Organic Fertilizer - Mother Earth New Article

[Reinbeau]

If you are going to cut and paste please put the original link to the article - we don't want anyone accused of plagiarizing here!

 

[ducks4you]

I went to Mother Earth news and copied this part of the article, if anyone is interested:
The Quick and Easy Guide to Fertilizer
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Orga...tter-Way-to-Fertilize-Your-Garden.aspx?page=3
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Orga...tter-Way-to-Fertilize-Your-Garden.aspx?page=4
Organic Fertilizer Recipe
Mix uniformly, in parts by volume:
4 parts seed meal*
1/4 part ordinary agricultural lime, best finely ground
1/4 part gypsum (or double the agricultural lime)
1/2 part dolomitic lime
Plus, for best results:
1 part bone meal, rock phosphate or high-phosphate guano
1/2 to 1 part kelp meal (or 1 part basalt dust)
*For a more sustainable and less expensive option, you can substitute chemical-free grass clippings for the seed meal, although clippings will not provoke the same strong growth response. Use about a half-inch-thick layer of fresh clippings (six to seven 5-gallon bucketfuls per 100 square feet), chopped into the top 2 inches of your soil with a hoe. Then spread an additional 1-inch-thick layer as a surface mulch.
How Much to Use
Once a year (usually in spring), before planting crops, spread and dig in the following materials.
Low-demand Vegetables:
1/4 inch layer of steer manure or finished compost
4 quarts organic fertilizer mix/100 sq. ft.
Medium-demand Vegetables:
1/4 inch layer of steer manure or finished compost
4 to 6 quarts organic fertilizer mix/100 sq. ft.
High-demand Vegetables:
1/2 inch layer of steer manure or finished compost
4 to 6 quarts organic fertilizer mix/100 sq. ft.
These recommendations are minimums for growing low-, medium- and high-demand vegetables on all soil types, except heavy clay. (Gardeners dealing with heavy clay soils should amend the recommendations. The first year, spread an inch of decomposed organic matter and dig it in to a shovels depth. In subsequent years, apply manure or compost and fertilizer mix as described above, using about 50 percent more fertilizer.) In addition to these initial applications, add side-dressings of fertilizer around medium- and high-demand crops every few weeks through the season; altogether, these additions may equal the amount used in initial preparation.
This organic fertilizer is potent, so use no more than recommended above. Excessive liming can be harmful to soil. If you can, increase the amounts of manure and compost by 50 percent to 100 percent, but no more than that. If you think your vegetables arent growing well enough, do not apply more manure or compost; fix it with fertilizer mix.

 

[injunjoe]

Thank you that is very helpful

Joe

 

[Lettuce Lady]

Last year I read two books authored by the man featured in this article. Today I went to a farm store to pick up the ingredients I'm missing, seed meal and agricultural lime. I didn't see agricultural lime displayed so I asked for it. The lady said "oh you're reading Solimon's book" I said yes, she said he means hydrated lime.

I got a bag of hydrated lime but am afraid to use it. The National Lime Associated says "the term agricultural lime, or "aglime," usually refers to limestone. Limestone (calcium carbonate) is not the same as hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). I don't want to kill everything. Does anyone know what a gardener would mean when they say agricultural lime? The bag I got says for agricultural, industrial and chemical uses only.

 

[wifezilla]

Here is a site that has info about lime...

http://www.lime.org/faqs.html

When I need fertilizer, I go to the duck's pool, scoop out some mucky water, add a little fresh water to it and pour it near my plants. Done

 

[Lettuce Lady]

I got a bag of hydrated lime but am afraid to use it. The National Lime Associated says "the term agricultural lime, or "aglime," usually refers to limestone. Limestone (calcium carbonate) is not the same as hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). I don't want to kill everything. Does anyone know what a gardener would mean when they say agricultural lime? The bag I got says for agricultural, industrial and chemical uses only.

After I finished reading the whole article I saw that he says "do not use hydrated lime"

Here is a site that has info about lime...
http://www.lime.org/faqs.html

lime.org is where I got the "the term agricultural lime, or "aglime," usually refers to limestone". That's fine but where do I get aglime/limestone?

Is this suppose to be organic? If so, delete cottonseed as it's a GMO.

Also make sure the gypsum is mined. I heard that recycled drywall is sometimes sold as gypsum for fertilizer.

 

[astevn816]

Any kind of waste from herbivore's is fine. Such as horse, hog and especially chicken.

 

[wifezilla]

hogs and chickens aren't herbivores

 

[ducks4you]

YEAH!! Chickens are miniature RAPTORS!!!! , astevn816!

 

[vfem]

YEAH!! Chickens are miniature RAPTORS!!!! , astevn816!

Yep, they're omnivores. They need bug proteins.