what organic compost to add to veggies ?

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organiccrazy Cary, NC Mar 14, 2011

Hello everyone,

It is my first time ever trying to grow my own veggies this spring/summer and am trying to do it the organic way. So i have got this 8 x 10 bed (tilling +top soil added + chicken manure + lime ) done so far. Since it is too cold to plant seeds (i live in North Carolina and they say the frost would definitely be there until at least 24th March) i have planted some cucumber seeds in small cups and have placed them inside next to my south facing window. Surprisingly (and to my pleasure :) ) i already see little plants sprouting out.

My family is very keen on growing tomatoes, okra and bell peppers. I have following questions to all the expert gardner friends out there:
1. Can i plant the seeds of above 3 veggies in April 1st week outside in the raised bed?
2. When do i transplant the cucumber saplings outside?
3. What organic compost do i need to add when i start putting seeds or transplanting cucumber ? How often do i apply this compost ?
4.By organic here i meant something like chicken manure/vermi compost but vermi compost is pretty expensive !!

Please correct me here if i have done something wrong so far. Will look forward to getting all the tips/advice.



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pennefeather McLean, VA(Zone 6b) Mar 24, 2011

I don't know all the answers, but I will share what I know. Tomato seeds need heat to germinate. If it is still warm outside, they will just sit there. I start mine inside about 6 weeks before my last frost date. You can never have too much organic matter in your soil. Feel free to add leaf hummus or other composted manure.

Be leary about moving things outside just because they are for sale at the big box stores. Often they sell items long before they can be safely planted outside.

I haven't started okra or bell peppers from seed.

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pennefeather McLean, VA(Zone 6b) Mar 24, 2011

Two more answers - I was doing some research for my garden.

Okra and bell peppers are also heat loving plants. According to my Readers Digest vegetable book, peppers should be started indoors rather than direct sowed since you would need to wait for the soil to warm up.

They say that okra can be difficult to transplant so they recommend direct sow, but the soil needs to be warm. Also too much nitrogen in the soil can cause foliage growth at the expense of the okra pods - in other words, DON'T amend the soil more for the okra.

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Organic_Joe Berne, IN Mar 25, 2011

I would agree with pennefeather, be careful how much nutrients you add. I would suggest getting an inexpensive soil tester. This will let you know exactly where you soil is at with nutrients and help you grow tasty vegetables. A side note on okra, we always use transplants and they grow just fine. Here is a link for soil testers, http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/ProductCart/pc/Home-Soil-Testing-Kits-and-Light-Meters-c512.htm

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