How To Properly Fertilize Your Garden

A garden hoe
And fertilizer. Organic or inorganic… your choice.

Step 1: Apply

Be sure to READ THE LABEL before you use any type of fertilizer to find the best amount to apply and when to apply it.
Once you've chosen the type of fertilizer you're going to use, apply it evenly to the entire garden. Be careful not to over-fertilize.
Next, turn the fertilizer into the soil with a hand spade or tiller. Water the fertilizer in immediately after application.
This is the first step in fertilizing and will see most of your vegetables through the first period of growth.

Step 2: Sidedressing

A sidedressing is a way to indirectly feed your plants with nutrients instead of doing a mass application to the garden.
With a hoe, make a four-inch deep trench along one side of a row of plants. Be careful not to disturb the plant's roots. Put the fertilizer in the trench and then use the hoe to cover the trench with the soil you removed. As rain and irrigation run its their natural course, the fertilizer will work its way into the soil and eventually make its way to the plants.