Feeding Your Plants

People often ask me if they need to use fertilizer for their indoor vegetable plants.  Or if fertilizer is necessary when they use compost. Or, do they even need compost?  The answers: Yes, yes and yes. Why?  First, look at the difference between compost and fertilizer:

Compost is naturally decomposed plant and animal material, broken down by healthy bacteria to enhance the soil.  Compost adds structure, moisture retention and some nutrients. Compost also helps regulate the release of fertilizer. Outdoors, nature's cycles automatically provide compost.  Indoor plants depend on us to provide it.   

Fertilizer is basically plant food.  It contains certain amounts of nutrtrients from  natural substances or man-made chemicals.  You will usually need less fertilizer with composted soil. 


I use organic fertilizer because it contains natural nutrients.  There is less overdosing or chemical burns, it won't harm plants, soil or people, it needs less precision in dosing.  A good example of an all-purpose organic fertilizer is  Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer (5-7-3).   Or you might want to learn more about more specific plant nutrient needs and the organic sources that provide them.  Aha! A good topic for a future post...

In general, vegetables that are grown mainly for their leaves, like salad greens and spinach,  benefit from a fertilizer with more nitrogen.  Vegetables and fruits that flower first (tomatoes, blueberries, squash, etc.) require more phosphorous to support blooming.

If you don't make your own compost you can buy it bagged at a garden center or online.  If possible get a mix of composted ingredients.  Add the compost to your indoor potting mix (1 part compost to 3 parts potting soil), and treat the top of the soil to a bit of compost every month or so.  

How about tomatoes all year round?  A friend told me about a friend who grows tomatoes in the corner of his living room, with vines growing up to the ceiling.  He said it looked like a sculpture.  I'm imagining homemade spaghetti sauce.

We have lots more to talk about, lots more to grow!  Until next time, think green and keep dreaming...

                                                     HAPPY INDOOR GARDENING!