proteins called “prions” that could cause neural disease if inhaled or ingested. (It’s believed that prions are the cause of so-called mad cow disease, or spongiform encephalitis, and also could be a hazard to humans.)

Most organic fertilizers contain decomposed plants and animal waste and are balanced with roughly equal amounts of the three nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) – as well as many micronutrients and trace minerals. (Exceptions include mineral phosphate, guano and raw manure, all of which have abundant nitrogen and cause rapid growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.) Organic fertilizers also have helpful microorganisms that replenish your soil.

It’s always best to use balanced, slow-release, low-concentration fertilizers for vegetables. Well-rotted and composted manure (composted cow manure is the most common you’ll find in garden centers) or liquid fish emulsion fertilizers are the best choices for a strong, healthy garden.