426 - Mid-Season Fertilizing: What Your Garden Needs Now

The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

Jill McSheehy

Gardening, Garden, How To, Education, Organicgardening, Home & Garden, Leisure, Homegardening, Beginninggardener, Vegetablegardening

4.4 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"I rarely use fertilizer."
If you've listened to this podcast or joined a coaching call, you've probably heard me say that. And for years, it’s been true. I’ve focused more on building healthy soil than feeding plants. But recently, I’ve started rethinking that approach — and today I’m sharing why.

In this episode, we’ll explore how my mindset has shifted, plus:

The difference between organic and synthetic fertilizers
How to fertilize based on the type of crop
Why your method matters more if you're growing in containers, raised beds, or in-ground
How to apply fertilizer correctly so you don’t waste time or money

By the end, I hope you’ll feel more confident in deciding whether — and how — to fertilize your own garden this season.

🌿Want to keep your plants thriving through the heat, stop pests naturally, and handle issues as they come up? Join me live tonight for my Summer Workshop: Grow • Nurture • Protect! You’ll also get a bonus preserving workshop replay.
👉 journeywithjill.net/summerworkshop

I use Organic REV all season to boost microbial life, improve root growth, and help plants handle stress. Great for transplants, succession planting, and heat resilience.
💧 Use code JILL10 to save at OrganicREV.com

Show Notes:

Thank you to our sponsors: Organic REV

Organic REV

Organic REV is an organic growth stimulant that can increase nitrogen efficiency by up to 25%, replaces depleted soil carbon and bacterial biomass, and absorbs nutrients to make them more readily available to plants via their root systems.

Promo Code: Use promo code JILL10 for 10% off your order

Want to learn more about Organic REV? Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you how to use REV in seed starting, transplanting and so much more! Click here to enroll.

My Products:
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https://shop.journeywithjill.net/

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Book: https://amzn.to/3TZeJux

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Recommended Brands & Products page:
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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Well, hey there and welcome back to the Beginners Garden podcast. Today we're going to talk about
0:04.5	fertilizing, especially in an organic garden. But if you are a regular listener to the podcast,
0:11.1	then you have probably heard me say multiple times that I rarely use fertilizer. And it's true,
0:18.5	I focus heavily on creating healthy beds with healthy soil to begin with,
0:24.1	so I don't have to mess with fertilizers or fertilizing regimens.
0:28.6	But last year and this year, I'm starting to amend the way I view feeding my garden.
0:35.5	No pun intended.
0:37.1	I'll share with you more about what is opening my mind
0:40.4	and changing the way I do some things in my garden. And then we'll talk about fertilizers, the difference
0:47.3	between organic and synthetic, how to fertilize depending on the crop that you're growing, how container and raised bed and ground
0:56.1	bed fertilizing actually have different needs, and how to apply the fertilizers that you might choose.
1:03.0	My hope is that by the end of this episode, you'll have a greater understanding of how you may or may
1:09.5	not need to add fertilizer to your garden this year.
1:13.2	But before we dive in, if you've ever wondered whether your plants are really getting
1:18.1	everything they need to stay healthy, all summer long, you're not alone.
1:23.6	Fertilizing is just one piece of the puzzle.
1:26.7	In my newest live workshop coming up, our summer workshop, grow, nurture, and protect.
1:32.3	We will dig into how to keep your crops thriving through the heat, how to protect from pests and disease before they start, and what to do if something goes wrong.
1:42.8	Join me live tonight, June 17th, and if you can't make it, you will get access to the replay.
1:48.9	You can find the details at journey withjill.net slash summer workshop, or the direct link will be in the show notes.
1:56.5	All right, let's dive into talking about fertilizer.
2:01.2	First off, let me explain to you a little bit how my personal viewpoint has shifted and how I previously
	...

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