Do You Know Your Fertilizers?

Do You Know Your Fertilizers?

Let's briefly try to categorize fertilizers according to the crops you will be growing. At the end, a list of fertilizers that will come in handy during vegetable cultivation.

For 99% of cultivated plants, the foundation is nutritious soil. We add nutrients to the soil already in autumn. We dig in farmyard manure or well-rotted compost to a depth of at least 25 cm. Don't fertilize beds with manure where, for example, garlic will be grown.

Sowing - for quality sowing without fungal diseases, we add Previcur mixed with lukewarm water to the sowing substrate.

Brassicas - are very demanding in terms of sufficient potassium. We add it to the beds, ideally before planting, in the form of potassium sulfate. After newly transplanted plants have rooted, we fertilize with ammonium nitrate with limestone at a rate of 30g per m2.

Fruiting vegetables - if you want to successfully grow nightshades and cucurbits, sow them on beds where there was previously green manure, which has been successfully worked into the soil. Fertilize nightshades with 20g of ammonium nitrate with limestone per 1m2. Warning! - If you grow cucurbit vegetables on compost, keep in mind that their spreading root system will extract all nutrients from the compost. Work a larger amount of farmyard manure or compost into the soil for cucumbers. Transplant pre-grown cucumber seedlings with their developed root ball - ideally into raised mounds of sifted compost. During growth, fertilize with ammonium nitrate with limestone - 22g per m2. We fertilize tomatoes during the growing season in the same way as cucumbers with ammonium nitrate with limestone 22g per m2, for peppers an amount of 20g per m2 is sufficient.

Alliums - need well-prepared and weed-free soil. Ideally loamy-sandy, nutritious with calcium content. Don't water onions with tap water. They are sensitive to chlorine. Warning! - during the growing season, we don't water or fertilize onion sets! Before planting onions, fertilize the bed with potassium sulfate in an amount of 25g per m2. Garlic doesn't tolerate fertilization with farmyard manure. Before planting, we soak garlic cloves in Sulka. We prepare Sulka solution in a ratio of 1/4 l Sulka to 5 l of water. We soak the cloves for 6-12 hours. During the growing season, we can still fertilize garlic with ammonium nitrate with limestone in the recommended amount of 18g per m2. Leeks tolerate fertilization with well-rotted farmyard manure well. We fertilize leeks with superphosphate in an amount of 45g per m2. We fertilize chives with ammonium nitrate with limestone in an amount of 15g/m2.

Root vegetables - require deep, humus-rich soils with sufficient calcium. They poorly tolerate fertilization with fresh farmyard manure, which results in cracking and branching of roots. Acidic soils need to be limed in autumn. Immediately after thinning, we can fertilize carrots with calcium ammonium nitrate at approximately 15g per m2. Parsley and parsnips have similar requirements as carrots. Fertilization with fresh manure causes rusty spots on them. Black salsify does not tolerate acidic soils. Excess nitrogen causes bitterness and softening of roots.

Celeriac, on the other hand, should be fertilized generously with farmyard manure, compost and industrial fertilizers. Celeriac is not affected by the presence of chlorine in the soil. Until the end of July, we fertilize regularly every 14 days with calcium ammonium nitrate in the amount of 30g/m2 and NPK fertilizer in the amount of 100g/m2. Radishes require sufficient moisture so that the bulbs are not elongated. Do not fertilize radish with fresh manure. Horseradish should not be planted in compacted soils. Well-fertilized soil is suitable, consisting of 5kg farmyard manure, 40g superphosphate and 40g ammonium sulphate per m2. During the horseradish vegetation period, we loosen and weed the soil. We fertilize with compound NPK fertilizer and calcium ammonium nitrate in the amount of 30g/m2. Beetroot needs to be fertilized during the growing season with compound NPK fertilizer and calcium ammonium nitrate in the amount of 30g/m2. Water spinach and kohlrabi are not demanding in terms of fertilization.

Leafy vegetables - need sufficient light, heat and soil with a large supply of nutrients for their development. Especially nitrogen. Head lettuce does not tolerate acidic soils. Beds should be fertilized with compost before planting. In addition to compost, we fertilize with ammonium sulphate in the amount of 30g and superphosphate in the amount of 60g/m2. During vegetation, it is advisable to fertilize with calcium ammonium nitrate 15g and compound NPK fertilizer 60g/m2. With good fertilization, it is possible to grow lettuce in the same place for several years in succession. Spinach and orache are fertilized with calcium ammonium nitrate in the amount of 22g/m2. Chard thrives in nitrogen-rich soils.

Compound or combined fertilizers include potassium nitrate and NPK. According to their effect on soil reaction, fertilizers are divided into: acidic (potassium chloride), neutral (calcium ammonium nitrate) and alkaline (nitrogen lime).

Legumes - are not demanding in terms of fertilizers. We can add fertilizers containing calcium to them. They themselves are so-called green manure. We fertilize with compost. If you grow lentils, then fertilize with Cererit in the amount of 50g/m2. Young plants can be fertilized during vegetation with calcium ammonium nitrate 8g/m2.

Herbs - can be planted in a pot with a dose of mature compost.

Other vegetables - Rhubarb requires heavy fertilization with farmyard manure at a recommended rate of 8kg/m2. Add superphosphate 60g, ammonium sulfate 40g and potassium salt 25g/m2. If you don't want to purchase so many different types of fertilizers, then use a multi-component NPK fertilizer at 80g/m2. During the growing season, you can fertilize rhubarb with calcium ammonium nitrate at 22g/m2.

Which fertilizers are worth purchasing and keeping always on hand?

• farmyard manure
• calcium ammonium nitrate
• potassium sulfate
• superphosphate
• lime
• NPK fertilizer
• ammonium sulfate
• cererit
• previcur

Always store fertilizers in a dry and dark place. Keep out of reach of children! Follow the instructions on the back of the package! In case of accident, always follow the warnings on the back of the package and seek professional help!

Do you fertilize?

Share your experiences with friends on Facebook!

Author: Hana Michalíková