If you’ve ever wondered whether you can grow a garden without fertilizer… the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
In this video, I break down what actually happens when you skip fertilizer—and why the answer completely depends on how you’re growing. Containers, raised beds, and in-ground gardens all behave differently, and understanding that can save you from wasted time, money, and disappointing results.
Purchase Neptune’s Harvest fertilizer in our shop: https://shop.nextlevelgardening.tv/collections/organic-fertilizer
In this video we’ll cover:
• Why fertilizer is essential in containers
• When raised beds can (and can’t) get away without it
• How in-ground soil can sometimes do the work for you
• The real difference between synthetic and organic fertilizers
• Why fast growth isn’t always healthy growth
I also explain how fertilizers like hydrolyzed fish (such as Neptune’s Harvest) work differently than typical fish emulsions—and why that matters if you’re trying to build soil, not just feed plants.
And if you want to enter the Neptune’s Harvest giveaway, just drop a comment and let me know how you’re growing this year—containers, raised beds, or in-ground.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Can You Grow Without Fertilizer?
00:36 It Depends on Where You Grow
01:26 Containers: Why It’s a Hard No
03:32 Neptune’s Harvest Giveaway (Quick Mention)
03:58 Raised Beds: The Hidden Difference
05:28 When Raised Beds Can Work Without It
07:10 In-Ground Gardening Explained
08:47 Do You Actually Need Fertilizer?
09:30 Organic vs Synthetic Fertilizer
10:22 Hydrolyzed Fish vs Fish Emulsion
11:21 The Problem With Fast Growth
12:39 Final Answer: Do You Need Fertilizer?
13:24 Neptune’s Harvest Giveaway Details
14:42 Watch This Next
27 Comments
Thank you very much, very interesting and usefull! I grow in full ground and containers. Happy gardening greetings from Floortje from the Netherlands
I am growing all three ways
I put some biochar in my compost. I just have a tumbler. How long do I need to wait before I put the compost in my garden??? I am concerned that the biochar will take the nitrogen out of the soil. I'm growing in raised beds.
Everyones got an opinion and thats all they are…including this video. Alaska fish fert is great stuff mixed with a scoop of jacks. Iv proven that.
Been raised bed gardening for several years. Every year gets better! In Mass.
Hi Brian. My garden is beautiful because of your lessons and videos. I love Neptune’s Harvest. I use several of their products every season.
I'm growing in raiesed beds and only fertilizing certain things but I supplement with compost every year and mulch all my beds. I also use cover crops wherever there's an empty bed in the fall.
I'm trying in hugelkultur mounds to grow we made last year
I have all three types of growing: in pots, raised bed, and in ground.
I appreciate the video! I’m in a small Central Texas apartment so I’m limited to containers. Been watching your videos since I first started a few years ago. Wouldn’t have as many harvests without you man! lol ☝️
Growing raised beds, grow bags and in ground!
I’ve wondered about Neptunes Harvest and would love to try it. My daughter & I use raised beds and containers …mostly. My potatoes are in ground.
I have all of the above. I do cherry tomatoes in containers on my patio. I have raised beds in one garden and inground beds in the other.
I used to grow strictly in ground. However, in recent years with declining health, I have been growing in containers and raised beds. It has been a learning curve, but it has been a fun adventure. 😁😎
I'm growing in both containers and in ground. I can't afford a raised bed setup just yet. My native soil here contains lots of clay so I started with just flowers and compost to help work the ground for me. So far some veggies have been growing well. It's weird because the backyard is more soil-like compared to the front that has lots of clay. But the flowers seem to not care where I planted them! Your tip with watering more deeply and less frequently has helped a lot, too. Thank you.
Hi! I have a system of raised metal beds, but I grow all my peppers and potatoes in large pots. 21 in all 😂
I'm using raised bed and diluted bokashi compost concentrate as fertilizer.
Hi! First time gardener here. Growing in containers and in ground. Wish i had done this years ago!
I have 7 raised garden beds and a whole lot of grow bags 😁
Thankyou Brian for the helpful advice. I'll try for the giveaway. If i don't win, i will look for some at the garden centers near me. I'm sure I've seen it and thought about it. I have 12 raised beds.
In ground & Raised beds
I’m growing in containers beds and in ground Great information thanks
We grow in raised beds and this will be our 5th year doing so! Happy Gardening!! 🧑🏼🌾
I have some plants directly in the ground. I have several raised garden beds and I have a lot of plants in pots and grow bags. I also have several fruit trees in the ground.
Container and raised beds. Just replaced some of my raised beds and soil probably needs a little help 😅
All! 😂 We have 3 raised beds, containers (like pots and grow bags) all over my backyard, plus a whole trellised section in-ground. 😅
We just finished building our first raised bed garden that we will be planting this weekend. Feeling more confident after watching your videos though!