Pre-plant Fertilizer
10 cups (5 pounds) pulverized Garden Lime
2 level tablespoons boron (20 Mule Team Borax laundry detergent)
1/2 cup Epsom salt (in the Pharmacy department)
Mix together and store in a container with a tight lid. Sprinkle 1 ounce per foot. (See tip below*)
Mix the fertilizer into the soil.
This is applied each time you have a new crop.
(If you have a spring and fall crop in one year - apply in the spring and
again in the fall before planting.)
*TIP: Rows are 18 inches wide. The amount
of fertilizer is determined by how long the row is.
If a row in the garden is 20 feet long, find a 20 ounce can (like pie filling) empty,
wash and dry the can. Use the can each
time to apply the fertilizer.
Post-plant Fertilizer
Ammonium Nitrate (20-0-0)
1-1/2 teaspoons per linear foot (or 1 cup per
30 foot row) Sprinkle this fertilizer about 4 inches from the plant stems. Be careful not to get it on the plants.
Weekly feed Fertilizer
25 pounds Fertilizer - 13-13-13 up to 17-17-17**
4 pounds Epson Salt
1-10 ounces packet Mittleider Magic Micro-Mix (Order from
Growfood.com)
5 cups powdered lime (to add calcium)
Mix in a wheel barrel, tossing together with a shovel. Shovel into a
5-gallon bucket with tight fitting, screw off lid. Store in a cool place.
Once a week sprinkle 1/2 ounce per linear foot. (See tip below*)
*TIP: To apply, measure the length of one row. Divide that number by
2. Take that number and look in the
pantry for a can that’s the same amount of ounces. Empty the can, wash and dry it and add it to
your fertilizer container. Then sprinkle
one can on each row weekly. For example:
If the rows in the garden are 20 feet long. 20 divided by 2 would be 10. A 10 ounce can might be a soup can.
**It's a better value to buy 50 pounds from a Feed Store and only use 1/2 of
the bag. This recipe makes 50 cups. The
whole bag and both packs of Micro Nutrients will make 100 cups.