Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

What’s the Best Fertilizer for Vegetable Containers?

“What kind of fertilizer should I use to grow vegetables in a big container pot with potting soil?” Question from Susan of Union City, Pennsylvania

Answer: For containers, I always opt for a slow-release fertilizer that will feed plants well all season long. Choose one that is formulated for vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Most of these will have either a balanced N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) ratio, such as 10-10-10, or a ratio that’s more geared towards foliage growth (12-10-5) or fruiting (4-6-3). Just as a reminder, nitrogen encourages foliage growth, phosphorous generally supports flower, fruit, and root development, and potassium supports overall growth. Read the label and make sure the fertilizer you choose will accommodate the vegetables you want to grow. If you garden organically, pick an OMRI Listed fertilizer.

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

 

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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