Everyone is tempted by the sexy blooms and luscious tomatoes we see in pictures, but if plants aren't happy, they won't live up to their outward appearance. Like humans, their beauty begins more than skin deep.
When you are budgeting for your spring shopping spree at the nursery after our brutal winter, save money for improving your soil. I am sure many of us will be having to replace plants where we pushed the zone! Make sure they are able to thrive by investing in the soil they'll call home. Dave once said, "Don't plant a $50.00 tree in a $5.00 hole." This same idea applies to perennials, shrubs, and vegetables. You know those baby tomatoes and peppers you had been taking care of so diligently inside? Give them prime real estate!
The first thing to consider is compost. I have never heard anyone say, "I wish I didn't have such an excess of compost!" Quite the contrary. The majority of home gardeners probably don't have an seemingly endless supply, as our brilliant hosts do in Jacksonville. The bags of compost are fine, but an even better option is to find a safe local source that will deliver it by the truckload. It will be worth every penny spent. Another option is to pick it up at your municipal compost site in the spring for free. To make your own very quickly, get as many bags of leaves as possible from your neighbors' curbs, and shred them up. Combine the shredded leaves with used coffee grounds (2% nitrogen by volume) to combat the carbon-rich leaves. See my previous idea here:
https://garden.org/ideas/view/...
Second, you can spread a layer of high-quality topsoil over your planting areas before covering them with compost or straw for mulch. Your plants will appreciate the freshening up. Again, the most environmentally friendly way to do this is to have it delivered from a high-quality source.
Third, many seed/garden companies sell organic fertilizers that are specific to certain plants. For example, fertilizers specific to tomatoes will have extra calcium to prevent blossom end rot, and magnesium which aids in fruit production and strengthens cell walls. There will be the right proportion of nitrogen to prevent an 8-foot tall plant. Another fertilizer will specialize in root crops and provide extra potassium and phosphorus for plump spuds and an onion harvest that will make you cry.
Finally, I have yet to try kelp meal and other ocean products, but I'm sure they make a difference.
So, to maximize the beauty and productivity that The Creator intended, make it your goal to give your plants what they want, but be sure to do it naturally.
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