Cantaloupe 'Ambrosia' Feeding Instructions
Proper fertilization is an important aspect in order to achieve success with vegetable gardening. The amount of fertilizer generally depends on the type of soil and particular crops being grown. While vine crops such as tomatoes and beans generally require only small amounts of fertilizer, root crops are favorable to larger amounts of fertilizer. With regards to soil, that which is abundantly rich with organic matter may not require much, if any, fertilizer. Organic matter improves the soil and helps release nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients plants require.
Since you will be eating the vegetables you grow in your garden, organic fertilizers are always the preferred method when it comes to fertilizing gardens. One of the easiest and most widely used forms of organic fertilizers is compost, which promotes greater soil and plant health. Just about any type of plant material can be composted for use in the garden. If you want the compost to be organic (free of chemicals and such) don't use grass clippings from a lawn that has been treated with pesticides, herbicides or fungucides. Materials can include leaves, lawn clippings, straw, and garden or kitchen scraps. SEE:
If you won't be growing a Fall/Winter garden, you can plant alfalfa or crimson clover as a cover crop that will be turned into the soil in Spring. Before any blooms appear, simply chop up and work into the soil. These plants will provide natural nitrogen to the garden soil. Since nitrogen is required by most all crops for healthy development and production, this technique is another natural alternative. Wood ashes from the fireplace are also good for the soil, provided they are not from any wood that has been previously treated with chemicals.
Manure is another natural fertilizer that can be used in the vegetable garden. Horse or chicken manures are the most commonly used but other types are also available. Many nursery and garden centers carry an organic, chicken manure-based fertilizer that comes in pelletized form easy for spreading. Chicken manure has a higher content of nitrogen than horse manure and is highly preferred for use in the vegetable garden. NOTE: Before applying fresh horse manure, allow it to dry out first as green manure can cause burning of plant roots.
Fertilizing Vegetables With Commercial Fertilizers
Commercial fertilizers, such as 5-10-15 or 10-10-10, should be applied either a few days before planting or when the crops are planted. Adding fertilizer to the soil during preparation of the garden, however, is ideal since placing any type of fertilizer too near seedlings or young plants can cause the roots to burn. Care should also be given to keep the leaves of plants free of fertilizer as well when reapplying to avoid burning and injury to the crops. Any form of commercial fertilizer should be used sparingly and checked out beforehand to be sure that there are no harmful chemicals present.
Follow instructions on package label for application rates.
Your local Cooperative Extension Service should also be able to provide you with a soil test. When using commercial fertilizers in your garden, soil test results can help take a lot of the guess work out of what nutrients are needed, and how much need be applied.
Final Note: You can fertilize your vegetables with chemical fertilizers or you can grow them organically for the confidence of fresh eating without the concerns that come with using chemical fertilizers. Organically grown tomatoes are naturally more disease resistant, and they taste better too!
Cantaloupe 'Ambrosia' Pruning Instructions
Cantaloupes are ready to harvest when the stem slips easily from the fruit with slight pressure.
Cantaloupe 'Ambrosia' Pest Instructions
There are two basic methods for pest control in the vegetable garden: Natural/Organic, and Chemical.
Natural and Organic Pest Control In The Vegetable Garden
Most vegetable plants are fast growing with an abundance of tasty leaves, flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar, and soft fruits that are easily attacked by many different insect pests. Because these plants are so hardy and produce so much food insect infestations can often get out of hand before they are even noticed by the gardener. This is the primary reason that the manufacturers of dangerous chemical pesticides sell so much toxic material to the public each year. Chemical makers are very clever people, they make their products easy to use so that poisoning your environment is a very simple thing to do. After spraying poison on your food, you not only create toxic food but you also create an environment where the target pest can mutate and become resistant to further sprayings. You are then forced to use a more toxic substance to eliminate a pest population that is slowly becoming a super bug population.
There is a way to keep insect pest populations at a controlled level without ever using any harmful substances. This way also requires that you do less work. When planting your vegetable garden always leave a little room for a couple of "companion plantings." Companion planting is a practice by which you include plant types that draw or lure beneficial insects into your vegetable garden. Companion plantings can also include plants that are repellent to pest insects and therefore make your vegetable plot an inhospitable environment for them to live in. A companion plant can also be something useful for culinary purposes or just a way to add pretty flowers into the vegetable garden making it an aesthetically pleasing as well as tasty place to garden. The following list is just a few types of popular plants that you can include into your garden to lure beneficial insects:
Sweet Alyssum, this plant is very attractive when in bloom and provides a good nectar source for many adult beneficial insect species.
Basil, it's always a good idea to include basil in the vegetable garden at any time of year. The flowers are a rich source of pollen and nectar and you can use the leaves in the kitchen.
Dill, this is one of the best plants for luring beneficial insects into the garden. Dill flowers are very high in nectar and it is also one of the most useful of seasonings for cooking.
Mint, any member of this family of plants is very useful in drawing beneficial insects into the garden.
Marigolds and Nasturtium can handle a slew of buggy challenges. They thwart bugs that can harm your tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries including tomato hornworms, squash bugs, and whiteflies. The smell of marigolds will help to also deter rabbits and squirrels.
Plant Yarrow to attract ladybugs and lacewings, both of which will kill and eat many bad insect pest's.
Aside from planting some of these beneficial insect attracting plants, there are safer insecticidal soaps and sprays on the market that you should find at your local nursery and garden center.
Chemical Pest Control For The Vegetable Garden
If you don't mind using them, there are several chemical solutions for pest control, such as Carbryl, that are most likely available at your local nursery and garden center.