I have looked at the tables that give % for the npk values, I sent a soil sample to auburn university
And the soil analysis showed I need an even amount. With chemical they suggested 13-13-13
I knew beforehand the ph was acidic very common in our area I have that under control.
I just started using this land after 45 years when I was a young teenager. So I went ahead and built 4 compost piles which I intend to mix into the soil. I have 2 plots 20x30 & 20x20.
I had a spring garden and it did fair considering but unfortunately there is a small forest around it
So not as much sun as I would like but those are the cards I was dealt. I don't want to spend a lot
And I realize it's going to be a bit more then going chemical & I have read several books so I understand how chemical kills a lot of beneficial organisms so I don't need to be sold just that it is affordable. We are a society that likes convience
What would u recommend and the amount that I would need
Since you got your test result form the University ask them to give you organic equivalents. When you do a soil test they will always give you synthetic equivalents unless you specify organic. If it hasn't been that long, they should still have your results on file.
The closest thing I know of that is organic is 8-8-8, you would be hard pressed to find organics with double digit numbers unless it is from animal origin. Below is an article on how to convert organic fertilizers to equal what you want. I have heard of 10-10-10 but have never found it.
Black Gold All purpose fertilizer is 5-5-5 and is OMRI listed. You would have to use 2.6 times the amount to get the equivalent of 13-13-13.
Since organic sources are not pure and do not release evenly, and contain some other stuff (actually a lot of other stuff) you may not necessarily want) it is much harder to balance. That is why it is easier to call the University and ask them to do the converting for you. You will probably have to blend the products, it may not be so easy to find a single product that will fit those numbers. What was your Phosphorus on the report? Zero phosphate fertilizers are more in demand now since most soils will test high in phosphorus, but then again 13% isn't adding all that much.
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/d ... umber=C853
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/d ... umber=C853
The closest thing I know of that is organic is 8-8-8, you would be hard pressed to find organics with double digit numbers unless it is from animal origin. Below is an article on how to convert organic fertilizers to equal what you want. I have heard of 10-10-10 but have never found it.
Black Gold All purpose fertilizer is 5-5-5 and is OMRI listed. You would have to use 2.6 times the amount to get the equivalent of 13-13-13.
Since organic sources are not pure and do not release evenly, and contain some other stuff (actually a lot of other stuff) you may not necessarily want) it is much harder to balance. That is why it is easier to call the University and ask them to do the converting for you. You will probably have to blend the products, it may not be so easy to find a single product that will fit those numbers. What was your Phosphorus on the report? Zero phosphate fertilizers are more in demand now since most soils will test high in phosphorus, but then again 13% isn't adding all that much.
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/d ... umber=C853
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/d ... umber=C853
Imafan I took your advice I sent an email asking for the organic recommendations. They provide a organic calculator and when I used my results (120 120 120) pounds/acre I converted it to 1000 square feet.
The sources are all raw materials which I wouldn't have direct access to except horse manure which was great for n but lack (deficits) in others just like all the different sources.
I was hoping that I wouldnt have to make a blend, and I coukd find it at a box store that was affordable
The sources are all raw materials which I wouldn't have direct access to except horse manure which was great for n but lack (deficits) in others just like all the different sources.
I was hoping that I wouldnt have to make a blend, and I coukd find it at a box store that was affordable
O.K. This is what I would do. It still isn't perfect but will get close.
Scott's organic lawn fertilizer from Lowe's NPK 11-2-2 is probably the highest organic nitrogen source and close to 13.
Bone meal avg NPK 3-15-0 and it has calcium too.
One pound each per 100 sq ft.
You can use wood ashes for potassium = potash it is very alkaline and will raise the pH if that is what you want to do. You could make your own if you burn your own wood. You would need about 2 lbs per 100 square feet.
They can be caustic and you cannot mix them with nitrogen so it is best to apply it separately.
