Feeding the Summer Garden: A Practical Guide to Fertilizing

By July, gardens in the Boise area are alive with activity. Tomato vines climb their cages, squash leaves stretch across beds, and pollinators hum from blossom to blossom. But while the season’s early work is behind us, another critical task emerges: feeding the garden.

Plants are living systems, constantly drawing nutrients from the soil to fuel growth, flowering, and fruiting. As those nutrients are used up, the soil alone often can’t keep up with the demand—especially in raised beds, containers, or sandy soils common in southern Idaho. Understanding how to fertilize makes all the difference.

This guide walks through the most common fertilizing methods home gardeners use, when and why they matter, and how to apply them effectively.

Side-Dressing: A Midsummer Nutrient Boost

Side-dressing is the practice of applying fertilizer in a narrow band a few inches away from the base of a plant and watering it in. It's especially useful in July for long-season, heavy-feeding crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and corn.

In early summer, nitrogen-rich materials (like urea, blood meal, or calcium nitrate) can support foliage development. But by midseason, as plants begin flowering and fruiting, excessive nitrogen can cause more leaf growth at the expense of blooms and harvest.

In July, a better choice is a balanced fertilizer (e.g., 5-10-10) or one higher in phosphorus and potassium to support flowering and fruit development. Organic options include composted manure, bone meal (typically 3-15-0), or natural blends formulated for tomatoes or vegetables.

Fertilizer should be applied 4–6 inches from the stem and gently worked into the soil or covered with mulch. Always water thoroughly after applying.

Top-Dressing: Slow and Gentle

Top-dressing is the process of applying compost or granular fertilizer to the soil surface around plants. It requires no digging and is ideal for leafy greens, herbs, root crops, and perennials—or anywhere you want to avoid disturbing roots.

This method supports soil structure, boosts moisture retention, and releases nutrients slowly. It’s especially well suited for use with compost or slow-release organic fertilizers. Mulching after top-dressing can further improve moisture retention and soil health.

Top-dressing can be repeated every few weeks throughout the growing season, especially after heavy rains or heat waves.

Liquid Feeding: Fast and Effective

Liquid fertilizers are mixed with water and poured around the base of the plant. This method is particularly effective in July when container-grown plants and raised beds may need quicker nutrient access due to faster drying and leaching.

Liquid soil drenches can be made from fish emulsion, compost tea, kelp extract, or water-soluble commercial fertilizers. Apply every 1–2 weeks as needed.

This method is fast-acting and easy to tailor, especially for vegetables like cucumbers, squash, or tomatoes that show nutrient stress mid-season.

Foliar Feeding: Targeted and Temporary

Foliar feeding involves spraying a diluted fertilizer solution directly onto plant leaves. It’s sometimes used to address visible nutrient deficiencies or to support plants under short-term stress.

While plants can absorb some nutrients through their leaves—especially micronutrients like iron, magnesium, or calcium—this method is usually most effective as a supplement, not a replacement for soil fertilization. Effectiveness depends on nutrient type, leaf age, and weather conditions.

Foliar sprays may help:

• Correct specific deficiencies quickly
• Support stressed or struggling plants
• Bypass root-zone issues temporarily

However, they can also:

• Burn leaves if applied in hot, dry weather
• Offer only short-term results
• Increase disease or runoff risk if overused

Apply foliar sprays only when clearly needed, and always during cooler parts of the day—morning or evening. For most gardens, foliar feeding plays a limited, supportive role, best reserved for micronutrient issues or recovery from stress.

Pre-Plant Incorporation: Building the Foundation

Though not a July task, it’s worth noting that much of a garden’s nutrient supply should be in place before planting. Mixing compost and a balanced fertilizer into beds in early spring provides a steady source of nutrients as plants establish.

This early step is especially important for root development and early vegetative growth. Soil testing can help fine-tune what’s needed.

Summary Table

Method	Best Use	Midseason (July) Application
Side-Dressing	Fruiting vegetables	Use balanced or low-nitrogen blends
Top-Dressing	Leafy greens, herbs, perennials	Apply compost or slow-release fertilizer
Liquid Feeding	Containers, raised beds	Every 1–2 weeks with water
Foliar Feeding	Nutrient deficiencies, stress	Use selectively; best for micronutrients
Pre-Plant Mix	All crops	Done at planting; provides base nutrition

Final Thoughts

Fertilizing in July is about balance. The garden is in full gear, and plants need support—but not too much. Focus on what your soil and plants are telling you. Look for signs of deficiency, evaluate past applications, and use the right method for the right crop at the right time.

Fertilizing smart in midsummer can mean the difference between a sluggish garden and a bountiful harvest.

For Additional Reading:

Mid-Season Boost for Hungry Plants

Foliar Feeding

Fertilizing your garden:Vegetables, Fruits, and Ornamentals

Shamrocks - So Many Lucky Choices...!

 Shamrocks have long been a symbol of 
Ireland and have even been considered a symbol of good luck. They are popular houseplants and fun gifts for friends and neighbors on St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are easy to grow indoors if you follow these simple and easy to remember steps:

Light
Shamrocks prefer bright, indirect sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up, then reopen in sunlight the following day.

Food
Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or a time-release fertilizer during their growing season. As always, we recommend following label instructions.

Iron Cross Shamrock

Soil
As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. 
Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

Temperature
Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 °F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

Dormancy
Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types  only need one month of dormancy.  

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it is easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video showing how to propagate shamrocks.

