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Uk .

hello

i am a organic grower with use of blood fish bone, bonemeal, and chicken manure pellets for nitrogen and manure

what do you use for fertilisers / admendments.

2/16/2011 12:47:28 PM

Rochester, NY

My favorites are lots of well aged compost, kelp meal, fish hydrolyzate, humic acid and worm castings. All of these I till into the soil in the fall. I also brew up some compost tea a few times a season.

2/16/2011 6:17:04 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Steve, awlways lookin for tea recipes? What's in yours? Peace, Wayne

2/17/2011 12:44:16 AM

Netherlands

I use blood and bone meal and kalium.

2/17/2011 6:48:47 AM

Rochester, NY

I usually make 10 gallons at a time. My favorite additives are 1 shovel slightly underdone or finished compost, 2 cups alfalfa pellets, rabbit pellets are excellent, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup kelp meal and 2 cups worm castings. I usually let it bubble for 3 days if I can wait that long. When it's done right it has a great earthy smell to it. I will foliar spray it in late afternoon and apply any extra right to the roots. One of the best things you can do for your plants!!

2/17/2011 8:48:51 PM

Netherlands

Steve, the basis for organic growing is never to feed the plant, but only the soil. So I am wondering if you could put all those ingredients into the soil before you plant and would that have a similar or better effect?

2/18/2011 2:59:54 AM

Rochester, NY

DB, I do put all those into the soil. See my previous post. I'm a little confused by, never feed the plant? It's well known that foliar feeding is an excellent way for plants to absorb nutrients? Do you not foliar feed?

2/18/2011 6:21:07 PM

Netherlands

The idea behind not foliar feeding is foliar feeding gives a short term mega boost while adding it to the soil allows the plant to take up the nutrients in a regular dosis and in amounts it can handle. Quick growth spurts are never good.

In general I only foliar feed beetroots. I do add foliar CO2 to most plants though.

2/19/2011 4:58:34 AM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Plants only take up nutrients, by relatively new root growth. Uptake can very over the season because of root conditions as well as wet/ dry conditions as well as other factors such as root damage to do nematodes, disease etc. the idea of foliar feeding is that you supplement the plant on a regular basis to offset deficiencies in root uptake. If you are striving for maximum yield and or growing the plant/ fruit to its maximum potential, you need to eliminate any chance of a nutrient deficiency throughout the season.

In that this is the Tall Corn/ Sunflower post, it is important to note that these plants require very high nitrogen to perform to there maximum potential. So...that means lots of manure!

2/19/2011 10:43:46 AM

Uk .

i use manure and chicken manure pellets for an nitrogen boost for my normal crop of sweetcorn but i was loooking to see if anyone uses any nitrogen fixing admendments or an alternative source of nitrogen?. not to overdose the area and burn the plants.

Azos (Azospirillum Brasilense XOH) etc.

2/19/2011 12:08:47 PM