How to Use & What is Water Soluble Garden Fertilizer: My Organic Mix - TRG 2014

Water soluble fertilizer is fast acting and it is also a foliar feed. It will feed both through the plant's leaves and root system. I highly recommend regular water soluble feedings for your container vegetables. I show you my basic organic water soluble mix I make with Fish Emulsion, Kelp Extract and Epsom Salts.

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[CuteTriniSmile]

I can't tell you how helpful ALL of your videos are, they genuinely have been an invaluable resource to a newbie to gardening like myself. Thank you so much for all you do and please keep doing what you're doing!

[TimSheets]

That has pretty much been my philosophy.  I try to stay organic in the beds, but, not in the containers.  Thanks for the great summary / explanation of the various fertilizer types. 

[TheMandyM]

wonderful advice as usual! I really do love the fish emulsion. It works well for the small space I have to work with. I tend to crunch a lot of things into the space, as it is all there is to work with. So I do worry about the soil being sucked dry of its nutrients. I genuinely appreciate you're advice. My garden is having its best year so far. Thank you much Gary 
-Mandy M. 

[Juan.Melendez]

Thank you so much!! Very informational! I saved your videos and I take notes to learn more. I am a first time gardener. Very excited seeing my seeds grow

[deborahkaplan]

HI Gary,
Thank you so much for your tutelage and your efforts. You're a great Sensei! I just got back into gardening after having to lay off in 2011, when I had a hip resurfaced. Then in 2012 and 2015 two shoulder surgeries. So I was unable to garden for all that time (I'm in CA, and it was killing me!)

So here is the backstory my questions, because I'm a bit confused with ALL of your great information!!

A)I planted 5 Cherry tomatoes, one eggplant, some basil and marigolds in a semi raised bed, using my own soil, store bought organic planting soil, and compost from a friend. I didn't put any fertilizer into any of the holes, no lime, no epsom salt. I just planted away!! (June 4th 2017). No mulch

B)Then I planted some crook neck and zuchinni in containers. Again, no fertilizer, but I did mix some compost into the container. (June 11, 2017). And I mulched with some compost

C)Then i found YOU :) And went and bought some granular fertilizer for my next container plantings.

So I then planted some more zuchinni's, and 4 more tomato (cherry) plants into containers using potting soil and some of my own compost, and used EB Stone 4/5/3 into the holes. But no epsom or any thing else(June 18 2017). No mulch

1) For question A: It's been almost a month (not sure when you're going to read this!). Based on the above video, should I now fertilize with liquid every other week? Should I be using lime? If so, would i side dress the lime? Am I to pour one gallon of this mix you made above in the soil around each of the 4 tomato plants and another gallon around the soil of the eggplant? Because if I'm not mistaken, in the video you say pour, and in the comments you say use on the leaves in one comment, and in another I think you are saying pour about 1 or 2 inches of the mix onto the plants. But how do you know what 1-2 inches is?

2) One of my containers for squash is about 2 inches of dirt from top and is already staring to fruit. The other one with squash is about 4 inches, because I didn't have enough dirt(it's probably a 15 gallon container so I think I have enough dirt for them to grow). There are 2 small squash plants in this one, started from seedling experiment. They are about 5" now. When should I start using the liquid fertilizer and again, am I pouring it into the dirt? And how much of your 5 gallons should I be using?

3) Should I use epsom salt and/or lime with all of these plants? How would I do this now that they are planted?

4) Should I be using lime in the planting hole along with granular EB stone 4/5/3 (or Trifecta if I buy that)?

I'm trying to wrap my head around all of this. I have 8 other zuchinnis and another cherry fruit tomato to plant, either into the ground raised bed( if my friend ever finishes my boxes!) or into containers. So I want to make sure I'm covering all bases from the get go with these plants, as well as moving forward.

Thank you in advance for all your future love :)
Have a Happy 4th of July. I'm from Boston and Rockport, MA, transplanted to Oakland, CA. And I really miss the summer green of the East Coast and summer salty air.

Happy Gardening to All :)
DebbyK

[dianabrantley]

Gary, yes it answered my questions about the water soluble fertilizers. I just bought some fish fertilizer from Wal-mart online and picked it up and the cost was just a little of $5.00...Thanks for the tips again and happy growing :)

[sftothetop]

Thank you, my husband & I usually debate over which fertilizer to use liquid vs non soluble - thanks we are clear now. 

[MichelCernev]

Thank you Gary Pilarchik for your information video, it's just brilliant. I put your advice and tips in to practice, and everything in the veg. garden is good as gold. I like it and it works for me

[BNBYOSOUL]

Hey Gary thanks so much I thought it was just good with the fish fertilizer. This year my tomato plants are not as good as last year I do container gardening because we rent. But they are not big at all. I have the yellow ones. So I am going to try this solution and see what happens. Thanks I love your videos    

[vipullal]

Wonderful video!

We use a hack. We buy inorganic NPK fertilizer pellets and dissolve the pellets in water and then put them into our plants. But I think I will try your recipe of liquid fertilizer.

[mukunda]

I planted tomatoes in horse manure. They grew crazy. They did not yield much as sunshine was limited. But cool weather yielded good in sunny areas. Good info if you plant in wood chips.

[genmama]

Thanks for bring this all together for me, Gary. I have been fertilizing once a month with fish fertilizer, but now the weather is finally warming up and I was planning on fertilizing every two weeks. I will now be adding epsom salts and the micro nutrient fertilizer (I just have to buy some) to the mix and fertilize every two weeks. Great stuff!

[Cynpleful]

Gary I just found your channel. Such helpful info! Thanks for sharing.

[rosefamiyeh]

Thank you I will try your own because I follow all your tips and my tomatoes are grow well . Good job 👍👍👍👍

[glendelacruz]

I've tried Epsom salt from your previous videos and it really works. Gotta try this water soluble fertilizer. Great video Gary!

[yesyes]

Im also going to experiment. My mix is going to be fish emulsion, maxicrop liquid seaweed which has up to 70 micronutrients, and molasses to feed the microbes. Im also doing the best to go all or mostly organic and feeding the soil.

[tomlynn]

Great video. I thought the birds were behind me in the room till I realized they were in your video great sound

[tulipsmoran]

Hi Gary - I used the same products and nearly the same measure, although when tomatoes start to fruit I add one crushed Tums antacid tablet for the calcium carbonate to 5 gal.  Held transplants back due to cold spring.  Planted transplants 5/29 and several are 6' and thriving loaded with fruit.  I'll get a vid of garden one morning this week.  When my San Marzano developed ber despite no other plant impacted, I sprayed foliar to rush micro nutrients to plant.  Seemed to work.  If I spray foliar on Rutgers, Early Girl I get nearly 90% fruit set.  Cherry/grape tomatoes go crazy on the spray along w/peppers.   I mainly water my mix - always with rain water and only spray foliar if stress - heat, cold, etc.  Try a crushed Tums...I use mortar & pestel to get powder.

[shadyman]

Gary, thank you for doing these great videos! So very well thought out and presented...

[yasmeen]

Thank you so much for your helpful tips Gary! My garden has improved amazingly. Subscribed :-)