Most vegetables and flowers, grown in the home garden, grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.5. Since Long Island soils are naturally acid, they usually need limestone for the best growth of most vegetables and flowers. However, limestone should be applied only if a soil test indicates it is needed. Raising soil pH too high can be as harmful as having soil pH too low. Contact our office for information on soil testing. The limestone should be applied before plowing, rototilling or spading so it will be mixed with the top 6"-8" of soil.
Apply
Fertilizer
Most Long Island
soils require the application of a fertilizer to grow vegetables or flowers
satisfactorily. Usually a 1:2:1 or 1:2:2 fertilizer is best for vegetables and
flowers. A 5-10-5 fertilizer contains 5% of nitrogen, 10% of phosphoric acid,
and 5% potash. Fertilizers available today contain nutrients from chemical or
organic sources and therefore give you a choice in selecting garden fertilizers.
For the average home garden, with reasonably fertile soil, a 5-10-5 fertilizer applied at the rate of 2-1/2 lbs. per 100 sq.ft. is suggested. A quart mason jar holds approximately 2 lbs. Of fertilizer. The fertilizer should be broadcast before planting and thoroughly mixed with the soil. Some vegetables benefit from a sidedressing of fertilizer during the growing season. Care should be taken to prevent any fertilizer from coming in direct contact with the seed, as it may cause injury. For new land or sandy soils, a 5-10-10 analysis is recommended instead of a 5-10-5 fertilizer. It is advisable to have a nutrient test run in addition to a pH test, where this situation exists.
Garden
Soils need plenty of Organic Material
In addition to
applying a commercial fertilizer, it is recommended that animal or poultry manure
be rototilled or spaded under before planting, as the best means of increasing
the organic matter content of garden soils. Cow, horse or duck manure are to
be preferred for garden soils, specially if the manure is well-rotted. A light
application of poultry manure (1/2 to 1 bushel to 100 sq.ft.) turned under is
also an excellent source of organic matter. Cow or horse manure could be used
at a rate of 2 bu./100 sq.ft. Where animal manures cannot be obtained at reasonable
cost, peat moss, leaf mold, compost or any other source of organic matter can
be added. You could use 2 to 4 bushels per 100 sq.ft. of these materials, depending
on soil type.
Organic matter improves all Long Island soils. It makes sandy soils more retentive of moisture. Composted leaves and vegetable refuse are an excellent source of organic matter. This office will be glad to supply directions for making compost on request.
Another source of organic matter is a green manure. These cover crops are seeded in the summer and rototilled when adequate growth is attained. One excellent green manure is buckwheat. It is possible to get two to three crops of buckwheat in a single season. It is usually seeded at a rate of 3 ounces per 100 sq.ft.
Seed
a Winter Cover Crop
Plant winter rye in the garden as soon as the ground can be cleaned up in the
fall, or plant in between the rows of late vegetables in late September. This
will conserve the fertility of the soil, prevent erosion, and help maintain
the organic matter supply of the soil. Sow winter rye at 3 ounces per 100 sq.ft.
If you are interested in fertilizing your garden with organic fertilizers, contact our office for information on ordering a copy of "A Guide to the Nutrient Value of Organic Materials."
References: Soils and Fertilizer Resource Notebook, Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture, Cornell University, March 1989; and Improve Your Soil With Cover Crops, Eco Gardening Fact Stheet #9, Marcia Eames-Sheavly, Dept. of Fruit and Vegetable Sciences, Cornell University.
For more information contact: Tom Kowalsick, Extension Educator - Horticulture, CCE - Suffolk County
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