fertilizing

What and how often do you guys fertilize?
We have amended raised beds (amended with used chicken bedding last fall and early spring). We havent done much fertilizing and everything is growing- but cucumbers, cantalope, jal peppers and tomatoes seem a bit behind. I did finally start about 3 weeks ago fertilizing with 1 gal of tomatoe Miracle grow and some bone meal- put it on tomatoes and peppers and zuchini- but is it suitable for cucs and melons? somthing sticks in my head about NOT fertilizing melons???? our pumpkins are going gangbusters- but the watermelons are much smaller and cantalops even smaller still... and cucs are just breaking the 12 in mark...
Suggestions for what to feed and how often would be appreciated.... thanks. In addition we all of a sudden up an lost 3 of our 4 zuchini. they were flowing and growing well, then one day just wilted and died. They get watered regularly on soaker hose- unless they got too much- but I think they would have been yellowing first? We covered 'em in sevin- but still lost 2 more after the initial one- the last one still looks good? Any ideas.

Melons like something in a 1-2-1 ratio of NPK. The major danger is too high a ratio of nitrogen. If your chicken bedding conatains a significant amount of manure and it has had time to decompose it should be sufficient. Bone meal should do fine to offset the extra nitrogen of the chicken manure. MiracleGro is a highly soluble instantly available source of both major and minor nutrients. Useful for jumpstarting or feeding a deprived plant. The general formula (there are several) is a 1-2-1 ratio. Unless you have a very light soil, I prefer to incorporate either manure or a granular fertilizer ( I use 10-10-10 on melons) at planting time. I follow that with an application of 5-10-15 when they start running . I have sand which does not hold nutrients well. In a heavier soil I would not need to sidedress.

As for your zuchinni, most likely the dreaded squash borer. Check the stem where it enters the ground. If it is covered with frass (plant sawdust) and the stem is weak and flimsy, that is the culprit. Sevin may slow the adults and kill the eggs, but is not highly effective. Sevin is primarily for beetles, but is also dangerous for pollinating bees which work squash. A better choice is endosulfan (Thiodan), Malathion, Permethrin (Bug-B- Gone) or Pyrethrin (Organic) All of them will kill bees so it is best to apply in spray form late in the day and only to the base of the plant where it enters the ground.

Agree w/ Dill on the squash vine borer. CMoxon has had some luck w/ putting aluminum foil around the base of her plants' stems. I've had no problem with the plants I grew in straw bales (see straw bale gardening thread).

I'd find out what a particular problem is before dousing everything with sevin, or anything else. That's hard on your pollinators and other beneficials you need.