Fertilized vs. Unfertilized Plants in the Vegetable Garden

Difference Between Fertilized vs. Unfertilized Plants

On this week's episode, Travis is showing the difference between fertilized vs. unfertilized plants in the vegetable garden. When discussing whether you should fertilize plants or not, it has been experimentally proven that we need to fertilize plants in order to successfully grow crops. Fertilization plays a major role that can alter a lot of factors when planting and growing vegetables in the garden area.

Comparing Fertilization Plants

Travis some evidence on why fertilizing plants in the garden is needed to have a successful growing season. He currently has around a 40-foot row of Stonewall Cucumber plants that has been able to continue production well into the late summer months. Not only is harvesting solid cucumbers but overall the plants are healthy with vegetation, leaves, and vegetables to show from the fertilization they have received. Across the garden on another plot, Travis has planted the same cucumbers that have experienced the same amount of irrigation but he left them as unfertilized plants. These unfertilized plants are having a harder time with production and not nearly as successful as the fertilized plants. When comparing the leaves between the two plants the fertilized plant has dark green leaves that are as big as a lily pad. While the unfertilized plant has yellowish leaves that seem to be experiencing a nutrient deficiency. With the fertilized cucumbers we are able to use our EZ-Flo Injector to not only supply enough irrigation but fertilizer as well directly to the plant roots. Travis recommends fertilizing the plants by mixing 20-20-20 and Micro Boost into the injector. He suggests using about two pounds of the 20-20-20 and two cups of the micro boost to supply enough fertilizer to the cucumber plants. Whether you should fertilizer your plants or not all depends on your soil type conditions in the vegetable garden. Here in the South, we have sandy soils that are great for growing in because it's easy to work in and plant in. However, the downside of having sandy soils is it doesn't hold nutrients well which is very important for growing vegetables. If you have clay soils you don't have any problems with holding nutrients, therefore, it's not necessary for you to have frequent fertilization in the garden. Although for sandy soils we must fertilize our plants often to ensure we obtain enough nutrients to make healthy producing crops. Overall, to understand whether or not you should fertilizer, you should determine what soil type you have to help you grow the best vegetables you can in the garden.