How I Became a Better Gardener

I’ve been gardening for 14 years now. I had the fortune of starting out as an organic gardener and growing in that school of thought for over a decade. If it wasn’t natural, it didn’t belong in the garden.

I did everything right. I grew cover crops. I used compost. Manure, too.

I always got good results, but never exceptional results.

Luckily, I’ve always been open-minded.

I finally started to tinker with a complete, synthetic fertilizer.

I only used a small amount every week. We’re talking a teaspoon of fertilizer for a large potted banana.

A week went by and I actually noticed a difference.

With organics, I wouldn’t notice a difference that fast.

But with this new approach, I did.

I’ve learned a lot of science about plants. The best scientists in the world have distilled that plants need 16 elements to thrive.

They might need more but the science hasn’t arrived there, yet.

This got me thinking.

Why would we use rock dusts or other amendments that have mercury, arsenic and lead in them when we aren’t sure if plants need them or not?

Or why would we use them if we know they aren’t safe for us?

This line of reasoning has led me to this conclusion: I’m only going to give the plants what we know they need.

I found a fertilizer that has 13 of those 16 elements because the other 3 are readily found in water and air.

Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon aren’t needed in fertilizers because they come to our plants when we water and through their stomata when they photosynthesize.

The other 13 are needed by us.

As I have used this fertilizer, I have experienced profound results.

Huge yields, flavor and nutrition.

I still use compost and I also don’t till my soil.

I believe this has a profound impact on the soil, too.

The science also confirms this.

Take a look at this study: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/soil-science/articles/10.3389/fsoil.2022.749212/full

They found that one single application had huge, lasting benefits.

I firmly believe that using organic techniques like using compost is vital for our gardens.

I won’t ever shy away from that.

But, compost can’t alone generate the yields you’re probably searching for as a grower.

You’re most likely going to have to use fertilizer.

Why not use a small amount of concentrated mineral fertilizer?

It’s better to give the plants exactly what they need rather than just applying copious amounts of manure or compost.

The best technique is to get a soil test and find exactly what your soil is missing.

If you don’t have the time or money, you can apply a complete mineral fertilizer in very small amounts to ensure you aren’t overdoing it and losing the nutrients to overapplication.

This is what I did to become a better gardener.

I used science to improve my yields without sacrificing the environment or quality.