Fertilizer & Feeding Schedule
What to feed each crop at each stage — and exactly how many teaspoons go in your watering can.
into 2 gallons of water — that is 1 tsp per gallon.
1 tsp/gal is the every-1–2-week rate; 1/2 tsp/gal for seedlings.
Rates are typical home-garden label figures. Always follow the label on the product you actually own.
Nitrogen early, then swing to phosphorus and potassium the moment flowers appear.
Tomato · Pepper · Eggplant · Tomatillo
Seedling / transplant
Sowing to 2 weeks after transplantRoots, not top growth
- Lean
- Low and balanced
- How often
- Every 10–14 days
Watch for: Leggy, floppy stems mean too much nitrogen and too little light.
Vegetative
Transplant until first flowersBig leafy frame to fuel fruit
- Lean
- Higher N (e.g. 5-1-1, 24-8-16)
- How often
- Every 7–14 days
Flowering & fruit set
First blossomsSet fruit, avoid blossom drop
- Lean
- Lower N, higher P/K
- How often
- Every 7–10 days
Watch for: Blossom end rot is a calcium delivery problem — steady water plus calcium nitrate.
Fruiting & harvest
Fruit swelling to end of seasonSize, flavor, continued set
- Lean
- High K (e.g. 18-18-21)
- How often
- Every 7–14 days
Watch for: All leaves and no fruit = still feeding too much nitrogen.
Stop high-nitrogen feeds once flowers open or you get a beautiful bush with no tomatoes.
Rich soil at planting, side-dress mid-season, and liquid feed every 7–14 days while producing.
Nitrogen the whole way through — the leaves are the crop.
Lettuce · Spinach · Kale · Chard · Arugula · Bok choy
Seedling
First true leavesSteady, unstressed growth
- Lean
- Quarter-strength balanced
- How often
- Every 10–14 days
Growing
Thinning to harvest sizeFast, tender leaves
- Lean
- High N
- How often
- Every 7–10 days
Cut-and-come-again
After each harvestPush regrowth
- Lean
- High N liquid
- How often
- Right after each cutting
Watch for: Bitter leaves usually mean heat or drought stress, not a feeding problem.
Stop feeding a week before a full harvest so leaves are not nitrate-loaded and soft.
Compost at planting plus a liquid feed every 2–3 weeks in peak season.
Low nitrogen, decent phosphorus and potassium. Too much N makes hairy, forked roots and lush tops.
Carrot · Beet · Radish · Turnip · Parsnip
Bed prep
Before sowingLoose soil, no fresh manure
- Lean
- Low N, P and K present
- How often
- Once
Growing
After thinningRoot bulking
- Lean
- Low N, high K
- How often
- Every 3–4 weeks
Never side-dress carrots with blood meal or fish emulsion — you get tops and no root.
Compost at planting is usually enough. Extra nitrogen makes leaves, not food.
Hungry and long-season. Steady nitrogen plus boron and calcium keep heads tight.
Broccoli · Cabbage · Cauliflower · Brussels sprouts · Kohlrabi
Transplant
Setting outRoot establishment
- Lean
- Balanced starter
- How often
- At planting
Leaf building
3–6 weeks after transplantBig frame before heading
- Lean
- High N
- How often
- Every 2 weeks
Heading
Head or sprout formationDense heads
- Lean
- Balanced with K
- How often
- Every 2–3 weeks
Watch for: Hollow stems or brown curds point to boron shortage — a kelp drench helps.
Rich soil at planting, side-dress mid-season, and liquid feed every 7–14 days while producing.
Very hungry once vines run. Feed hard through fruiting, then ease off as fruit finishes.
Cucumber · Squash · Zucchini · Pumpkin · Melon
Seedling
First true leavesRoots
- Lean
- Half-strength balanced
- How often
- Every 2 weeks
Vining
Runners taking offFast frame
- Lean
- Higher N
- How often
- Every 7–14 days
Flowering & fruiting
First female flowersFruit set and size
- Lean
- Lower N, higher P/K
- How often
- Every 7–10 days
Watch for: Little fruit that shrivels at the tip is usually poor pollination, not feeding.
Rich soil at planting, side-dress mid-season, and liquid feed every 7–14 days while producing.
They fix their own nitrogen. Feed phosphorus and potassium only.
Bush bean · Pole bean · Snap pea · Shell pea · Southern pea
Bed prep
Before sowingP and K in place
- Lean
- Low N
- How often
- Once
Podding
First flowersHeavy pod set
- Lean
- K-leaning, no N
- How often
- Every 3 weeks
Nitrogen feeds shut down the root nodules and give you vines instead of pods.
Compost at planting is usually enough. Extra nitrogen makes leaves, not food.
Nitrogen while leaves form, then hard stop so bulbs size up and cure well.
Onion · Garlic · Leek · Shallot
Leaf growth
Planting until bulbing startsEvery leaf equals a bulb ring
- Lean
- High N
- How often
- Every 2–3 weeks
Bulbing
Bulb swelling / scapes appearSize and storage quality
- Lean
- Stop nitrogen; K only
- How often
- Once
Watch for: Late nitrogen gives soft bulbs that rot in storage.
Compost at planting plus a liquid feed every 2–3 weeks in peak season.
Lean soil concentrates the essential oils. Mediterranean herbs barely need feeding at all.
Basil · Parsley · Cilantro · Mint · Rosemary · Thyme · Oregano
Active growth
Spring through summerTender, flavorful leaves
- Lean
- Dilute balanced
- How often
- Every 3–4 weeks (basil/parsley), 2x per season (rosemary/thyme)
After harvest
Following each big cutRegrowth
- Lean
- Half-strength N
- How often
- After cutting
Over-fed rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage grow fast and taste like nothing.
Compost at planting is usually enough. Extra nitrogen makes leaves, not food.
Feed in early spring and again after fruiting. Blueberries want acidic, ammonium-based feeds.
Strawberry · Blueberry · Raspberry · Blackberry
Early spring
As buds swellNew cane and leaf growth
- Lean
- Balanced with N
- How often
- Once
Fruiting
Flowering to harvestBerry size and sugar
- Lean
- K-leaning
- How often
- Every 2–3 weeks
After harvest
Post-harvest renovationNext year's buds
- Lean
- Balanced
- How often
- Once
Never lime blueberries — they want pH 4.5–5.5 and sulfur-based amendments.
Compost at planting plus a liquid feed every 2–3 weeks in peak season.
Every watering flushes nutrients out the bottom. Feed lightly but often.
Any crop in a pot · Grow bags · Window boxes
First 3–4 weeks
After potting upCoast on the mix's starter charge
- Lean
- None needed
- How often
- None
Ongoing
Week 4 onwardReplace what leaches out
- Lean
- Half-strength balanced
- How often
- Weekly at half strength, or every other watering at quarter
Watch for: White crust on the pot rim means salt buildup — flush with plain water monthly.
Rich soil at planting, side-dress mid-season, and liquid feed every 7–14 days while producing.
- • Water first, feed second. Fertilizer on dry roots burns them.
- • Feed in the morning or evening, never on a hot afternoon.
- • When in doubt, go half strength twice as often — you cannot un-burn a plant.
- • Keep granular fertilizer 2–3 inches away from stems and water it in well.
- • Do not mix calcium products with phosphate or sulfate feeds in the same jug.
- • Stop nitrogen roughly 6 weeks before your first frost so growth hardens off.