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   • Dr Tomato: Plant Nutrition 101
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   • Newmarket Farmers Market
   • White Lily Teas of Exeter
   • Blue Seal Feeds

Editors Corner

Dr Tomato: Plant Nutrition 101

When I am out in the community doing presentations on growing, I am asked MANY questions. Without a doubt, the subject that receives the most questions is that of  plant nutrition. Do I add manure to my soil? If so, how much? Why? Is 10-10-10 the fertilizer I should put on my garden? OK, what is 10-10-10? To cite just a few!

Therefore, I thought that I would try to give you a basic idea of what plants really NEED for food and how they use that food to develop healthy, productive foliage and fruit – what we all are ultimately trying to get from our gardens. If we look at ourselves, we can begin to understand our garden plants a little better. As babies in the womb, we received the nutrients we needed to develop from our mothers via the placenta. What is the number one piece of advice the mother receives from her physician? EAT RIGHT so that the baby has the proper nutrients available for proper development. If the mother is not taking in the proper nutrients at the proper levels, the developing baby will also NOT have the nutrients it needs. The result of this can range from under weight and under sized babies to catastrophic medical conditions.

When the baby is born, the mother now has to provide that baby with the proper nutrients through milk and specially developed formulas that have ALL the essential elements for proper, healthy growth. Later, a transition is made to solid foods that, again, provide COMPLETE nutrition. We are all aware of the problems that arise when the baby receives insufficient or improper nutrition. Recall some of the court cases arising from baby formulas that were deficient in just a single nutrient necessary for healthy development. When we plant a vegetable or flower seed in our garden, the seed MAY contain enough “on board” food to nourish the developing seedling for a few days. Soon, however, the seedling becomes totally dependant on the soil for all the nutrients it needs for good, productive development. Like the baby lacking one or more nutrients, the seedling can also suffer dire consequences if the soil is deficient in nutrients OR those nutrients are unavailable to the plant (remember how pH levels affect the AVAILABILITY of nutrients to the plant). Stunted growth, disfigurement, low flower production, small or no fruit production, plant discoloration or plant death can be the result. As we need to be very vigilant about feeding the baby in a responsible manner, we also need to do the same with our plants.

Let us take a quick look at some of the elements a plant needs for proper development. Being living organisms, we know from our high school science memories that the main elements they need are – oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. In fact, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen make up about 96% of the total volume of elements needed by plants (45% oxygen, 45% carbon and 6% hydrogen). However, just as important for healthy plant development is a myriad of other compounds divided into two categories: the MAJOR elements and the TRACE elements. Scientists have already identified around 20 chemical elements that are essential for plant development.  Both the major and trace elements are needed in small or very small quantities BUT they are needed in VERY specific quantities and proportions. Too much or too little of one element can dramatically effect the availability or function of another element. For example, an excess of potassium in the soil can result in the plant’s inability to take up magnesium even though it is present in the soil in adequate amounts.

Just like each element has a critical function in the development of the human body (calcium for healthy bones and nerve function, vitamin A for healthy eyes etc.) each element plays a crucial role in plant health and development. Let us first look at a very brief overview of the function of the MAJOR nutrients.

When you buy a bag of commercial fertilizer, it always has three numbers on the front. The most common number combination you will probably see is 10-10-10. This refers to the percentage of the bulk analysis that the “BIG THREE” major (macro) nutrients – NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS and POTASSIUM represent. Thus 10% nitrogen – 10% phosphorus – 10% potassium. We all seem to throw these numbers around just like we talk about pH but what do they do for the plant?

NITROGEN:  The first number on the bag.

This is the most heavily used of the major nutrients. It is a critical element in chlorophyll (necessary for the process of photosynthesis) and essential in the formation of genetic material, amino acids and proteins. Its presence is essential for the growth of shoots and leaves and to assure that the vegetative growth is our sought after deep green. Too little and the plant’s leaves will become yellow or very pale green and the plant will be stunted. Too much nitrogen (applying fresh manure for example) and the leaves and shoots will grow too quickly and be soft and spindly. This soft growth will be much more prone to disease and insect damage and have a lower frost tolerance. Lettuce does not like too much nitrogen and tomatoes can also suffer from an excess. To correct a true nitrogen deficiency in organic growing, dried blood is generally applied.

