Fertilizer Lost?

Last Tuesday I spread about 25 lbs. of 10-20-10 granular fertilizer on my 35' x 50' vegetable garden and tilled it in. You've probably heard about the storms we've had the last five days in SW Missouri. Since I did that, we've had over 12 inches of rain with a couple more inches predicted this Wednesday!

My garden slopes about 18" from top to bottom, and when we get that much rain the water runs off it. It's a mudhole now of course, and I won't be able to get in there for days. When I do, I want to plant beet seeds, cabbage, tomato, and pepper seedlings, beans, etc.

I'm concerned that I may have lost a lot of that fertilizer, especially the nitrogen. My soil is in pretty good shape and it includes a lot of compost - but I harvested big crops off it last year and the fertilizer I applied last week is the only thing I've added since.

What do you think? Should I apply some more fertilizer before planting anything?

You're on the horns of a dilemma there, Ozark.

If there is still fertilizer in the ground and you add more, the plants will get "fertilizer burn" - on the other hand, if you don't have enough fertilizer left, the plants will be "hungry."

Maybe you should toss a coin to help you decide what to do.

Personally, I always prefer to use less fertilizer as I can always add more later.

That is the key, Honey bee. Ozark unless a lot of soil eroded, you probably lost very little. If it did, sidedressing after the plants are growing will alleviate any nutrient problem.

Thanks. I agree with both of you - too little fertilizer is better than too much. I can always add more, but I sure don't know how to take it out of the soil once it's in there!

I always side-dress my veggies a few weeks into the season anyway. This year, I'll go ahead and plant and then side-dress with fertilizer early if it looks like the plants need it.

We just had a thunderstorm come through, and it was another toad-strangler. Sheesh!

I wish you would quit hogging all the rain. The clouds have dried up before getting here for the last six years.

"I wish you would quit hogging all the rain."
----------------------------

And I wish you had some of it. Not only am I having a hard time getting a garden in, but I've missed the spring crappie and white bass spawn. My favorite fishing lake (Tablerock) is yellow muddy and full of floating logs at an all-time high level, and they're releasing 68,000 gallons of water per second over the dam.

Those fish are 'way out in the flooded woods somewhere!

Ozark,

I am with you I have had enough rain we now stand at over 13 inches since 6 am this morning and it is still coming down here in Tennessee i was thinking about throwing my lil plants a life raft so they could stop swimming . even with good soil conditions my garden area is soaked and near drowning conditions now .

Sarge

Even when it rains here, it barely wets the mulch. No doubt I can look forward to high water bills again this summer (sigh)

well back from the garden and bad things are happening "a river runs through it" and Yes it looks like the movie ;(

Sarge

I have often wondered why:

If "they" can run pipes all over the place to deliver oil and gas, why can't "they" collect water from places that have too much and send it to places that have too little!

"If "they" can run pipes all over the place to deliver oil and gas, why can't "they" collect water from places that have too much and send it to places that have too little!"
-----------------------

It could be done. All the lakes in Southern California are fed by pipes and aquaducts from the Sierra mountains hundreds of miles away.

I think a system like that would have to use gravity, mostly. It wouldn't be economical to do too much pumping of water uphill. With that in mind though, it'd be great if that 68,000 extra gallons of water per second that's now running out of our local lake could go to folks who need it.

Ozark - When drinking water becomes scarce enough, "They" will find a way to pump it up hill (LOL)

The Biscayne Aquifer pipes water to Key West.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscayne_Aquifer