Sophia transplanting some chard
We’ve been doing a huge amount of transplanting in the Ballibay camp garden these days. Deb Taft, one of my farmer friends back home, told me to use Seaweed fertilizer to prevent transplant shock. One of my fellow camp gardeners asked me why we would want to give plants a fertilizer without any nitrogen. Heck if I knew.
For those of you who are not big on plant fertilizer lingo, both synthetic and natural plant fertilizers have 3 numbers on their label which indicate the N-P-K ratio. N stands for nitrogen, P stands for phosphorus and K stands for potassium. Think of them as essential vitamins for your plants.
Craig, a camp counselor who divides his time between the garden and the art studios, explained N-P-K in a way that’s easy to remember. Up, down and all around. Nitrogen benefits upward growth and the top part of the plant. But too much of a good thing is never good. You don’t want long leggy plants! Phosphorous promotes good healthy roots which are often just as important as growing upward. Potassium benefits the entire plant.
Thanks to Craig’s mnemonic, I fully understand why a seaweed fertilizer with 0-4-4 NPK would be a good idea for my new transplants. You want their roots to be fully supported as they move into their new home in the garden beds. Once their roots are happy, they can optimally soak up water and nutrients from the soil.
We might even make up a batch of seaweed for our beets and carrots which are moving closer to being served at the dining hall.
