Heavy feeders and MM

Been contemplating on MM and some plants that are starting to yellow. MM has been so wonderful producing bumper crops and lush, green plants. BUT, Is it possible that I am forgetting that plants use up the nutrients in the MM and forgetting to replenish with a trowelfull even though I'm not replanting, just have a long term crop. After cut and come again several times, do plants need a boost of new nutrients to produce more. Probably!

In my other life of row gardens, a mid and late season application of fertilizer was a necessity. Potted plants that produce a lot of flowers run out of steam mid summer if not fertilized. MM is good but the plants WILL deplete the nutients out of it. That's how they grow. So how good is MM and how often is a shot in the arm necessary? A lot may depend on how good the original compost was and how heavy your crops feed and how long your growing season continues. Remember this is very intensive, close together planting we are doing. So I left my son with extra bags of compost and orders to blend it together and top dress everything mid summer and/or make compost tea every so often.

Now I need another cup of tea to wake me up and get my day going.

Kay

walshevak wrote:Now I need another cup of tea to wake me up and get my day going.

I am telling you now that a sip of compost tea will wake you up!

I agree with season long heavy feeders. SFG is predicated around 2-3 short seasons within the season. After each we pull plants, replenish, and replant. I can only imagine it makes sense to topdress, or lightly mix in, with compost at those times no matter the plant in the square. For example, swiss chard. It has been noted that chard is a great season long plant. However, it, too, needs a boost after about 8-10 weeks.

Each time we are cutting/harvesting our plants, we are putting undo stress on them, too. This requires more nutrients to recover.

The factors involved would be how severely you cut the plants back, how big the plants are, how tightly you spaced them, how strong your MM is, and how heavy a fruiter or feeder the species of plant is. These are just a few factors. Weather, climate, pest traffic likely also play roles.

This is the experience we speak of when referring to SFG being simplified but not quite turnkey. SFG is still gardening and requires experience to manage well. That is why we are here on the forum, too. We are here to answer the newbies' questions when it comes to these issues.

Great topic, Kay. I hope it gets some discussion going.

And my thought about Kay's post is that she knows too much and is causing herself undue worry! Ignorance is bliss!

I've come to think of amendments and additives like peoples' vitamins and supplements. They just make some people feel good to be doing something.

For you lazy, ignorant gardeners out there like me, adding compost each time you plant, per the book, is all that's needed.

boffer wrote:And my thought about Kay's post is that she knows too much and is causing herself undue worry! Ignorance is bliss!

I've come to think of amendments and additives like peoples' vitamins and supplements. They just make some people feel good to be doing something.

For you lazy, ignorant gardeners out there like me, adding compost each time you plant, per the book, is all that's needed.

Or she is just bored because she can't get out and replant her garden due to summer trip.

Bored? I thought you've been going 90mph day and night getting everything ready to leave!

I was and now I'm about done. Down to just harvesting for meals and putzing around. About all I've got to do is put some mulch on 1 flower bed and turn the compost pile. Even have most of the stuff for the suitcases laid out and ready to pack. Depart here 10 June and fly to Vienna 15 June.

And facing this http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110531/ap_on_he_me/eu_contaminated_vegetables_europe;_ylt=AvXROg41WDyJ75ljLEkKwRCUU80F;_ylu=X3oDMTNsYzlkbnM1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNTMxL2V1X2NvbnRhbWluYXRlZF92ZWdldGFibGVzX2V1cm9wZQRjY29kZQNvZmZwemYzMG5yBGNwb3MDNwRwb3MDNwRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA21vcmVzaWNrZGVhZA--

Kay