Question
I thought that I had read somewhere not to use chicken fertilzer on root vegetables. My neighbor was wanting to fertilize his sweet potato slips with chicken fertilizer.   We raise chickens commercially and have an over abundance of fertilizer .  I needed to know if my memory was correct..

Answer
Joyce, do not use chicken fertilizer on root vegetables. It is extremely high in nitrogen, which will promote lush foliage but very little root development. Also, fresh fertilizer can burn the roots. It usually has to be aged 3 months or longer for other crops.

Root crops need a high ratio of potassium. This is the third number on the ratio listed on the front of the fertilizer package. A good ratio would be 5-10-20.

I hope this answered your question. Good luck, and have a great weekend.

Regards,

Mike