Good advice on fertilizer, Red. One thing I always tell my customers: don’t worry so much about the nutritional value of your soil. Just make sure it’s in good shape by adding peat moss, top soil (if needed) and composted cow or horse manure...espcially if you garden in clay soil like we do here in southern Wisconsin.
THEN - you can individually feed your plants exactly what they need.
Here’s a good basic guideline:
I think of the dirt as something that holds my plants UP. It’s up to me to feed them properly; I don’t try to get every inch of my garden bed ‘nutritionally’ perfect...which can be VERY expensive.
Thanks, more good info. Still too early for planting here. I’ll bet the soil temp is 40 degrees.
Thanks to both of you for your observations and advice.
tubebender - I have one of those pH meters that you stick in the soil. I do get different readings from all over my property but in the garden it does not vary much - if at all. What kind of kit did you buy?
Diana, thanks I knew I could depend on you to give us some good advice. I use a lot of compost tilled into my soil along with some 13-13-13 tilled in a couple of weeks before I start transpalnting plants to my garden area. Great stuff that compost. I do use a little Miracle-Grow mid season applied by using a bucket and plastic drink cup around each plant.