Fertilizing Plants, and Planting

The amount of fertilizer used for each plant was a bit shocking to me. I did not expect one of those scoops to be used for a single plant. In my mind, that would cause nutrient burn, but my plants still appeared healthy after a week of absorbing the additional nutrients now present in the soil. Even without signs of nutrient burn, I would choose to apply my fertilizer over a period significantly longer than a single day.

If the garden was in my backyard, I would try to add nutrients to the soil over a longer period. Because this class only meets once a week, we put a rather significant amount of fertilizer into the soil at one time. This can lead to nutrient runoff into nearby bodies of water. By spreading out our nutrients we make sure the plant and soil absorb as much as possible to reduce runoff. In my own garden, rather than applying all the fertilizer at once, I would spread around a fourth of the fertilizer every couple days. I think this longer-term schedule would prevent stress or burning of any kind on my plants. Because I can regularly tend to a home garden, I would have the luxury of creating my own nutrient schedule.

Cooling Off in the Shade