It’s the end of the month, which means it’s garden
question-and-answer time.
It’s the end of the month, which means it’s garden question-and-answer time. Remember, you may e-mail me questions at: ga*******@*ps.net. Or you can mail garden questions in care of this newspaper. For a faster, personal response, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Q: What is a good general all-purpose fertilizer for the garden? I’ve read somewhere that local garden soils are really only deficient in nitrogen, so that sulphate of ammonia is really all one needs to put on one’s garden. If this is true, why are there so many different fertilizer formulas available at local garden centers? – L.M., Gilroy, via e-mail.
A: Great question because I’ve been confused myself when shopping for fertilizers. The truth of the matter is local soils do lack only nitrogen. When planting, though, it is often helpful to add a phosphorus-containing fertilizer because that nutrient is relatively insoluble and immobile in the soil. It is also beneficial to always add organic compost throughout the garden to enhance the biological activity that breaks down nutrients to make them more accessible to plants.
You can buy inexpensive organic compost in bags at any garden center. Other organic fertilizers containing natural nitrogen are alfalfa meal or kelp meal, both of which can be found in small bags at nurseries or larger bags at area feed stores.
Sulphate of ammonia at 22-0-0 (the first number is nitrogen) is an inexpensive source of nitrogen. However, it’s quick-release, doesn’t last in the garden very long and can damage plants or grass if applied in hot weather without properly soaking things afterward.
Q: Can I pollinate tomatoes? Is there a male and female blossom? If so, can I tell which one? – N.M., Gilroy.
A: You can indeed hand-pollinate tomatoes, and it’s really quite simple. All you have to do is give your plants a little shake. Normally, tomatoes are pollinated naturally by the wind, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to give them a little shake.
Q: I have an avocado tree loaded with avocados. But they get to medium size and fall from the tree. I live in southern California. Also, my husband waters it every day. Is this too much? – F.C., Glendora.
A: Thank you for writing all the way from southern California. Even though you may be a Dodger fan, I’ll answer your question anyway. Fruit drop is a natural thinning process. Your avocado tree can’t supply nutrients and support all the fruit that it sets, so it drops some of it.
Be sure to water your tree regularly and fertilize with a nitrogen source. If your husband is watering daily, that’s too much. Make sure there’s a basin formed around the tree. He can fill that basin with water twice a week, which should be plenty.
