Fertilizing Vegetables in Raised Beds

Q. Hello!  I met you this spring when you helped me get some of the Tomato Lady compost plus a similar version with composted biosolids.  I used some of the compost for fruit trees, but saved some for veggies boxes, which I am putting together now.  To get started, should I use 100% compost, or add anything else?  I'm thinking of vermiculite to help hold water, but also want to know what you think about rock dust, Sea-90 or other mineral additive. I can't remember if the Tomato Lady soil had some minerals added.  Also, I see that you recommend side dressing (what is this?) with a 21-0-0, which is perhaps the ammonium sulfate I see on the website?  Is that something I add later, not at the beginning?

A. Tomato Lady soil mix has everything that you need to grow vegetables for the first three or four months. You will need to add a one inch layer of compost to the bed once a year from now on out then mix it into the bed as deep as you can by tilling or spading and turning the soil over. This keeps the soil open for the roots and drainage and the nutrients loaded in the soil for the vegetables.

Tomato lady soil mix now in plastic bags

In my experience with rock dust you don’t get much out of it unless you have been growing in that soil for a couple of years and adding mineral fertilizers. If you mix in compost you probably will not see much difference when you use it.

High nitrogen natural fertilizer, blood meal at 12% nitrogen

Side dressing is applying a dribble of your favorite nitrogen fertilizer four inches parallel to a vegetable row. Nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient for vegetables and it will run out of the best soil mixes in about three of four months after mixing compost into it and growing plants. So, three to four months after planting in a newly composted or new vegetable bed, dribble lightly a high nitrogen fertilizer in a straight line parallel to the row e.g. like ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or fish emulsion or blood meal or your favorite nitrogen fertilizer and water it in. IF the vegetables are growing like gang busters then don’t add nitrogen until their growth slows. Particularly to tomatoes.

Good idea on separating the vegetables in different beds. Make sure you rotate these vegetables into different beds each year to minimize disease problems accumulating in the soil.

Gardenias Need Special Location and Special Treatment in the Desert

Q. Can you determine what is going on with the gardenias? Why the red spots on the leaves?

A. I looked at the pictures. If you look at the leaves that are not turning brown or red yet you can see the beginnings of interveinal chlorosis or yellowing between the veins. This is because of high soil pH and alkalinity which is making iron not available to the Gardenia.

This might also be a sun issue. They cannot be planted in full sun here or afternoon sun. Keep them on the East or north side with lots of indirect (reflected) light.

Gardenias also do not belong in the desert. I'm not saying you can't grow them here but just like magnolia you've got to do things that are similar. Gardenia is even more sensitive to alkalinity in the soil and high pH than the magnolia.

You will need to lower the soil pH and at the same time add iron in a form available to it. Get iron EDDHA chelate. Get a good quality fertilizer that has an acidic reaction with the soil and stay away from fertilizers that promote alkalinity in the 

soil. Making sure the plant has adequate nutrition will make them healthier and better able to handle heat and direct sunlight.

A good product to use with the iron chelate I am suggesting is another product that Viragrow is carrying called Maxi Plex or you could use Soil Acidifier by Grow More.

I have checked prices against prices on the Internet and on most products they either beat those prices or very similar. Feel comfortable about sending people and the prices they charge.

Just like magnolia, gardenias need soil amendments at the time of planting and organic mulches on the surface to help lower that soil pH. You can use sulfur but the compost will be more effective in lowering soil pH than the sulfur and a lot easier to work with.

Gardenias should never be on the South or West side. They need the cooler microclimates of the East and North. They perform better in containers than planted in the ground because they are easier to manipulate.

Viragrow Delivers!

Preventing Pests From Coming Inside the Home

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.

Another line of defense are barrier, or perimeter, sprays. Barrier sprays applied to the home’s exterior are an effective method for keeping pests, ants, spiders, scorpions and cockroaches, at bay.

Timing is critical. Sprays should be applied when nighttime temperatures are cool enough to wear a light jacket.

What will I need to apply a barrier spray?

To apply a barrier spray you will need a pressurized sprayer, an effective pesticide and protective gear. 

