4 months ago

Considering doing some fertilizing before you get summer crops in? Want to sidedress plants you've already got in the ground? If you prefer organic gardening methods, you've probably noticed there are lots of fertilizer options, from manure to fish emulsion. Which is the right choice?

Some fertilizers are great for a full season supply of nitrogen (for example poultry manure or cottonseed meal), and some are great options to sidedress plants (fish emulsion or dried poultry manure).

If you have lots of organic matter in your soil (for example, you added plenty of compost when you planted), you may not need additional nitrogen.

To learn more about fertilizing the vegetable garden, check our pub: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubsextvtedu/426/426-323/SPES-295.pdf

For considerations when fertilizing with manure: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/452/452-705/452-705.html

And for the full chart of organic fertilizer/soil amendments: extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migratedunmanagedfiles/Resource003737Rep5330.pdf

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If you go shopping for an organic fertilizer, here are a few types you might see, average NPK content for each, and what to use it for!

Nitrogen source, NPK Content, How fast does it release?, Use for and when

Alfalfa meal, 2.5% N, 2%K, medium, full season supply, when K is also needed

Bloodmeal, 13% N, 1%P rapid, mid-season sidedress, or full season

Cottonseed meal, 6-7% N, also 2% P, 2% K, medium, full season supply, when lime is also needed

Fish emulsion, 4-5% N, also 2-3% P, rapid, mid-season sidedress or supplement

Poultry manure, Variable (up to 3% N), 3% P, 2% K; also provides phosphate and lime, rapid full season supply, when both lime and P are needed

Poultry manure, dried, 4% N, 3% P, 3% K, medium, mid-season sidedress or supplement

Composted mature , 1% N, 1% P, 1% K, very slow, when low in organic matter

Note: For all N sources; if organic matter levels are very high (>10%), additional N may not be necessary for crops, and may present a risk of leaching to the environment. Nitrogen will become available over time as organic matter breaks down.

4 months ago

Deer appetizerDaylilies are very easy to grow in Virginia. Though their blooms only last one day, it's possible for a healthy plant to flower for many weeks. But should you cut off old, spent blooms?

There are two reasons to consider deadheading daylilies!

Aesthetics: Daylily flowers last only one day, and after they fade they quickly turn to mush.

And plant health: Daylilies spend a tremendous amount of energy on seed production. Seed production in turn takes away from root and shoot development and future flowering potential.

From a plant health perspective, seed pods should be removed so that daylilies will produce more flowers next season.

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Aesthetics: Daylily flowers last only one day, and after they fade they quickly turn to mush.

And plant health: Daylilies spend a tremendous amount of energy on seed production. Seed production in turn takes away from root and shoot development and future flowering potential.

From a plant health perspective, seed pods should be removed so that daylilies will produce more flowers next season.

4 months ago

There is still time to join our pond program this Saturday! Call today 434-591-1950~