Are Nutrient Deficiencies Ruining Your Garden?

We found this article to be well-written, informative and accurate (with one caveat, see below). If your garden-plants are suffering from nutrient deficiencies, they won't produce as well and they will be more subject to the ravages of pests. Also, if nutrients are missing for your plants, they will be missing in your diet as well. Enjoy!  Chris and Llyn - Sharing Gardens

Are Nutrient Deficiencies Ruining Your Garden?  By Amy Allen

Our one caveat to the linked Post is that, under the heading: 'What are the solutions to phosphorous deficiency', the author recommends the use of horse manure. We have had very bad experiences with using uncomposted horse manure in our gardens and had a whole season of tomato and pepper plants we were germinating from seed, be wiped out before discovering the source of contamination (we were using the horse manure in our potting mix). Unless you can be sure the manure has composted for 3-5 years, test the use of it in a small area of your garden before spreading it widely.

Here are the posts we wrote about herbicide contamination from horse manure: (pic left: herbicide contamination of tomato plant).

Herbicide Contamination?  

Herbicide Contamination Update  

The best mineral additive we've found is wood ash from a clean source (no paints, pressure-treatments etc). Wood ash provides all the minerals plants need with the exception of nitrogen and sulpher. Here's a Post we wrote about using wood ash for soil fertility: Coffee Grounds and Wood Ash for Soil Fertility