Sundays with Mr. Ed.
This Sunday hosted by Paula Allen

Mr. Ed and his beautiful wife are on vacation this week so Paula Allen, Wegman’s Bedding Manager, will be delivering this Sunday’s, August 9, discussion on Annuals for Late Summer and Fall.

Paula has been our buyer of annuals and four-inch plants for over a year. She is an avid gardener and knows more about annuals and the half-hardy perennials than most people need to know. Bring your questions and notepads and be prepared for an informative hour.

Get Wegman’s Quality
at 30% Off
1 gallon and up plant materials
and other select items

Just in time for fall planting while the ground
is still warm and so are the days!

Sometimes, what seems to be an easy question is not so easy! With that in mind, this is the second of two articles discussing how fertilizers work, and then the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizer. Last week in Part 1, we discussed the science behind fertilizers and what the soil really needs to be healthy. (If you missed Part 1, use this link to read it now.)

For bacteria to do all of the work in your soil, changing unusable nitrogen (for example) into nitrate nitrogen which the plant can use, they need an energy source containing carbon. This is where the organic compost comes in. Compost is partially decomposed plant parts (leaves, fruit, flowers, wood, or roots) and provides the energy source bacteria need to do their nitrogen and other conversions. Think of the compost as providing energy for the bacteria as a slice of bread would provide you with energy but not provide many vitamins and minerals you also need for good health. In the same way, animal manures have practically no fertilizer value (little or no nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, etc.) because the animal used most of that during digestion and discarded the undigested cellulose (carbon). Witness a nice dried cow pie or horse bun. The manure is mostly dry grass and a good carbon source which provides the bacteria with the energy they need to do their work.

A second important function of composts and manures is to help "loosen" our heavy clay soils. The organic matter mixes with the clay soil and increases the amount of air spaces thus improving drainage and air circulation for plant roots. The air spaces are also needed to provide the oxygen the bacteria need to do their work. If there was little or no organic matter (compost) in the soil, there would be no energy source for the bacteria. If there were few or no bacteria there would be few or no nitrogen conversions. If there was no nitrogen converted to nitrates, there would be no plant or animal growth.

The other minerals which the plants need are dissolved from the clay soil.
If we use nitrogen as an example of one element necessary for plant growth, how does organic matter and organic fertilizer provide this element? To a gardener, organic means that it is or was alive or came from a living thing. When you read the list of ingredients on a box of Dr. Earth or other organic fertilizer, you see products such as blood meal, feather meal, cottonseed meal, fish meal or alfalfa meal. These are all high protein materials and as we outlined last week, nitrogen is the basis for all protein products. Remember, too, that with a few exceptions, plants can use only nitrate nitrogen for making their proteins. The plants can not take animal protein as found in feathers or blood and change it directly into plant protein.

When we sprinkle Dr. Earth or other organic fertilizer on the soil, bacteria go to work again; a bit more complicated this time but still requiring bacteria, oxygen and the carbon (energy) source for the bacteria. The protein source; it could even be a dead bird or fish, is consumed by decay bacteria and broken down into amino acids (and frequently some unpleasant smells!). Another group of bacteria convert the amino acids into ammonia. Then, a third group of bacteria converts the ammonia and oxygen into nitrites. Finally, the fourth group of bacteria converts the nitrites into nitrates and the plants are set to use them for their own needs. This process has more steps than using the chemical fertilizers and takes longer to become available for the plants but the fertilizer lasts longer and is less likely to wash away. As you see, the end result is the same, whether the fertilizer is organic or inorganic, the plants can use only nitrates, the last stage of each cycle.
When you examine the list of ingredients on organic fertilizers you see rock phosphate and mined potassium sulfate listed. These are chemical fertilizers and also need to be decomposed by microbes as were the chemical nitrogen fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers contain a much smaller percent of nutrients than do chemical fertilizers, little sulfur and no iron. The sulfur is important to our soil and water which are very alkaline (non-acidic enough). Sulfur increases the acidity of our soil and makes it more friendly to the microbes and helps to dissolve soil minerals so the plants can use them. Plant leaves sometimes turn yellow from lack of Iron which then must be added to restore natural color.

When Mother Nature is left alone, all of the dead things (organic matter) go into the soil and are totally recycled. Over the years, the soil actually becomes more fertile, develops a better structure and has a great increase in the number of beneficial microbes. When we move onto Mother Nature’s land and upset the fine balance she has established, we have to scramble to restore some sense of order. We attempt to do this with our composts and fertilizers.

A word about mycorrhizae. This is the collective term for more than 2500 different species of fungi associated with the roots of plants. Some live outside the roots and some live inside. They act as if they were part of the root but go a step further by breaking down minerals or organic matter in the soil before helping them get into the roots of the plants. Each different kind of plant seems to have its own set of mycorrhizae and there appear to be greater numbers in poor soil than in a rich soil. Some horticulturists have recommended that to inoculate your soil with the right kind of the 2500 mycorrhizae, you should take a small shovel full of soil from around the roots of a healthy plant which is the same as you are going to plant and place this in the hole with the new plant.

Summarizing, fertilizer alone, of any kind, will not increase or improve the plants in your garden. Your soil must have adequate microbes (bacteria and fungi), oxygen and moisture. The soil must be friendly to the bacteria before they can make use of whatever fertilizer is used. Our heavy clay soils are not friendly to bacteria. The soil can only be made more friendly by incorporating organic matter and by mulching the surface with two to four inches of suitable compost.

Kangaroo Paws are a plant with unique deep red flowers are covered with short hairs to resemble the paws of a kangaroo. This showy plant blooms in spring and summer. The exotic flowers add interest to perennial borders and patio containers and are spectacular in flower arrangements. This is an exceptional choice for xeriscape gardens and warm climate succulent compositions. The plant’s habit is of moderate growth 10 to 20 inches tall and wide, flower stems 1 to 2 feet.

Now is the time to save on all pottery--everything but wood planters! There is an incredible selection of sizes, types, finishes and colors. Come in now for the best selection.

Orbit DripMaster Drip Irrigation System

Wegman’s has just begun to be a supplier for the Orbit DripMaster Drip Irrigation System just in time for the Fall is for Planting Sale. Wegman’s is carrying a full line of drip system parts. This system is perfect for the water conscious Peninsula and designed to apply water to designated area, such as garden, flower beds, container plants, trees and ground covers.