There are many organic fertilizers as well as the more typical synthetic/chemical formulations, so opting not to use the synthetic stuff does not automatically limit your fertilizer choices. You can purchase organics as single ingredient amendments (bone or blood meal, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, bat guano, etc.) or you can purchase them as blended complete fertilizers (Dr. Earth, Whitney Farms, Espoma, Peace of Mind, Fox Farms....all various labels).

The only way you will know for sure if your plants "need a little something" is to have your soil tested to see what nutrients it may lack and then address those deficiencies. In general, compost - while not technically considered a 'fertilizer' - is a pretty decent organic source of a wide range of plant nutrients, although in rather low concentrations. With very few exceptions, it is about the only nutrient supplementation I provide my garden. If you apply it consistently, you shouldn't require much of anything else. If yours is not yet ready, I'd consider importing some (any municipal composting facilities in the area?) or perhaps some composted animal manure. Or you could always go with a modest amount of an all purpose complete organic, like alfalfa meal or one of the packaged blended labels.

Fish emulsion is a good organic fertilizer for all plants, edibles and ornamentals. That is, if the plants like to be fertilized/fed. Some plants prefer poor soil (without amendments) and will not do well if fertilized more than once a year, such as Russian sage. Fish emulsion works well for roses with the addition of some Epsom salts. Roses also like a spoonful of bone meal dug in once a year.

If your perennials have nice green leaves and flower well your soil is probably good. I used to also worry about this and would add some chemical fert. just to make sure, but I now think that's not necessary and maybe harmful in some ways. If you grow heavy feeders such as roses you might need to add more amendments but most perennials are not that demanding. Even so I'm sure one can grow roses organically and I'm going to give it a try this year.

I've been growing organically, using mostly compost and occasionally manure as an amendment, for many years. In the last two years I've also used alfalfa tea and it's made a noticeable difference in some plants.

I'm sure it depends on what your soil is like to start. Ours is heavy clay but seems to grow weeds very well so must have some nutrients naturally. Adding as much organic material as I can to improve the garden. Haven't bothered with a soil test yet as there don't seem to be too many problems and some areas have been amended more than others so where would I test.

If you have a lot of earthworms you likely have good healthy soil. Since they can be poisoned with synthetic fertilizers it's best not to use that unless you know there is a particular deficiency. Even so there may be natural amendments which can be added. I'm focussed more on feeding my huge colonies of earthworms - they add their nutritious castings as they eat the food I give them (veggie kitchen scraps, compost, used coffee grounds (UCG), natural homemade mulch, and sometimes grass clippings).

This year I'm planning to use alfalfa tea again as well as some of the seed meals from the feed store. Hope to get some horse manure also. We're now stockpiling UCG from a coffee shop as I'll need a lot of amendments in my new garden.

I've been reading everything I can about "soil" and it's an interesting subject. ;-)

That reminds me, the Russian sage needs to be moved to the dry bed. It's in the perennial bed right now and it didn't do too well last year. I have heard it's not happy to be moved.

I brought in a lot of leaf mold/mulch from the landfill when I made my beds. I want to think that would be plenty of fertilizer for the plants. But growing up in SC where the soil is sandy, and having used Miracle Grow in my condo patio, I just can't shake the desire to put something down. Maybe just a little bloom booster rather than a general purpose. Unless I should just wait a year.

I have tons of earthworms. I can't dig a hole without chopping a few in half. I've seen 3-5 worms in each hole I have dug.

I've been reading about alfalfa pellets and tea. I may stop by the feed store next time I head up that way. They should have it. I'd love to stay completely organic, for the critters more than anything.

I purchase compost by the yard. I get many truck loads in the spring every year. This compost also has horse manure in it. I also use seaweed and turkey trot...if something needs a little extra kick. Occassionally I will use bonemeal if I think of it when planting bulbs. Each spring I also chop up banana peels and bury them around the roses. This year I will be using alfalfa pellets as well. I am also going to use crushed oyster shell around some of my slug problem plants.

