Hi Ken

What does "and lastly.. media is a water management system.. in a pot.. and should be throw in the compost pile after using it one year" Mean?

Should I use fertilizer around the top of my transplants rather than mixed in the soil or jsut not al all?

As far as the cracked soil I'm thinking the cracking is because of clay soil. When I came to the garden the first time this season the soil was cracked all over. I was/am thinking its a clay soil issue. Its definitely not a watering thing. I water religiously

daleyc….it certainly looks as though your transplants need some fertilizer. I would probably go for a balanced soluble product and apply it with a watering container. Soluble fertilizers go to work the fastest. After that, you could go with a balanced slow release or a granular garden fertilizer broadcast over the top of the soil. Ken is flat out wrong in his statement that plants do not need fertilization once planted in the outdoor soil.

If this is an area that that is new to you, a professional soil test is a good idea. The results will inform you of what elements the in situ soil has and, most importantly, the pH. Your state, specifically your county will have an Agricultural Extension Service where you can find all kinds of home garden information, including how to take a soil test and where you should take it once collected.

Mulchng with compost, or any organic material, will help with the cracking. I have heavy clay soil and mulching has helped a lot. Vegetables are not like trees, shrubs or perennials. They do often need feeding even when planted in the ground. How much depends on the state of your soil.

I use a lot of organic material when i plant. I've been lazy about doing the whole garden. I think I'll take the project on this fall or late summer.

As for fertilizing...i made the big boo boo and used granular fertilizer on my nursery seedlings/plants. The leaves are yellowing and kind of wilting. The stupidest thing is that I have a foliage feeder product and didn't use it. Live and learn. Hoping for the best

Not a boo boo unless you used too much and/or tossed it by the handful at the root system. What was the analysis (three numbers on the front of the label indicating the percentage of N-P-K) of the product you used?

I would mulch just around the plants immediately. Not wait until fall. I have lawn mowings around my squash to keep the soil moist. and shaded.

I used Espoma Tomato fertilizer 3-4-6

I mixed in into the soil with worm castings and compost mix. I also, when the mood hit, topped the mound with a bit of the fertilizer.

Would too much fertilizer or burnt roots cause leaves to yellow and maybe curl a little?

Got the message floral. Would bark mulch work or should I get a bunch of bags of compost? There's not much organic 'round here