Cheating

I admit it, I cheated. I've wanted to do as much as possible to get the garden going without using chemicals. Can definitely be done. However, with the N level in the soil so low, spring around the corner, lots of plants ready to be transplanted as soon as the weather allows and the compost some distance away from being properly usable, I broke down and got some fertilizer. 

Most people that read this probably already know that to raise the soil N level drastically, it should be done before springtime. Too much N added to living plants can burn them. Too little N and they just won't grow. Most farmers and longtime gardeners fertilize heavily with N-heavy fertilizers in the fall after last harvest, to allow it to normalize in the soil. I didn't have that option. 

So, I got some fertilizer that is 34 parts N, which is really heavy. It also has a pre-emergent weed killer. The clerk at Lowe's was really helpful when I told him I needed an N-heavy fertilizer. (I wanted Ammonium Nitrate but seems nobody sells it any more, since it can be made into bombs.) He pointed me to this stuff, which was on clearance, so just what I needed but not expensive. 

I went ahead and spread a lot of it tonight. It's drizzling and snowing on and off, which I figure will help it dissolve and work into the soil. (Not enough rain or snow for any runoff.) Besides, to control weeds, it should be applied before they sprout. Had such a horrendous weed problem last year, I want to get a jump on it this year. I'd prefer not to use chemicals but I had an entire half of the yard which was all weeds last year, which were spreading to the other half. Before I moved in here, the weeds had not been controlled for many years. Once I have the weeds under control, I can cease any chemical use. Once the N level is raised and the compost is going with more N content, I can forego additives. 

There's no Phos in this fertilizer but I can supplement for that with Epsom Salt. Inexpensive, easy to find and effective.

I also got some liquid fertilizer for the plants while they're still indoors. Compost is still too raw to make compost tea yet. Don't want them to starve to death before they can be transplanted out.

While at Lowe's, found a bathroom cabinet in the parking lot with the door broken off. Strange place for it but I took it to turn into another raised garden bed. Plastic liner, some dirt, maybe some paint and it should be acceptable. If it still looks too trashy, I can add some wood panels, maybe cut down some of the fence slats and nail around the outside. That would also help insulate it. Can build a cold cover and a trellis right into it. Either or both could be removed later. It's rather deep, so I'll likely fill the bottom with brown leaves and add a few inches of soil on the top. The leaves will compost in place over time, releasing CO2. Anything with N would be added from above. That would keep the weight of the whole thing down. Maybe I can use that for the peas and green beans.