Clay soil has lots of nutrients....it is just a matter of breaking up the clay to release the nutrients. My garden is clay and it has been mixed with lots of compost to break up the clay....and it has worked really well for me. In a couple areas, I also added clay buster and compost. I really didn't see any difference.

Sierra

So far the tomato bed is the only area I have really worked hard to get a nice fluffy soil. I tilled the area a few times over the winter whenever I noticed it packed down. Then I tossed out a whole pickup truck load of composted leaves from the landfill. I tilled it again yesterday and racked the soil into hills. I watered it for about 15 minutes. I just went out and checked the soil. After a day of 77 degrees, full sun, and high winds, it's still moist less than 1" down. Last year, it would have already turned to concrete consistency.

I hope the clay does have a lot of nutrients. I had real issues last year with the veggies. But most of that was due to not being able to water them enough. I probably could have run the soaker hoses all day and not affected it much. The clay just dried out almost immediately.

I get 3 year old bull manure from a local breeder, with my pickup. I've worked it into all the beds that existed when I arrived. I put lots into the veg garden. I will use it this Spring to create my new flower border. I absolutely use bonemeal for any bulbs or rhizomes, as well as bloodmeal. I use CIL Pink, which says it is organic, for a boost to my flowers. Sierra may tell me it is not organic. Please let me know, cause it doesn't smell 'fake'. I tried to google it, but no joy.

Nancy.

It usually takes a year or two for a new bed or refreshed bed to settle down and give a good crop of veggies. Gardening is usually not instant.

Nancy,CIL Pink, sounds like insulation to me. lol. No clue, never heard of it before.

Sierra

I'm a big fan of the Espoma products. I use a little bit of Hollytone for the acid-lovers (Rhodies, azaeleas, most conifers) every Spring and Plantone for the perennials typically once in mid-Spring. When I plant individual plants or renovate a bed, I mix in compost. In addition, I use leaf mold as my mulch for perennials. It breaks down quickly and feeds the soil. Lately, I've also been using Milorganite, but more as a deer repellant than a fertilizer. I sprinkle a little around the daylilies and other plants on the deer buffet.

I use little chemical fertilizer. We have 'black gumbo' soil- black clay, hard as a brick when dry, just right for throwing a bowl when wet. Very slicky.

We have brought in truckloads of trash from the cotton gin, and compost from the county. I buy composted cow manure in bags from WM, .93 per bag, and no seeds in it. It has been 'sterilized'.

Once the beds are made, they are never walked on, and I hate to till them. I love the tilled soil, but it brings up about a cazillion weed seeds every time you turn the soil, so I just dig holes and plant. If you don't walk on it, it doesn't compact and is easy to work.

I use water from the pond- 'fish emulsion', LOL-, and I will mix some compost tea to have around for a treat for my plants. I would use blood meal, or bone meal, but loose dogs would dig my plants to get it.

And after all that, I sometimes just cannot help myself; I throw a bit of superbloom, or triple 13 at my flowers. Never the veggies, but the flowers.....I confess.

Janie

Espoma makes products which can be misleading. We sell them at work and many say "rich in natural..." but you read it and it has some natural product in it and some chemical. So read your Espoma labels if you want to choose natural or organic fertilizers.
I use organic and am leaning towards not having to use any. I work hard for creating great soil - mineralizing, composting etc. Maybe someday I'll get there, lol.

I've used alfalfa tea for 2 years now and will use it again for sure. It's wicked smelling stuff but the plants seem to love it. I didn't have enough for my entire garden with the 1st batch so ignored the "extra" irises. Later I made more and watered the irises with it and couldn't believe how the leaves grew. It was past blooming time so I'm doing them early this spring and may have some really great flowers. The commercial iris growers use it. Also there are a lot of people who use it with great results for their roses.

Another thing I've been learning on the Soil forum is that over-tilling is not necessary and can be harmful to the soil structure. Better to put compost and mulch on top and leave it.