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View Full Version : Skid's Organic Fertilizer Recipe



skid
3rd April 2010, 12:25 PM
If you're just a small time gardener it may not make sense to pay $100+ bucks for a detailed soil analysis and remediation recommendations. You should however try to ensure your veggies are getting all the nutrients and minerals they require for optimum growth/health/flavour. This recipe contains all natural and organic materials and will provide very good results. This is a variation of S. Soloman's organic recipe that I adjusted slightly for my purposes...

Seed meal is livestock feed. It can be alfalfa pellets, pressed oil seeds, chicken scratch, even cheap dog food (which is mostly corn). The other ingredients are pretty self explanatory. Most of the ingredients can be inexpensively purchased in bulk at your local ag supply or feed store. Don't buy this stuff at garden centers/etc. or you will pay through the nose. Most of these items come in 50 lb sacks.

Use a 1 or two cup measuring cup and scoop out the following:

3 parts seed meal
1/2 part bone meal
1/2 part blood meal
1/4 part sweet lime (agricultural lime)
1/4 part gypsum
1/2 part dolomite lime
1/2 part glacial rock dust (use rock crusher dust which you can get for free at a gravel crushing operation)
1/2 - 1 part part kelp meal (adds micronutrients like iodine, boron, etc.)
If you can find it, also add 1 part leonardite or humic acid as well.

Mix well in a 5 gallon pail.

Spread 4-6 quarts over 100 sq. feet.

Once the plants are growing. you can also thinly apply as a side dressing beside your growing plants on the soil's surface.

Guaranteed to work!

Cheers,

Skid

skid
3rd April 2010, 12:43 PM
Forgot to mention to dig the fertilizer in prior to planting. Once planted it can be added as a side dressing. The soil organisms will break it down and bring it into the soil eventually.

skid
3rd April 2010, 12:49 PM
Use this recipe in addition to other stuff you add to the garden. Like Stackerken's post you should be adding organic content to the soil. Be careful you don't add to much brown compost (cardboard, tree bark, etc.) though without adding corresponding nitrogen (green grass clippings, manure, etc.). As the brown compost breaks down, it uses up nitrogen as a catalyst. Although it is eventually returned to the soil, while breaking down it can deprive your plants of nitrogen.

It is best to add well rotted compost that is already broken down to prevent this.

greenbear
3rd April 2010, 02:55 PM
Ive been using 50/50 combination of triple processed hardwood and compost. I use it on all my beds, even veggie garden.

Does anyone think it's better to use a different mulch for veggie garden, considering the nitrogen depletion problem of wood mulch? Straw perhaps?

skid
5th April 2010, 02:00 PM
Ive been using 50/50 combination of triple processed hardwood and compost. I use it on all my beds, even veggie garden.

Does anyone think it's better to use a different mulch for veggie garden, considering the nitrogen depletion problem of wood mulch? Straw perhaps?


I wouldn't use wood chips in a veggie garden. The best use of that is a weed suppressing mulch around trees and shrubs.

Straw is a good soil conditioner for the garden. Use it between rows during the growing season for weed and moisture control, and till/dig it in at the end of the year.

Cebu_4_2
5th April 2010, 06:38 PM
Alkaline soil, whats the best way to tackle this? I have an abundance of pine needles and leaves to use. Should I try to compost them before adding to the soil or just throw it in there and til the thing?

skid
5th April 2010, 09:20 PM
Alkaline soil, whats the best way to tackle this? I have an abundance of pine needles and leaves to use. Should I try to compost them before adding to the soil or just throw it in there and til the thing?


Ignore your PH numbers. Get the mineral balance into line, and the PH will self correct to what is appropriate for your soil and climate. Just add the organic fertilizer recipe alone, or along with composted organic matter (better), and you'll be good to go. I would avoid the pine needles, and just compost the leaves and till in once composted. Or use the leaves as is between the rows as a weed suppressent.

Cebu_4_2
5th April 2010, 11:13 PM
Thank you kind sir I wont add anything as nothing is composted. A couple years back I added what I think was ironite or something, really not sure but the tomato plants were 6 foot tall, I am not kidding and have pictures. The stuff available now comes in dinky bags and costs a lot, be more cost effective to grind coin FRN's, do you have any idea what combination that would work? my garden is currently only about 100 square foot with additional 25 pending.

My son could probably dissolve any coinage required I would just like to narrow down the amount and coins required (this is Not a joke).

Ferns take at least 3 years to compost and cardboard a year, I have nothing composted at this time (read with deep southern drawl). I think sprinkle some pine needles and leaves and hope for the best. my goodness I have spent a lot of time on the garden but with all that SAG last year I got nothing.

Son-of-Liberty
6th April 2010, 12:19 AM
SAG?

jaybone
6th April 2010, 10:04 AM
I'm having trouble finding horticultural gypsum in my area,
can I just scrape some drywall?

skid
6th April 2010, 05:17 PM
I'm having trouble finding horticultural gypsum in my area,
can I just scrape some drywall?



Ask your local ag dealer for calcium sulfate or Gypril (trade name). I don't believe drywall is a good substitute, but don't know for sure. Calcium sulfate is brown.

skid
6th April 2010, 05:18 PM
Thank you kind sir I wont add anything as nothing is composted. A couple years back I added what I think was ironite or something, really not sure but the tomato plants were 6 foot tall, I am not kidding and have pictures. The stuff available now comes in dinky bags and costs a lot, be more cost effective to grind coin FRN's, do you have any idea what combination that would work? my garden is currently only about 100 square foot with additional 25 pending.

My son could probably dissolve any coinage required I would just like to narrow down the amount and coins required (this is Not a joke).

Ferns take at least 3 years to compost and cardboard a year, I have nothing composted at this time (read with deep southern drawl). I think sprinkle some pine needles and leaves and hope for the best. my goodness I have spent a lot of time on the garden but with all that SAG last year I got nothing.


Just follow the formula and forget the compost and coinage:)

cigarlover
6th April 2010, 07:34 PM
Alkaline soil, whats the best way to tackle this? I have an abundance of pine needles and leaves to use. Should I try to compost them before adding to the soil or just throw it in there and til the thing?


Get some blueberries in that alkaline soil.. They would love it.

skid
6th April 2010, 09:01 PM
Alkaline soil, whats the best way to tackle this? I have an abundance of pine needles and leaves to use. Should I try to compost them before adding to the soil or just throw it in there and til the thing?


Get some blueberries in that alkaline soil.. They would love it.


Buffalo berries like alkaline soil. Blue Berries like acidic soil. Are you in the great plains somewhere?

cigarlover
7th April 2010, 06:48 AM
I stand corrected, you are right!!! With all those pine needles I thought he had acidic soil.

Thanks for that recipe. I'm going to see what I can find today. Lots of farms around here so I should be able to find most of this stuff. Not sure I need 50 lbs of everything though. LOL.