Apply lime in fall or spring and till it into the soil. Lime is slow-acting and doesn't move well in the soil. Lime will raise soil pH and make it more suitable for vegetable crops. Most soils in western Oregon are naturally more acidic than this, meaning the pH is lower. The ideal soil pH for most vegetable crops is 6.0 to 7.5. For more detailed information on fertilizing, see Fertilizing Your Garden: Vegetables, Fruits, and Ornamentals, EC 1503. Repeated annual applications of manures or composts can reduce or eliminate the need for fertilizer. Avoid broadcasting fertilizer into the whorls of corn leaves, as it may damage emerging leaves. Place the fertilizer on the soil surface beside the row, just before watering. Apply at a rate of approximately 2 lb N per 1,000 square feet. Use a liquid or soil fertilizer with a high ratio of n (for example, 3-1-1, 30-10-10, or 21-0-0). Vegetables most likely to benefit from a split application of N include peppers, sweet corn, and celery.
For established vegetable gardens that do not require annual P and K addition, consider applying some of the nitrogen 3 to 6 weeks after seeding or transplanting, just prior to rapid vegetative growth. Nitrogen is used by vegetables most efficiently when it is applied just prior to rapid vegetative growth. Consider soil testing every 3 to 5 years to see whether you really need to supply any nutrient other than N. Nitrogen can leach out of the soil iwth excessive irrigation or rainfall. If you have applied a balanced fertilizer at recommended rates for several years, enough P and K may already be present in the soil, because they are less mobile than N. Thus, every 10 lb of this fertilizer contains approximately 2 lb of nitrogen, 2 lb of phosphate, and 1 lb of potash. For example, a fertilizer labeled 20-20-10 contains 20 percent nitrogen, 20 percent phosphate, and 10 percent potash.
In most cases, an annual application of a balanced fertilizer (such as 20-20-10), at a rate that supplies about 3 lbs of nitrogen (N) per 1,000 square feet, is sufficient for vegetable crops.įertilizer labels indicate the percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potash (K) in the material. Raised beds often improve drainage, allow soil to warm rapidly in the spring, and reduce problems with soil-bourne disease. To maintain good soil tilth, consider growing vegetables in raised beds and keeping foot traffic out of the beds. Winter cover crops also can improve soil tilth. See Improving Garden Soils with Organic Matter, EC 1561, to learn about choosing and using composts, manures, and other organic materials to improve your garden soil. To maintain or improve soil tilth, add fresh or composted organic matter each year. Good tilth means a soil is easy to dig in, accepts and stores water readily, has good drainage, and make a good seed bed.
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