Hooray for the rain! Nothing gives our plants a better drink. In a previous post, I talked about over and under watering and the effects on plants. I also need to mention the effects of over watering on the soil and in turn the plants.
The soil your fruit and vegetable plants are in should be moist, not wet; it should also have an earthy smell that indicates the microbes are alive and feeding your plants. Grab a handful of soil, make a fist, and the soil forms a ball and easily shakes apart this is perfect soil. If it doesn’t make a ball the soil is to dry for food crops, if the ball doesn’t shake apart it is too wet.
If you have over watered your crops, they may look puny and a little yellow. You can easily revitalize your soil and plants with an application of compost and minerals, both available at Repotted. Specifically if you are growing tomatoes, they are heavy feeders and appreciate a monthly application of Tomato Pepper food, which is mostly alfalfa.
Keep on planting: It’s not too late to plant Southern peas (blackeyes, purple hulls, cream), squashes, and melons. Happy Gardening!