PHOSPHORUS: The middle number on the bag.

The prime function of phosphorus (or phosphate) in plant development is healthy root development. However, it is also essential for the proper development of seeds, flowers and fruits. In addition, it is important in the formation of cell membranes and genetic material and plays a key role in the energy production of the plant. A deficiency usually appears as a bluish/purple color of the leaves, small fruit, stunted growth and poor root development. The addition of bone meal is generally the corrective action taken.

POTASSIUM: The third number on the bag.

A very active element in plant development. Potassium (or potash) is vital for the formation of carbohydrates and proteins within the plant. It greatly affects the size and quality of flowers and fruit. It is essential for proper cell division. Potassium is also a key regulating factor in the absorption of calcium, nitrogen and sodium. Deficiency can cause stunted growth, small flowers and fruit and chlorosis or yellowing of the margins of the lower leaves, which may eventually turn bluish or bronze. Conversely, an excess may result in an inability of the plant to take up magnesium and boron. Rock potash is added to correct deficiency.

MAGNESIUM:

This element is used in relatively large quantities by the plant. It is vital in the production of chlorophyll. It also is essential for the proper metabolism of phosphorus, the production of fats and oils by the plant and many biological reactions such as enzyme activity and carbohydrate metabolism. Deficiency signs are similar to those of potassium deficiency. Remember, excess potassium can cause a magnesium deficiency by blocking the plant’s ability to take up magnesium from the soil. Seaweed application (which we will discuss more) is the corrective action.

CALCIUM:

An essential element in plant health. Calcium neutralizes certain acids produced within the plant itself and helps regulate soil pH. Needed for good root growth, protein synthesis, to facilitate the uptake of nitrogen from the soil, strong cell walls and cell reproduction. The signs of deficiency are many and some can be subtle. Perhaps the most familiar sign of calcium problems is blossom end rot on tomatoes. This problem will be addressed in a future newsletter. Research has shown that an excess of calcium can restrict the plant’s ability to take up elements such as iron, potassium, magnesium, boron, zinc and phosphorus. In general, calcium deficiency is rare in an organic garden.

SULPHUR:

Sulphur is quite important in the manufacture and function of proteins, amino acids, vitamins and chlorophyll. Proper amounts stimulate proper plant growth and seed formation. Sulphur is also used as a soil acidifier (it LOWERS the pH), commonly added to the soil around plants like blueberries and hydrangea.

Those are the MAJOR nutrients. I will now list the minor or TRACE elements with a very brief word about each:

IRON:

Used in the production of chlorophyll and promotes rich green color. Deficiency shows up as chlorosis or yellowing of the leaves.

ZINC and COPPER:

Both are part of the enzyme system of the plant and essential for proper growth regulation, energy production and protein utilization.

MANGANESE:

Necessary for chlorophyll production, the ability to use nitrogen and triggering proper plant maturity.

BORON:

Essential element in all growing tissue within the plant and critical for proper root, seed and fruit development. Boron is also critical in nutrient regulation within the plant.

MOLYBDENUM:

Necessary for the production of proteins within the plant. Molybdenum is also essential for the process of nitrogen fixation by plants such as legumes.

CHLORINE:

Necessary for plant metabolic processes to occur properly.

So how do we put all this seemingly overwhelming information together to help us grow the biggest tomatoes possible, the greenest and brightest Swiss chard and the biggest pumpkins for the fair? Remember when I did the newsletter on soil texture and structure? I asked you to see soil as a continuum line. On one end was beach sand and on the other end was that “perfect” rich, organic loam. We would be hard pressed to grow anything in the sand because of its lack of “structure” and the fact that it is virtually void of any available nutrients. On the other hand, we can grow prize winning vegetables and flowers in the “perfect” organic loam because of it’s combination of texture, structure, the correct pH, plenty of beneficial bacteria, mycorrhizae (those beneficial fungi that work in SYMBIOSIS with the plant’s roots) and just the right BALANCE of all the nutrients we just looked at.

