Best Fertilizer for Raised Vegetable Garden 2022 – Reviews & Buying Guide

Why need best fertilizer for raised vegetable garden?

To get huge fruits and vegetables, tasty and full of color, you need the perfect fertilizer. In the market there’s a wide variety of chemical and organic products to choose from. But beware! Not all of them are good for you and your plants.

Some have a high salt content, burning your plants when applied directly. Others have toxic chemicals for humans and pets. Some contain chicken manure, which is highly polluting.

Therefore, before buying any product, you should take a look at its list of components. Also investigate the side effects of each of them.

It’s true that doing something like this would take a lot of time and effort. However, by reading this article you won’t need to do that.

Top 10 Best Fertilizer for Raised Vegetable Garden

Today you’ll know the top 10 best fertilizers that everyone is buying this 2022 to grow perfect vegetable farms.

1. Unco Industries (WWS B15LB) Wiggle Worm Soil Builder

Ideal for organic crops. Made of 100% pure worm castings and free of chemical additives. Wiggle Worm Soil Builder is the best organic fertilizer for vegetable garden.

This super humus is rich in nitrogen and other essential nutrients for plants. It’s highly soluble in water. This means that the roots can absorb it more easily compared to best organic liquid fertilizer for vegetables.

Worms that produce this product feed from a balanced mixture of organic matter, minerals and other nutrients. The end result is much more efficient than the humus produced at home.

Wiggle Worm Soil Builder fertilizes all types of soils. It adds beneficial bacteria that produce nutrients for plants. It also keeps your fruits and vegetables protected from some common pests.

2. Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer

Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer adds beneficial nutrients and microorganisms to the soil to make it more fertile. It accelerates some natural processes and use them at your convenience.

It contains Jobe’s Biozome, a proprietary mixture of bacteria, Archaea and fungi. In contact with the soil, it helps to degrade certain substances to make them beneficial nutrients for plants.

Jobe’s Organics 9026 Fertilizer accelerates growth, makes roots stronger and prevents disease. It also conditions the soil to keep pests away. For best results, you should mix the product with the soil before planting.

The product activates in contact with wet soil. It’s soluble and doesn’t contaminate.

3. Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

A balanced mixture of nutrients to accelerate growth and turn a small plant into a monster. With Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer your fruits and vegetables will be huge.

You can apply it at any stage of plant growth. You can mix it with the soil or dissolve it in water and apply it as a spray.

Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer is a mixture of pro- biotic, organic waste, protein, minerals and other nutrients. It accelerates the growth of plants and increases the size of fruits and vegetables.

It doesn’t contain manure and is safe for animals and humans. It offers superior results when mixed with humus. It’s biodegradable and doesn’t contaminate.

4. Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food

Created to keep your plants strong and healthy. Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food is a nutritious and balanced food for fruits and vegetables.

If your plants look withered, Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food will make them live again. You just have to mix the required concentrations with water to apply on your plants. Repeat the process every 1-2 weeks.

Over time, your plants will look better than ever. Your organic fruits and vegetables will shine and look healthy. It’s highly soluble in water and doesn’t pollute. The roots absorb their components better than other products.

5. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food All Purpose

A double action product. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food All Purpose not only feeds plants. It also feeds the microorganisms that fertilize the soil.

Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food feeds plants and soil microbes at the same time. When the microbes feed on the product, they produce nutrients beneficial for the plants.

In this way, the plant receives a higher dose of nutrients to grow healthy, strong and very high. With this product, your fruits and vegetables will increase in size in a short time.

Its formula contains worm castings, feather meal and bone meal. It’s a 100% organic and non- toxic product.

6. Plant Magic Plant Food 100% Organic Fertilizer

Plant Food Plant Magic 100% Organic Fertilizer does honor to its name. Its incredible formula will grow your plants like never before. Your fruits and vegetables will be huge and colorful. Just apply it and let the magic happens.

100% Natural and free of chemical additives. Plant Magic Plant Food is a combination of more than 55 trace minerals and different types of bacteria and fungi. It’s an improved and more refined version than the compost tea you prepare at home.

It intensifies the color and taste of fruits and vegetables. In addition, it’s a powerful growth accelerator. It helps strengthen stems and roots. It contains phosphorus and nitrogen, essential in the different stages of plant growth.

A half pound of this product is enough to fertilize up to 1000 square feet of land.

7. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable

It makes your fruits and vegetables more resistant to pests to remain fresh longer after harvest. Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable is an improved version of the all purpose presentation.

In contrast to the all purpose version, Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food Tomato, Fruit & Vegetable includes calcium. This mineral helps strengthen the walls of plant cells. The result is greater durability and elasticity of vegetables.

In addition, calcium helps prevent some common diseases. To use it you just need to spread a small amount on the ground around the plant stem. A half cup per each 10 square feet is enough to keep your crop healthy.

After the first application, its effect lasts for 3 months.

8. Espoma GT18 Garden Tone

Highly soluble and low in salts. Espoma GT18 Garden Tone is specially formulated to apply directly on fruits and vegetables without burning them.

Espoma GT18 Garden Tone is a fine powder highly soluble in water. This feature allows better penetration into the soil to reach deeper roots. When the roots absorb the product, they grow stronger and thicker.

If it’s applied directly to fruits and vegetables, it won’t burn them. It also contains beneficial microorganisms that digest some substances from the soil and convert them into nutrients for plants.

9. Jobe’s Organics Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer Spikes

Jobe’s Organics Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer Spikes is like a vitality injection direct to the ground. The best organic fertilizer for lawn to control dosage and avoid waste.

Jobe’s Organics Vegetable & Tomato Fertilizer Spikes is perhaps one of the cleanest and easiest to apply fertilizers. Each spike contains the perfect dosage of nutrients and beneficial organisms for optimal growth.

It contains Jobe’s Biozome, a patented probiotic that accelerates growth and fertilizes soils. In addition, it protects fruits and vegetables from certain diseases and keeps away pests from the soil.

10. Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus Outdoor and Indoor

A floor conditioner. Simply put, that is Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus Outdoor and Indoor. You can convert a pile of compacted clay into the most fertile soil in a short time.

Designed to restore lost fertility in the soil. Osmocote Smart-Release is a fortified formula with 11 nutrients for optimal growth. It’s ideal for garden plants and small fruit and vegetable crops.

After the first application, its components are gradually released to the soil for 6 months. The product is inside a semi-permeable membrane. With increasing temperature (usual during growth phases), it releases more nutrients.

Once the nutrients dissolve completely, the membrane degrades in the soil. You can apply it with total confidence, because it won’t burn your plants.

Fertilizer for Raised Vegetable Garden Buying Guide

It’s true that organic fertilizers are in fashion today. Many farmers prefer them because they’re biodegradable and don’t pollute the environment. However, it’s also true that these products can attract pests.

For example, some organic fertilizers accelerate mold growth. Why? Because most of them add fungi and bacteria to their formula.

When the concentrations of these microorganisms are higher than normal, there’s a proliferation risk. Therefore, don’t trust those “home made” products that don’t follow any kind of quality control.

You should use only products certified by the competent agencies. Today, there are many self-proclaimed organic fertilizers that contain very dangerous chemicals.

It’s always convenient to have an updated list of substances banned by the FDA and the USDA to confirm if the ingredients in your fertilizer formula are really safe.

You may think that choosing the best fertilizer for vegetable garden is difficult, especially if you aren’t an expert. However, if you pay attention to the following tips, you’ll have the necessary knowledge to make a reasonable decision based on true facts.

Beware of Prohibited Substances

When an organic fertilizer lacks the required certifications, you should suspect of the quality of the product. Similarly, if the product doesn’t specify which company manufactures it, it’s probably one of those famous “prohibited products.”

The USDA created The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances to inform farmers of hazardous substances illegal for cultivation of organic fruits and vegetables. These are:

If any of these substances are present in the list of ingredients, you must refuse the product. Some products disguise these prohibited ingredients with complicated chemical compound names.

In those cases, it’s also convenient to know if these compounds come from these prohibited substances.

Also be careful with fertilizers that contain manure. In some cases it’s difficult to know. However, some products have the characteristic smell of manure. If they lack the relevant certifications, it isn’t convenient to buy them.

It’s essential to avoid contact of fertilizers with water sources. It isn’t good that large crops are near lakes or rivers, since best organic fertilizer for flowers can drain through groundwater.

Chemical vs. Organic

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have gained a bad reputation. Why? Recently, some published reports show that prolonged exposure to these products can cause cancer. As proven with some Monsanto products.

However, there’s no doubt that concentrated chemicals have a more powerful effect and accelerate growth more than organic products. In addition, they can be mass produced on a larger scale.

