Swimmer360
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Question about manure vs fertilizer for a tree farm

Hello,
I am turning my field into a small farm ( it is about 3 acres) and I am going to trees for my nursery. I have done containers up until this point and want to expand into farm raised. Most people advise spreading manure every couple years to keep the soil fertile, but I do not have access to the 400 yards of fertilizer I need, nor the capability of spreading it....

Does applying fertilizer yearly work to make my field more fertile for growing?

Thanks!

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

If you are planning to be organic, then you will need to constantly add organic matter in one form or another in either manure or compost. You need to feed the soil so it can feed the plants. It will take many more tons of organic fertilizer than synthetic.

I would get your soil tested and get recommendations for the amount you need to add for the particular trees you are growing. You also will need to know when the best time will be to apply it.

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applestar
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What kind of trees? Are you growing fruit trees to harvest from, or will you be growing young trees to grow and sell? And what kind?

I believe those details will affect what you will need to do to prepare the soil.

Swimmer360
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Thanks for the responses!

I am growing small trees, from seedling to around 5-6ft for sale in my nursery.

imafan26 - I am not too concerned about growing organic... I guess my question is, does synthetic fertilizer work as far as feeding the soil , to feed the plants? I have much better capabilities to spread granular fertilizer on my field than 400 yards of compost or manure.

thanks!

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Any fertilizer will work if you apply the right amounts at the right time. Synthetic fertilizer does not feed the soil but it will directly feed the plants.

I do both. I add compost every time I plant to my main garden. Compost contracts, it needs to be refilled; improve soil tilth, and provide carbon for the micro ecosystem that lives in the the soil. I use synthetic fertilizer because I only need nitrogen according to my soil tests. The compost adds some phosphorus that I don't need or want, and it is very alkaline which I can only use in my home garden since it is the only one that has a pH 6.0 and I don't want it any lower. It is not good for my other plots that are already very alkaline and I have to sulfur or add peat moss to those to counter act what the compost adds.

If you are going to grow out young trees, they still need proper spacing, so you don't have to cover every bit of ground. It still would be good to amend your planting holes with organic matter and add compost and mulch around the trees on a regular basis to help retain water and keep weeds down. Compost will eventually be pulled down by the soil organisms over time. if you want to do this as a business you will eventually have to invest in equipment to irrigate, fertilize, plant and dig out trees, weed, maintain, and generally get around. You will need either a gator with a tow hitch or a tractor You can start your own compost piles on site and spread things out slowly.

I think you need to do a little more work on your business plan to figure out how many trees, what kind, where your market is, how you are going to manage the logistics of how you will be growing the trees until they are sold and who you are going to sell them to. It is not as simple as just planting trees.

My uncle had a 2 acre plot of land around his house and he planted macadamia nut trees for his retirement income. The trees took 9 years before they were old enough to fruit. There is however, only one buyer for the nuts, so the price of nuts was not guaranteed. In good years, they paid less than it cost to harvest. The rats like mac nuts and they can climb trees. He had to collect the nuts and dehusk them for a better price. He had to buy a machine to do that. As he got older, it got harder for him to get around and the rats were filling his attic and his derelict car with nuts. He was buying rat poison by the bushel.

You have to know your market, who your buyers are, what they want and have a broad enough base so you can tap other markets as well. For long term investments, you need to figure out how much it will cost to produce your product and how much you can sell it for.

Swimmer360
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imafan26 -

thanks for the information! makes more sense now, about the fertilizer vs the manure (directly to the plant vs creating a fertile field)

I do have the market (currently, I grow plants/trees in containers, also buy and sell trees from wholesalers who I have been working with for a long time ) We mainly grow and sell privacy type of trees (Leyland cypress, arborvitae, laurel hedges, etc)


I have invested in the irrigation and we are capable of planting a couple acres of field.... So I fairly close... Just needed to ask some questions about the manure / compost part! thanks!

I think that amending each individual hole would work out for me. just compost 4 feet as the trees are spaced.



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