Feature
Micronutrients
Phosphorus and micronutrients often create confusion early in the season as well. Visual symptoms that appear alarming in cool conditions frequently fade as soils warm and root systems expand. Many early-season deficiency symptoms reflect temporary unavailability rather than true shortage. Responding too quickly can lead to unnecessary applications that provide little benefit.
Patience plays an important role here. Allowing soil conditions to improve before reacting prevents chasing problems that resolve naturally. When true deficiencies exist, addressing them when plants can actively uptake nutrients leads to better outcomes and lower costs.
Observation remains one of the most valuable tools a grower has, especially in early spring.
Soil Structure
Soil structure deserves equal attention in early fertility conversations, though it is often overlooked. Compaction, surface sealing and poor aggregation restrict root growth and nutrient access regardless of the fertility present. Early-season traffic and working soils before they are ready can undo months or years of careful management.
In a market garden, where frequent passes are common and early access feels necessary, protecting soil structure becomes a foundational fertility practice. Beds with intact structure warm more evenly, drain more effectively and support healthier root systems. I have seen crops outperform neighboring beds with identical fertility histories simply because structure was preserved. Every fertility dollar stretches further when roots can actually reach nutrients.
Early-Season Planning
I have learned to evaluate early-season spending through a different lens. The most valuable investments are those that improve decision-making and soil function rather than chase ideal conditions. Interpreting trends rather than isolated results, targeting known limitations and prioritizing timing and placement consistently deliver stronger returns than broad, early applications.
What does not pay off is spending driven by urgency alone. Spring pressure can push growers into decisions that feel proactive but offer little benefit. Fertility inputs should solve specific problems, not simply provide reassurance.
Market gardeners and small row-crop farmers benefit from proximity to their fields. Daily observation creates opportunities to adjust management as conditions change. Leaving room to respond later in the season often outperforms early rigidity. Fertility management works best as an ongoing conversation between soil, crop and grower rather than a fixed plan established before soils are ready.
Early-season restraint is not passive management. It is an active choice to wait for alignment between soil function and crop demand. When that alignment occurs, nutrients are used more efficiently, crops establish evenly and profit margins improve.
The most successful early-season fertility programs are built on discipline rather than reaction. Protecting structure, supporting biology and allowing timing to guide decisions consistently outperform heavy early inputs. For market gardeners, where every dollar and every bed matters, that discipline becomes one of the most valuable management skills we can develop.
About the Author
Bethany Salisbury is a first-generation regenerative farmer and market gardener at Saratoga Homestead, where she grows food for her community while learning what actually works on small acreage. Her approach to soil health and fertility is shaped by daily hands-on management, tight margins and a belief that practical decisions matter more than perfect plans.
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