Most of us work with garden soil that is somewhere in between these two ends of the continuum line. You may have been growing in the same spot for a number of years and notice that you aren’t really happy with the results you are getting now. You may always grow the same plants in the exact same place in your garden. You may not be adding much or any organic matter to your garden on a yearly basis. Perhaps you haven’t added any fertilizer to your garden soil in years. An obvious question might be: Dr. Tomato, should I go get a bag of 10-10-10 and add it to my garden to solve my low productivity and poor plant health problems? At this point, you can probably anticipate my answer.

As you plant and harvest your garden from year to year, you must remember that every time you take something OUT of your garden in the form of vegetables or flowers or dead plants at the end of the season, you are also taking the nutrients that were used to produce those vegetables and flowers OUT of your garden soil. Unless you put the appropriate organic matter (which equates to NUTRIENTS) back INTO the soil you will gradually create a deficiency in the soil’s nutrient load. Now that you know that there are MANY nutrient elements that your plants need for health and productivity, you can deduce that just adding 10-10-10 will NOT replenish your soils nutrient load. In addition, it will not BALANCE the nutrient profile in the soil.  It WILL add the 3 major nutrients and you will probably see some improvements BUT it will NOT add the other 17 or so nutrients needed for optimal plant health and productivity.

Here is where you are presented with a couple of choices. Modern science and chemistry have created chemical (and petro-chemical) fertilizers that contain all the 20 or so elements necessary for plant growth. Can I just buy one of those and put it on my soil? The simple answer to that question is – yes. The most visible example of this procedure is hydroponic growing. There is no soil so the plant receives its nutrients through the periodic flooding of its root structure with a carefully formulated and balanced combination of those 20 or so essential elements. Why not just do that? It sounds simple and easy!

OK, to be honest – it is. BUT, we are advocates of organic growing for too many reasons to discuss here in this issue of the newsletter. A few reasons include: Chemical fertilizers are much faster acting and “mobile” within the soil. They are in a form that is quickly available to the roots of the plant and the amount needed by the plant is absorbed quite quickly. However, they are also in a form that, in general, does not linger in the soil as organic fertilizers do. Subsequently, the fertilizer not used quickly by the plants can be flushed out of the soil quite easily and often ends up in ground water, ponds, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Witness the “dead zones” in the oceans and other bodies of water caused by fertilizer runoff. Chemical fertilizers “feed the plant, not the soil”. One need only look to many areas in the Midwest and West that are subject to MONOCULTURE practices (the planting of a single crop such as corn over vast tracts of land and force fed with chemical fertilizers) to see what this can do to the health and structure of the soil.

After the last number of newsletters, you have learned that SOIL is not dead. Soil is a living system of bacteria, mycorrhizae, worms, bugs, fungi and plants – all working to create the optimal environment for healthy plant growth and development. Organic fertilizers FEED THE SOIL. They nourish all the living organisms within the soil. These organisms slowly break down the organic material that either Mother Nature or we add to the soil throughout the year. In breaking down the organic material, all the essential elements are slowly and steadily released into the soil for use by the plants. The bacteria and mycorrhizae work symbiotically with the plant to deliver nutrients efficiently to the roots. These organisms also fight off potentially harmful pathogens that cause plant diseases. This complex organic process tends to bring factors like pH into optimal ranges for plant production.

As a gardener, you can choose to go the broad based, complete chemical fertilizer route or the organic route. If you choose to go the organic route, it will take a few years to reach that “perfect soil” state of bliss. Frankly, though, you may not have enough manure and the right organic materials to add to your soil every year. Therefore, here are some suggestions.