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Growing Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day

Shamrocks have long been a symbol of Ireland and have even been considered a symbol of good luck. They are popular houseplants and fun gifts for friends and neighbors on St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are easy to grow indoors if you follow these simple and easy to remember steps:

Light
Shamrocks prefer bright, indirect sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up, then reopen in sunlight the following day.

Food
Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or a time-release fertilizer during their growing season. As always, we recommend following label instructions.

Soil
As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

Temperature
Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 °F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

Dormancy
Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy.

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it is easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video showing how to propagate shamrocks.

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Get your Shamrocks for St. Paddy's Day!

Shamrocks represent good luck and are a 

popular house plant, especially around Saint Patrick’s Day when they are in stores everywhere! Shamrocks are easy to grow if you follow these five simple and easy to remember step

·       Shamrocks prefer direct sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up , then reopen in sunlight the following day.

·       Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or time release fertilizer during their 

     growing season- always following label instructions.

·     As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

·       Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 ^°F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

·       Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock
 goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place 
it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy!

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it's easy to divide and create new plants. Here's a short video with how-to steps for propagating.  

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

Shamrock luck!

Shamrocks  are for  good luck and are a popular house plant, especially during St. Patrick’s Day. 

Shamrocks are easy to grow if you follow these five simple and easy to remember steps:

·       Shamrocks prefer direct sunlight, be sure to place your plant in a window where it will receive plenty of light. Shamrocks will flower, even during winter, if they receive enough light. Each night the plant's leaflets fold up , then reopen in sunlight the following day.

·       Shamrocks like food! Fertilize them regularly with either a liquid houseplant or time release fertilizer during their growing season- always following label instructions.

·     As a houseplant, they prefer moist soil. Avoid allowing your shamrock to dry out during the growing season.

·       Give your shamrock a growing temperature between 50 and 70 ^°F during the growing season. They can be placed outside after danger of frost has passed and are a beautiful addition to your pots or in a grouping of pots.

·       Shamrocks have a dormant period. When your shamrock
 goes dormant, usually in late summer, don’t fret! Just place 
it in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight for 2-3 months. The purple-leaf types only need one month of dormancy!

Since your shamrock grows from small bulbs, it's easy to divide and create new plants. 

Here's a short video with how-to steps for propagating. 
Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!

So, you’ve thought about composting?

Good for you! Composting is a great way to Reduce, Reuse &  Recycle. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away.  Composting enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests.  In addition composting reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.  Check out this website to see what the EPA says about at composting at home along with several helpful links.

Has the idea of composting and compost bins been a bit overwhelming? Do you have questions like “Will it be difficult or expensive to set up this operation?”  “What exactly should I put in my compost piles?”  “Is this project going to be labor intensive?” Do you have other questions?  Well just as we approach other aspects in our lives, if we break down the project into smaller parts the task becomes more manageable.

First thing’s first. Put your compost pile close to where you will use it. Away from drying winds, but in partial sunlight to help heat the pile. You should choose a place where water is available and adequate drainage.

 What types of materials do you need to set up composting bins? 

Well you can set your operation up as fancy or as simple as you like. An area that is about 3’x3’x3’ is a great start. You may use inexpensive materials such as wire mesh, old pallets and trash cans or buy a composting system from your local or on line retailers.  Here are two photos for examples. Consider buying a kitchen composting bin for kitchen scraps, paper towels, coffee grounds, egg shells and other things for your convenience.

What kind of material does your compost pile need?  Here is a list of safe materials.

Materials NOT to add.

Ideally, a compost pile should be made up in layers.  

The first layer should be coarse plant material to allow oxygen to circulate up through the pile. 

The second layer should be 6 to 10 inches of finer plant material such as leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps.

The third layer should be a 1 inch layer of soil or manure. Consider adding 1/3 cup of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate, blood meal, or bone meal for every 25 square feet of compost pile material. This will help the breakdown of plant material. Repeat layers as necessary. 

If you are interested in adding worms to your composing regimen check out this interesting article on “Vermicomposting” 

Next – ADD WATER.  Keep the pile moist but not waterlogged (think wet sponge).  You may need to add water in the summertime. As microorganisms begin to break down the organic material, heat is generated. Within a few days the compost pile should reach an internal temperature of 90 to 160 degrees F. You may want to cover your pile with a tarp to help control moisture and temperature.

Turn the pile over occasionally (every 2-4 weeks) this aerates the material for more rapid decomposition.

Composting is a process of several months to a year depending on size, conditions and maintenance of your pile.  The process is well worth it. 

For more information on basic backyard composting there are several university websites that offer great information, tips, tricks and thoughtful solutions to backyard composting.  Here is a link to a guidebook titled “Composting at Home.”

Lawn watering and fertilization.

To produce top quality lawns you need to care for the grass so that its growth is not limited by nutritional needs, insects, or weed pests and water.

Water is usually the biggest problem that needs to be solved to develop the best looking lawns. Lawns need from one inch to one and a half inches a week. If the soil is good and of adequate depth it is best to apply water twice a week. More water than 1.5 inches will weaken the root system because it slows the movement of oxygen in to the soil and the root require oxygen to survive. When less than an inch of water is applied the soil will dry out between water and the top of the grass will start to go dormant.

The amount of Fertilizer the grass needs depends on how is it used and what you want it to look like, here is a good article on the issue.

The article focused on nitrogen because it is the nutrient the grass needs us to supply the most, the other nutrients you may need to supply are phosphorus and potassium. A soil test will help you determine how much, if any, of these nutrients you need to apply.