My garden consists of tomatoes, cukes, peppers, beets and squash. Recently I was at my local feed elevator and noticed the bags on the dock of commercial fertilizers, 10-10-10, 16-16-16 etc. I thought I'd try something different this year, rather than going the commercial route. My elevator also offers to me by the pound or 50# bag the following, bone, fish, blood, and kelp meal, as well as other assorted meals (alfalfa). My question to you folks who use these items, what would be a ratio of these meals I should put together for a general all around good fertilizer to use with the above mentioned plants? I realize some of these are faster acting than others. So for talking purposes, could I for example mix 1 unit of blood with 5 units of bone, to 10 units of kelp and 5 units of fish meal for a good general purpose fertilizer?? What would be an ideal combination?
Then for application, what would be a suggestion? Perhaps a small handful every couple of weeks around the base of the plant? Thank you in advance for your help and consideration.
I agree. Also realize that organic fertilizers will vary from batch to batch and they do not release all of their nutrients at one time and some may not be totally released for a couple of years. Some organic fertilizers will release faster than others.
Your crops will also take up different nutrients in different quanties and require more nitrogen at different stages of growth.
Fast release fertilizers are available to plants immediately but slow release should be planned to be put in months before you actually plant the seeds. It takes time for an organic garden to mature and it requires that you constantly give it more organic matter to feed the soil community. It is the soil community which actually makes the nutrients available but it takes time for those nutrients to be released. If you get a soil test ask for organic recommendations and they will tell you how many lbs of specific fertilizer you need for your intended crop and if you need to do anything to correct the pH.
Your crops will also take up different nutrients in different quanties and require more nitrogen at different stages of growth.
Fast release fertilizers are available to plants immediately but slow release should be planned to be put in months before you actually plant the seeds. It takes time for an organic garden to mature and it requires that you constantly give it more organic matter to feed the soil community. It is the soil community which actually makes the nutrients available but it takes time for those nutrients to be released. If you get a soil test ask for organic recommendations and they will tell you how many lbs of specific fertilizer you need for your intended crop and if you need to do anything to correct the pH.
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7415
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
Bone, fish, blood, kelp meal are all very weak over priced fertilizer compared to 16-16-16.
Blood meal is high nitrogen put that on peppers, a small amount on tomatoes, not very much on squash.
I buy 15-15-15 at farm supply it works very well for everything expect corn, onions, potatoes, garlic. Potatoes need potash and the other 3 need nitrogen.
Don't put very much 16-16-16 on your plants each time. I sprinkle a little on my plants every Sunday after church. Sprinkle it like you would grass seed in the yard along each plant row. Spray a little water on the fertilizer to make it go into the soil.
Put all the wood ash from your, fire place, wood stove, BBQ grill, on potatoes if you ever decide to grow them.
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Blood meal is high nitrogen put that on peppers, a small amount on tomatoes, not very much on squash.
I buy 15-15-15 at farm supply it works very well for everything expect corn, onions, potatoes, garlic. Potatoes need potash and the other 3 need nitrogen.
Don't put very much 16-16-16 on your plants each time. I sprinkle a little on my plants every Sunday after church. Sprinkle it like you would grass seed in the yard along each plant row. Spray a little water on the fertilizer to make it go into the soil.
Put all the wood ash from your, fire place, wood stove, BBQ grill, on potatoes if you ever decide to grow them.
.