First, go back and read the newsletter about soil texture and structure and then try to evaluate YOUR soil. Second, have your soil tested for pH. Third, start your compost pile YESTERDAY! Fourth, begin adding at least 1-2 inches of high quality compost, aged manure and organic material to your soil every year. Dig it in if you apply it in the fall and top dress with it during the growing season. Fifth, apply a high quality, broad spectrum organic fertilizer to your garden once or twice per season. This will cover the bases as you proceed to your goal of attaining that “perfect soil”. We use North Country Organics granular fertilizer – either the Pro-Start or Pro-Grow. This is available at the Blue Seal in Rochester, N.H. Sixth, USE FISH AND SEAWEED FERTILIZER periodically throughout the season! I can’t over state how good and important this fertilizer is. The fish component provides high quality, bio-available macro nutrients as well as virtually all the trace elements, all the beneficial fats, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and natural growth hormones. The seaweed component deserves a newsletter of its own! Seaweed contains over 70 different nutrients and beneficial compounds including natural plant growth regulators or PGRs. These include CYTOKININS, AUXINS and GIBBERELLINS. Seaweed stimulates growth and improves the health and immune capabilities of the plant. Seaweed also stimulates the growth and health of the beneficial microbes in the soil. Seaweed promotes higher sugar production (sweeter fruits), increases frost tolerance, improves drought resistance and increases chlorophyll production. We use fish and seaweed fertilizer as THE major food source for our entire crop of organic seedlings. We sell this fertilizer as DR. TOMATO’S ORGANIC FISH AND SEAWEED FERTILIZER. We feel it is THAT good!

To learn more about the importance of LIVIVG soil and organic soil management, search out information on and books by VANDANA SHIVA, a fascinating and highly respected figure in the field of global agricultural practices and their impact on the people of the world and the world’s present and future food supplies. She is fascinating and inspiring woman!

So once again, I repeat the mantra “work with nature”. Your plants will thank you, the beneficial microbes in the soil will thank you, your production will increase, the earth will thank you, the rivers and water ways will thank you, and those who follow behind us will thank you.

So take care my friends. And go get your hands in the soil!

Until Next Time,

The Healthy Home Harvest team
feedback@healthyhomeharvest.com

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News & Events

Newmarket Farmers Market

When: Saturday, May 15th & May 22nd from 9:00am until 1:00pm.

Where: The Stone Church, Newmarket NH.

On May 15th and May 22nd, we will be at the Stone Church in Newmarket for their great Farmers Market. We will be bringing a LOT of vegetable seedlings to meet all your plant needs for this year’s garden. Tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, Swiss chard, eggplant, cukes, squash, melons, cabbage and more!! We will also have low tunnel hoops, Dr. Tomato’s Organic Fertilizer and Rowdy Roots. Oh yes, and of course we will have our famous organic gourmet mushrooms! Dr. Tomato will be available as always to answer any and all of your questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

The venue is small and intimate. The vendors are diverse, enthusiastic and friendly. There is great food available and some very talented live musicians provide first class entertainment. The feeling is more like a family gathering than a trip to the local store. We look forward to seeing you at the next Newmarket Farmers Market!

For those of you not familiar with Newmarket, the Stone Church is up on the hill behind the Post Office in downtown Newmarket. This is our favorite farmers market! Good atmosphere, live music, some wonderful vendors, good food and a variety of  products. See you there!

White Lily Teas of Exeter:

Dr. Tomato and James will be at White Lily Teas  26 Water Street in Exeter, N.H. this Sunday May 2nd from noon until 4:00pm. We will have a full array of vegetable seedlings, some flower seedlings, Rowdy Roots potting mix, low tunnel hoops and Dr. Tomato’s Organic Fish and Seaweed Fertilizer. The weather is supposed to be good so come join us for a cup of Organic tea. Dr. Tomato will be available to answer any and all of your gardening questions.

Blue Seal Feeds:

Blue Seal Feeds in Rochester NH and Windham ME are stocked up for the weekend with a load of seasonally appropriate plants. Expect to find broccoli, cabbage, swiss chard, lettuce, herbs, rhubarb, asparagus, tomatoes, assorted flowers and more.

About the Newsletter

The Healthy Home Harvest newsletter is a bi-weekly publication which consists of news, events, how-to and reader submitted questions.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at feedback@healthyhomeharvest.com