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Ashes-As-Fertilizer
Sul-PO-Mag 0-0-22 it is acidic but also contains trace elements and magnesium and is a very good source of potassium if you have alkaline soils. Most organic fertilizers have 0-4 % potassium.
If you would use this it would be 0.59 lbs. per 100 sq ft It helps to use a scale to measure fertilizers.
Compost can be a decent source of potassium if you have a lot of high potassium inputs like bananas, potato peelings, papaya, etc. Nothing in nature is lost it just gets recycled.
Greensand is another source of potassium. I have a hard time finding it here, you may have better luck.
You could use any organic blended fertilizer the stores carry. Look for npk ratios of 1:1:1 so anything close to 5-5-5, 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 will do. For 5-5-5 fertilizers use 2.5 lbs per 100 square ft, 8-8-8- fertilizers 1.6 lbs per 100 sq feet, and 10-10-10 would be close enough use about 1lb per 100 square ft.
When I asked for organic equivalents from my extension service they gave me approximate inches of compost and lbs of manure to add per 100 sq ft.
I would not get hung up on the numbers, depending on what you plant the nutrients will be taken up differently. If I am growing bananas or papayas I want to give them more potassium, but for most plants feeding regularly is more important than getting the numbers right.
You could just use compost or just bury a bunch of banana peels before you plant. You could use composted chicken manure as it will increase the pH by about half a point because of the extra calcium it contains. Nitrogen is a limiting factor of growth and organic nitrogen is slow so, I would add the lawn fertilizer at the start and with weekly compost tea or fish emulsion and everything should grow. I did use blood meal a couple of times. It took a while to see the results and it was much more expensive than the organic lawn fertilizer and that takes a while too. If your phosphorus is higher than 50 you probably don't even need to add much bone meal.
Scott's organic lawn fertilizer from Lowe's NPK 11-2-2 is probably the highest organic nitrogen source and close to 13.
Bone meal avg NPK 3-15-0 and it has calcium too.
One pound each per 100 sq ft.
You can use wood ashes for potassium = potash it is very alkaline and will raise the pH if that is what you want to do. You could make your own if you burn your own wood. You would need about 2 lbs per 100 square feet.
They can be caustic and you cannot mix them with nitrogen so it is best to apply it separately.
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Ashes-As-Fertilizer
Sul-PO-Mag 0-0-22 it is acidic but also contains trace elements and magnesium and is a very good source of potassium if you have alkaline soils. Most organic fertilizers have 0-4 % potassium.
If you would use this it would be 0.59 lbs. per 100 sq ft It helps to use a scale to measure fertilizers.
Compost can be a decent source of potassium if you have a lot of high potassium inputs like bananas, potato peelings, papaya, etc. Nothing in nature is lost it just gets recycled.
Greensand is another source of potassium. I have a hard time finding it here, you may have better luck.
You could use any organic blended fertilizer the stores carry. Look for npk ratios of 1:1:1 so anything close to 5-5-5, 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 will do. For 5-5-5 fertilizers use 2.5 lbs per 100 square ft, 8-8-8- fertilizers 1.6 lbs per 100 sq feet, and 10-10-10 would be close enough use about 1lb per 100 square ft.
When I asked for organic equivalents from my extension service they gave me approximate inches of compost and lbs of manure to add per 100 sq ft.
I would not get hung up on the numbers, depending on what you plant the nutrients will be taken up differently. If I am growing bananas or papayas I want to give them more potassium, but for most plants feeding regularly is more important than getting the numbers right.
You could just use compost or just bury a bunch of banana peels before you plant. You could use composted chicken manure as it will increase the pH by about half a point because of the extra calcium it contains. Nitrogen is a limiting factor of growth and organic nitrogen is slow so, I would add the lawn fertilizer at the start and with weekly compost tea or fish emulsion and everything should grow. I did use blood meal a couple of times. It took a while to see the results and it was much more expensive than the organic lawn fertilizer and that takes a while too. If your phosphorus is higher than 50 you probably don't even need to add much bone meal.