LA TIMES – So you likely spent a bundle on preparing your first victory garden last spring, with organic potting soils, compost and manures. Why should you have to go out to buy more for your cool-weather garden this fall?
Because the veggies you planted last spring devoured those beneficial microbes, said master gardener Yvonne Savio, creator of GardeningInLA.net, and your depleted soil needs another jolt to feed the greens and other goodies you want to grow this fall.
“The plants you grew this summer sucked up the energy and nutrition you put in your soil, just like it sucked up the moisture you put in the ground,” Savio said. “It’s like asking, ‘I ate dinner last Sunday. Why should I have dinner again this Sunday?’”
Like most garden experts, Savio preaches the benefits of feeding your soil, not your plants. In other words, forget about fertilizers and concentrate on building healthy, nutrient-rich soil.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-10-01/why-fall-gardens-need-compost-amendments