Sprayer. Plastic sprayers are effective, inexpensive and easy to clean after spraying. For most home applications, 1 to 2 gallon compressed air sprayers are large enough. Chapin, Hudson and Solo make good sprayers for homeowners and have extra parts available if they are needed.

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.

Another line of defense are barrier, or perimeter, sprays. Barrier sprays applied to the home’s exterior are an effective method for keeping pests, ants, spiders, scorpions and cockroaches, at bay. Timing is critical. Sprays should be applied when nighttime temperatures are cool enough to wear a light jacket. 

What will I need to apply a barrier spray?

To apply a barrier spray you will need a pressurized sprayer, an effective pesticide and protective gear. 

Sprayer. Plastic sprayers are effective, inexpensive and easy to clean after spraying. For most home applications, 1 to 2 gallon compressed air sprayers are large enough. Chapin, Hudson and Solo make good sprayers for homeowners and have extra parts available if they are needed.

The sprayer’s hose has a lever outfitted to a “wand”. At the very end of the wand is a spray nozzle containing an interchangeable spray tip. Make sure the spray tip is a “fan” type. Fan-type nozzles have a straight slot that runs across its width. Fan-type nozzles allow pesticide applications in a wide “swath” around the perimeter of the home.

Pesticides vary in effectiveness, how long they last and safety. Viragrow chose Prelude because of its effectiveness as a pesticide and degree of safety. The EPA classifies Prelude as “moderately toxic”

(class II) to “practically non-toxic” (class III). However, protective gear is required when handling any pesticide. 

Protective gear is required when handling any pesticide. Before applying, please read the label and understand any safety precautions. 

•        Unlined, plastic gloves should be worn when mixing or applying any pesticide with a sprayer. 

•        Never apply pesticides during windy conditions. 

•        Protect your eyes, mouth and nose when applying pesticides.

•        Always wear long sleeves and long pants, socks and shoes.  Wash clothes and shower immediately after applying.

             

 How do I apply a barrier spray?

Barrier sprays can be applied as quickly as walking around the perimeter of your home twice. This is basically what you will do when you make the application, pausing briefly to pump up your compressed air sprayer.

Mixing the pesticide. 

1.     Pour two thirds of the water required inside the compressed sprayer. 

2.     Using a measuring device, add the amount of Prelude specified on the label to the water inside the sprayer. 

3.     Using the remaining water, rinse the measuring device at least three times. Include rinsates in the spray mix. 

4.     Finish filling the sprayer until you reach the correct amount of spray mix.

Making the application. Perimeter treatments form a continuous barrier on exterior surfaces of the home and the ground approaching the home. Areas where dissimilar building materials meet are points of entry. Make sure that the spray residue is continuous and slightly overlaps. 

•        Hold the wand or adjust the nozzle so the spray is a vertical swath. 

•        Apply in a continuous 2-3 foot swath on the structure around the foundation of the home. 

•        Make a second application in a continuous 2-3 foot swath on the ground leading up to the foundation. 

•        Stop periodically and re-pressurize the sprayer when the spray droplets are no longer coming out forcefully enough to evenly cover the surfaces. 

Cleaning the sprayer. Rinse the sprayer three times with clean water. Add about one pint of water to the sprayer, close and pressurize it and spray this residue on the ground over a large area such as your driveway. You would do this three times. This cleans the inside of the sprayer, the hose, nozzle and spray tip. Spraying the residue over a large area encourages rapid breakdown of the chemical and does not concentrate it in one spot, making it a point of potential pollution. Never dump it down a drain or toilet.

How often should I reapply Prelude?

Always read the label when determining how often to reapply a pesticide. How long a pesticide will

last, or its residual, varies with the pesticide and the environment. In full sunlight, when temperatures are high and water comes in contact with the pesticide, it will not last as long. Generally speaking, you should not need to reapply Prelude more often than once a month.

What should I do if there is pesticide left in the sprayer when I am done?

It is best to find other areas that need treatment to finish what’s left in the sprayer. Never dump the remaining pesticide in toilets, drains, storm sewers or gutters. Apply to sheds, woodpiles, garages, carports and areas where utilities enter the structure and around doors and windows. 

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.