To fertilize large hectares of crops, these products are the most convenient. In contrast, organic products are suitable for small crops, such as fruit and vegetable gardens.

Chemicals don’t attract other pests or generate changes in the color or taste of crops. However, the same doesn’t happen with the best organic fertilizer for indoor plants.

If you read several reviews of some popular organic fertilizers, you’ll see that most users complain about the strong smell. It’s a fact: organic fertilizers don’t smell good. If you have problems with strong odors, it’s better to opt for odor free chemicals.

Another reason that organic farmers usually worry about is the large number of pests that these products attract. For example, the famous fertilizer spikes can generate too much mold.

Also, organic fertilizers that contain plant extracts, enriched meals and oils can attract insects. Therefore, it’s likely that using organic fertilizers in your fruits and vegetables implies an increase in pesticide consumption.

As you can see, all fertilizers have their pros and their cons. It’s up to you to make the final decision based on your possibilities.

Safe for Humans and Pets

It’s important to know if the product you’re using is toxic. Some animals can die when ingesting highly concentrated chemical fertilizers. Some people may be allergic to the components of the formula.

For example, many organic fertilizers contain fishmeal and sesame oil. Many allergy sufferers can manifest severe skin rashes in contact with these natural products.

If you notice any adverse reaction in you or your pets, it’s convenient that you stop using the product and buy another one with different composition.

Price

The price of fertilizers is one of the biggest concerns of any farmer or gardener. Today, fertilizers are very expensive, both organic and chemical. Products from prestigious brands are usually the most expensive.

However, today there are new products that copy the same formulation of the most expensive products but with slight variations. These products are usually sold for less than half the price of a famous fertilizer.

Usually, the active ingredients have the greatest influence on the acceleration of plant growth. Therefore, make sure that the same active ingredient is present in the cheapest product you’re thinking of buying.

Obviously, don’t always opt for too cheap products. Fertilizers of poor quality can ruin your crops when mixed with the soil or applied directly.

Best Brands of Fertilizer for Raised Vegetable Garden

These days, the best-selling organic fertilizers come from three different companies. The next time you look for a quality product that offers the best results, you should choose:

Unco Industries, for example, produces the best worm castings in the whole market. They feed their worms with best organic matter for garden with nitrogen and other nutrients. The result is a more concentrated product than homemade humus.

Jobe’s Organics implements in its products a proprietary blend of organic matter, nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. They call it Jobe’s Biozome. This helps recover lost fertility in all types of soils.

Dr. Earth is a company located in California. For years, their products follow the formulas designed by their founder. And over time, they continue to improve them to offer new and more varied products.

Fertilizer for Raised Vegetable Garden FAQs

Maybe these FAQs and their answers can help you clarify certain doubts you have.

Q-1. Is it true that organic fertilizers attract pests?

Yes. Some components of the formula can attract pests. Therefore, you must combine its application with efficient pesticides.

Q-2. Are organic fertilizers biodegradable?

Yes. Their ingredients degrade in the soil.

Q-3. Chemical or organic? Which accelerate growth the most?

It’s proven that highly concentrated chemicals offer better results in less time.

Q-4. Is it true that fertilizers pollute water?

Yes, when applied in large concentrations. That’s why it’s convenient to keep large crops away from water sources.

Q-5. Is it convenient to apply organic fertilizers on fruits and vegetables?

You must be careful and follow the indicated concentrations.

Q-6. Does organic fertilizer smell bad?

Most organic fertilizers have a strong odor. Nothing to worry about.

Q-7. Can organic fertilizers return the color of fruits and vegetables?

Yes. Some formulas serve to restore the vitality of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Q-8. Fertilizer container capsules don’t dissolve? Is that ok?

Container capsules degrade in the soil. However, sometimes they take too long to do so. Nothing to worry about.

Q-9. Is fertilizer safe for pets?

All certified products are safe for humans and pets. Don’t buy dubious quality products.

Q-10. What to do in case of an allergic reaction to fertilizer?

Flush the exposed area with plenty of water and suspend the use of the product. If the reaction persists, contact a doctor.

Conclusion

Choosing the best fertilizer for plants and flowers will help you reduce costs and get better results in less time. Follow the recommendations for use of the product and don’t exceed the concentrations.

Any mistake could be fatal to your crops. Verify that the components of the formula are harmless and suspend the use of the fertilizer in case of any allergic reaction.

Follow these tips and you’ll succeed in the next harvest.