Hello! And happy end of July! Before you know it, our gardens should really be pumping out. And at this point in time, some veggies in some gardens are really pumping out – big time! But some veggies in some other gardens are either just limping along, or are rotting away, or just refusing to come up at all.


And what’s with those beans, anyway? Many folks are having a really tough time with their beans – complaining about really spotty germination, or that the beans that do come up are not amounting to a hill of beans.

So what’s a gardener to do? Keep in mind, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature, horrible prolific weeds, fatal fungi, behemoth bacteria, devastating diseases, bountiful bugs and slugs, and hungry voracious varmints. (Hey, this is a really good plug right here for the Lowville Farmers’ Market – let them worry about all of these perilous perils. Just come to the farmers’ market and buy all of those veggies that are refusing to grow for you in your garden.)

At any rate, back to our pitiful or plentiful gardens. . . Maybe some of those non-producing veg crops are suffering from a lack of some vital nutrients that are needed to fend off various vicious varmints and deadly diseases, some vital nutrients to keep them happily pumping out all the fruits of their labors.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been going on and on about many of the macro- and micro-nutrients, and the macro- and micro-minerals that all garden plants need to grow healthily. This week we’re finally on to the last of the macro-nutrients – POTASSIUM!
N – P – K
Nitrogen – Phosphorous – Potassium

Potassium (or potash) is a very needed macro-nutrient that helps the plants form sugars, starches, and proteins. Potassium also helps make plants cold-hardy. So that when sadistic Mother Nature allows mean old Jack Frost to come and freeze-dry our gardens before we’ve had a chance to harvest our veggies, all of those plants that do not have enough potassium levels will succumb to the cold while those having sufficient potassium will be strong enough to withstand cold temperatures.

Potassium also enhances the flavor and the color of some vegetables. Potassium is also vital for your garden soil if you want to grow any root crops. “AHA!!! So that’s why I can’t grow carrots, turnips, or even radishes!!! “ some of you are saying at this point!

So – potassium – gotta have it! But what if your garden plants don’t have enough? Well, let’s take a look at the [plants. Look at their lower leaves. Those lower leaves will look gray-green, and they’ll start to show yellowing or mottling. In time they will turn brown and look burned. Sometimes a potassium deficiency shows up with the leaves being a bronze color, with curling and drying leaf margins.

All in all, the potassium deficient plants:
 lack vim and vigor
 have no resistance to disease
 have no resistance to heat or to cold
And if those potassium deficient plants fruit at all, those fruits will be small and misshapen.

So what should you do if you are looking at your garden and you’re seeing some or all of these symptoms? Buy a bunch of bananas and go and spread that potassium around? I don’t think so!!!

Simply spray those plants with liquid fertilizer; fish emulsion is terrific. If you have any wood ashes, side dress your potassium deficient plants with a few handfuls. These are good remedies for quick-fixes. For long-term potassium, add greensand, or granite dust, or seaweed, or composted manure to your garden soil.

As with any and all of these vital plant nutrients, make sure you don’t overdo it with too much potassium. Don’t add too much wood ash. Don’t spray those plants with too strong of a fertilizer dose.

So there you are – all the macros- micros-, and trace minerals that you garden plants need to grow healthy veggies for you. Good luck!

And – like I said before – if you don’t want to mess with all of these garden problems, just come on down to the Lowville Farmers’ Market. Let them worry about all the garden problems as they offer you a ton of really great, locally grown vegetables.

Hey – Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D