Feeding Your Vegetable Garden

By Shara JJ Cooper, eHow Contributor

updated: February 26, 2011

 

Creating a healthy vegetable garden means giving your plants all the nutrients they need to thrive. Each year the vegetable plants deplete nutrients from the soil; annual fertilizer applications are needed so the soil can remain productive. Some fertilizers, such as compost, can be made at home, and many others are available for purchase at your local garden center. Two applications a year keep the garden soil nutrient rich.

1. Choose a fertilizer for use in your garden. Chemical and organic fertilizers are available. Chemical fertilizers are simple to use and come in different formulations so you can easily add specific nutrients to the soil. However, many gardeners prefer an organic option. Organic fertilizers are available in several forms but aren't always as easy to apply. Organic fertilizers include manure, seaweed and compost.
2. 2
   Fertilize your vegetable garden in the fall after you have harvested all the vegetables. Add 3 inches of organic fertilizer to the top of the garden soil, and then till it into the soil. The organic fertilizer breaks down and settles during the winter months, so it becomes part of the soil, and the nutrients are easy for the plants to access. If you are using a commercial, chemical fertilizer, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
3. 3
   Add compost to the garden after it is well established in the spring when you can see several leaves on each plant and easily identify the plants. Add 2 inches of compost on top of the soil to act as mulch. The nutrients will leach down into the soil when the garden is watered, and the mulch will protect the soil from temperature extremes and slow the growth of weeds.