Crop group | Main need | What to favor | When |
---|---|---|---|
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) | N | High-N feeds like fish emulsion or blood meal | Light, frequent doses after each cut |
Roots (carrot, beet) | K, balanced N | Low N, higher K options like compost + wood ash micro-doses | Before sowing and mid-season if growth stalls |
Fruiting (tomato, pepper) | P, K | Bone meal, tomato-focused blends, kelp | At flowering and early fruit set |
Legumes (peas, beans) | Low N | Inoculated seed, light P and K | At planting only, avoid extra N |
Type | How it feeds | Pros | Cons | Examples |
---|---|---|---|---|
Organic fertilizers | Slow release via soil life | Builds soil, safer, improves structure | Slower, nutrient content varies | Compost, manure, bone meal, blood meal, kelp, fish emulsion |
Mineral (synthetic) fertilizers | Fast, soluble nutrients | Precise NPK, quick correction | Burn risk, salt buildup, no soil improvement | 10-10-10, 5-10-10, calcium nitrate, monoammonium phosphate |
Crop group | Growth goal | Suggested NPK | Good sources | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, kale) | Leaf mass | Higher N, e.g., 4-1-2 or 10-5-5 | Fish emulsion, blood meal, 10-5-5 | Feed little and often to avoid bitterness. |
Roots (carrot, beet, radish) | Root size | Lower N, more K, e.g., 3-4-6 or 5-7-10 | Compost, greensand, 5-7-10 | Too much N gives lush tops, small roots. |
Fruiting (tomato, pepper, eggplant) | Flowers and fruit | Balanced to PK-lean, e.g., 4-6-8 or 5-10-10 | Bone meal, kelp, 5-10-10 | Start balanced, shift to more P/K at bloom. |
Legumes (peas, beans) | Pods, nitrogen fixation | Low N, modest PK, e.g., 2-5-5 | Rock phosphate, potash, inoculant | Extra N reduces nodulation and yield. |
Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli) | Leaf/head size | Moderate N with K, e.g., 6-3-6 | Compost + fish, 6-3-6 | Add boron if soils are deficient. |
Plant type | Primary need | Best NPK focus | Organic picks | Mineral picks | When to feed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, chard, kale) | Leaf growth | Higher N, moderate K | Fish emulsion, blood meal, alfalfa meal, compost tea | 10-5-5 or 12-6-6 diluted | Light weekly feeds after thinning or first cut |
Root crops (carrot, beet, radish, turnip) | Root bulking | Low N, higher K | Compost, wood ash micro-dose, greensand | 5-7-10 or 3-4-6 | Pre-plant and one light top-up mid-season |
Fruiting veg (tomato, pepper, eggplant) | Flowers and fruit | Balanced early, then more P/K | Bone meal, kelp meal, compost + worm castings | 5-10-10 or 4-6-8 | Base at transplant, switch at first buds |
Legumes (peas, beans) | Pods without extra N | Very low N, modest P/K | Inoculated seed, rock phosphate, sulfate of potash | 2-5-5 | At planting only, avoid extra N later |
Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) | Head/leaf size | Moderate N, steady K | Compost + fish, seaweed extract | 6-3-6 or 8-4-8 | At planting, then side-dress in 3–4 weeks |
Alliums (onion, garlic, leek) | Bulb formation | Balanced N early, K later | Compost, kelp meal | 5-5-10 | Early spring feed, then K boost mid-growth |
Form | Safe starting dose | Notes |
---|---|---|
Liquid organic (fish/seaweed) | 1% weekly | Great for seedlings and stressed plants |
Liquid mineral (10-10-10) | 0.5–1% every 10–14 days | Rinse foliage after foliar sprays |
Slow-release granules | 20–30 g/m² every 6–8 weeks | Scratch in lightly, water well |
Compost | 2–3 cm layer as top-dress | Feeds and improves soil structure |
Mistake | What happens | Fix now | Prevent next time |
---|---|---|---|
Over-fertilizing | Leaf tip burn, salt crusts, weak roots | Flush soil deeply 2–3 times, pause feeding 2–3 weeks | Start at half rate, split doses, track dates and amounts |
Skipping soil tests | Wrong NPK, locked nutrients, wasted money | Do a quick pH + NPK test kit, adjust plan | Test each season or after major amendments |
Feeding dry, stressed plants | Immediate burn, wilt, leaf drop | Rehydrate 24 hours, then feed lightly | Water before and after any fertilizer |
Using high N on fruiting crops | Lots of leaves, few flowers/fruit | Switch to P/K-lean blend, reduce N | Shift formulas at first buds |
Fertilizer touching stems/roots | Scorch and root damage | Move granules 5–8 cm away, water in | Band or side-dress, never mound at stems |
Ignoring micronutrients | Yellowing between veins, blossom-end rot | Add chelated Fe/Mg as needed, provide Ca | Use balanced compost and occasional seaweed |