All vegetables will benefit from healthy soil to start with, so I urge you to check moisture levels in your soil prior to planting. For best results, I recommend watering dry soil a few days before planting, as this will ensure that the moisture content is present for immediate use by the plant’s roots.
Balancing the nutrients you feed
The basic three nutrients required to give your plants a great start are potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen. Potassium is crucial for fruit development and overall plant health, while phosphorus promotes root development and flowering. Nitrogen is essential for leafy growth. Organic fertilisers that are rich in these nutrients, such as compost tea or seaweed extract, bokashi, worm juice and comfrey can be used to meet the needs of your plants all summer long.
All vegetables require a balance of these in the soil, but there are some vegetables that require low nitrogen. Peas, beans, onions, radishes, lettuce and carrots will benefit from a side dressing of rock phosphate during the season, which should be watered in. Biophos is the best rock phosphate I have found, as it contains soluble silica, which strengthens the plant; increases its resilience to pests, diseases and droughts, and increases the plant’s ability to absorb phosphorus.
Supercharge your summer crops: Bokashi compost
To help with the rising costs of fertilisers, it is a good option to consider using bokashi to process your kitchen scraps into a valuable food source for your garden, which nourishes your soil and your plants.
Bokashi composting involves fermenting organic waste using beneficial micro-organisms. I am a passionate advocate of Bokashi compost, which provides the following vital benefits when added to soil:
1. Nutrient enrichment: Bokashi compost is rich in nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micro-nutrients that promote healthy growth and development of your plants.
2. Soil structure improvement: Bokashi compost improves soil structure to retain more moisture and nutrients, and boosts overall soil health by developing beneficial soil micro-organisms.
3. Increased microbial activity: This helps break down organic matter, releasing nutrients and improving soil fertility.
4. Disease suppression: The beneficial microorganisms present in Bokashi compost can help suppress harmful pathogens in the soil, reducing the risk of plant diseases.
Supercharge your summer crops: Effective Micro-organisms
Effective Microorganisms (EM) can have positive effects on both plant growth and soil health. EM is a mixture of beneficial microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, that work together to enhance soil fertility and plant growth.
When applied to the soil, EM can improve soil structure, increase nutrient availability, and enhance nutrient cycling. I have witnessed incredible results by regularly including EM in my organic feeding regimes; bringing plants back from the brink of demise, and creating the juiciest, healthiest produce.
The micro-organisms in EM help break down organic matter, making nutrients more accessible to plants. They also contribute to the decomposition of organic materials, improving soil structure and aeration. This can lead to better water retention and drainage, reducing the risk of soil erosion. This becomes so important as we continue to see more extreme weather over the summer months, ranging from extreme downpours to droughts.
Include these incredible fertilisers in your organic summer feeding regime and watch the harvests continue to roll in. Wishing you an abundant season ahead, from my garden to yours.
For more gardening advice, visit growinspired.co.nz and discover Claire Mummery’s online gardening course at www.growinspiredacademy.com
