The Best Plant Food for Vegetables

Adding no fertilizer could still yield a large bounty.

Adding no fertilizer could still yield a large bounty.

Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Whether you're looking for an all-natural home-based feeding method for your vegetable garden or you're more interested in store-bought pre-formulated fertilizers, understanding which nutrients are needed is the first step. Sometimes all your vegetable garden needs is the right type of soil.


Nitrogen is a heavy hitter when it comes to fertilizing. Its task is to help promote green growth, sometimes vigorously. A little bit of pure nitrogen fertilizer or one with minimal amounts of phosphorous and potassium can do wonders for your vegetable garden when it's worked in at planting time. Nitrogen promotes plant growth, turning those little green seedlings into strong-stemmed, leafy vegetable plants. Only a small amount is needed, as too much can promote vigorous green growth, while reducing fruit production. Too much nitrogen can also burn your plants. For plants that have longer growing cycles, such as tomatoes and broccoli, a second small application of nitrogen fertilizer mid-way through the growing season may boost the plant's health.

Complete Nutrition in a Bag

Many fertilizers on the market have names including words like "complete" or "vegetable food." In general, a fertilizer specifically designed for vegetables will do well in your vegetable garden, but they're not always needed. Most of these fertilizers have a higher percentage of phosphorous than nitrogen. Phosphorous is the nutrient that promotes healthy root systems and vigorous fruit and bloom production. While it may sound ideal, adding phosphorous to a soil that already has enough can increase the risk of chlorosis. Make sure to follow the instructions on the package.


The benefits of your fertilizer are limited by the overall quality of your soil. Even a nutritious soil containing the right amount of nutrients can kill your vegetables if it holds water or drains too quickly. Most vegetables prefer a well-drained soil that is loamy or sandy loam. To give your vegetable plants this type of soil, you may need to add some rich organic compost or other organic materials such as peat moss to create a better environment for the roots of your crops.

Rich Soil

A method known as "lasagna," "layer" or "no-till" gardening provides ideal results for feeding your vegetable garden and creating a rich, well-drained soil. To make the "lasagna" garden bed, lay a couple of layers of wet newspaper over your vegetable garden area and then layer green and brown compost. Each layer should be 1 to 4 inches thick until you have a 1- to 2-foot-tall mound of the layers. "Green" compost includes fresh materials such as tea bags, grass clippings, vegetable scraps and spent blooms from your garden. The "brown" compost includes dry leaves, paper, pine needles, straw and aged manure. Start the lasagna in the middle of fall the year before you plant your garden. After several months, you'll have a rich, black dirt in a slightly raised mound that feeds and nourishes your vegetable garden.

About the Author

Jasey Kelly


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  • Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images
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