What to apply at planting, and what to apply later

A good programme is simple. It does the right thing at the right time, and skips the rest. This guide walks through the four moments in a growing season that matter most, and what to apply at each one.

Moment 1: bed preparation

Before you plant, prepare the soil. If you are starting on a tired bed, top it up with compost. Water in a TinyTeam soil drench to get living microbes into the bed, and wait five to seven days before planting.

This first step does most of the work. A well-prepared bed sets up the next three months. A poorly prepared bed makes every later application a recovery operation.

Moment 2: planting day

At planting, water each seedling in with PopUp, a planting starter that promotes even emergence and supports early root growth. For a bigger lift on poor ground, dust the root zone with Myco-WS, a mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma blend.

For direct-sown crops like carrots, beans or salad mixes, water the seed row in with PopUp after sowing.

Moment 3: active growth

This is where most home gardeners stop too early. Two weeks after planting, start foliar spraying with SeaBrix. SeaBrix is a kelp and fish based foliar that supplies micronutrients and biostimulants and supports the plant through the season.

Apply early morning or late afternoon. Spray the leaves until just dripping. Repeat every two weeks for as long as the plant is in active growth.

If the plants face stress, such as a hot dry week, a transplant shock or a pest attack, alternate a SeaBrix spray with an AminoK spray. AminoK is an amino acid foliar that helps plants recover faster from stress.

At the soil, every four weeks, water in a soil drench with TinyTeam. TinyTeam is a microbial inoculant that adds beneficial bacteria and fungi directly to the root zone. This keeps the soil food web busy through the season.

Moment 4: between seasons

After harvest is the moment most growers ignore. It is also the moment that decides what next season looks like.

Spread a thin layer of compost over the empty bed. If the bed will be empty for more than four weeks, sow a cover crop such as oats, rye, vetch or a quick mix, and let it grow until two weeks before the next planting. Then chop it and leave it on the surface.

The aim is to keep the soil covered, the biology fed and the roots in the ground year-round. This is the single biggest difference between a soil that improves year over year and a soil that runs down.

A simple six-month calendar

Week 0: prepare the bed, TinyTeam soil drench, water in.

Week 1: plant, water in with PopUp.

Week 2: first SeaBrix foliar.

Week 4: second foliar (SeaBrix or AminoK depending on conditions). TinyTeam soil drench.

Week 6: third foliar.

Week 8: fourth foliar. TinyTeam soil drench.

Week 10 to 14: continue the two-week foliar cycle.

Harvest: note what worked. Take photos.

After harvest: compost layer, cover crop or mulch. Get ready for the next cycle.

Do not want to work it out yourself?

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