Wood ash from a fireplace or woodstove can be a good source of plant nutrients calcium, potassium, and phosphorus in the garden. Wood ash is alkaline—about half as alkaline as lime—so it can be used to balance acid soil, but it should not be used on alkaline soils—as found in most of the western United…
Plant Nutrients
Vegetable Plant Nutrients: Sources and Deficiencies
When vegetables and other plants lack essential nutrients or elements they will not look themselves; they will look unhealthy and they may even die. The symptom of a nutrient deficiency can range from yellowing and poor growth to flower and fruit failure. Nutrient deficiency symptoms in plants can be confusing. Many plant nutrient deficiencies share…
Plant Nutrients for Vegetable Gardens
Sixteen chemical elements are necessary for plant growth. Three are non-mineral elements that come from air and water; thirteen are mineral elements that come from the soil. All of these elements are used as plant nutrients or to make plant nutrients. Being familiar with the elements necessary for plant growth will help you diagnosis many…
Milk and Tomato Growing
You may have heard or read that milk is sometimes used to help grow tomatoes–and also squash. Is it a fertilizer? Milk contains calcium (Ca). Calcium is an important plant macronutrient. Macronutrients are foods that help plants grow and function. Calcium helps build plant cell walls which in turn allow the transport of other plant…
