T3 Col 01.

01

Who I Am : "Orice are forma, poate fi definit. Si orice poate fi definit, poate fi invins". Sun Tzu, 500 BC

Who I Am : "Orice are forma, poate fi definit. Si orice poate fi definit, poate fi invins". Sun Tzu, 500 BC
T3 Col 01.01

NOTES Proteine = Nitrogen ? NU Ce pH are fiecare

Udarea Corecta

FERTI

LUNI, 17 OCTOMBRIE 2011

Steve Solomon, Cum s grdinreti atunci cnd conteaz (note de lectur)

Subtitlu: Cum s cultivi legume pe vremuri grele Capitolul 1. Introducere Timpurile grele care vor veni n curnd, tot ceea ce se bazeaz pe petrol va fi mai scump : combustibili, mncare, mbrcminte, transporturi, nclzirea locuinelor, etc. Oamenii din rile industrializate se vor confrunta cu scderea puterii lor de cumprare. Muli vor rspunde acestor provocri prin producerea propriei hrane. n zonele temperate, legumele pot fi cultivate cu foarte puin irigare, sau deloc. Doar elina i conopida au nevoie de o fertilitate excepional a terenului. Grdinile de legume care pornesc cu semine din plicuri colorate nu sunt de succes, pentru c negustorii de semine nu sunt ntotdeauna oneti. Este nevoie cam de 70 mp de grdin pentru producerea tuturor legumelor de care are nevoie un adult timp de un an. Dup patru ani, o suprafa de teren folosit n producia de legume trebuie s fie nierbat, n vederea refacerii fertilitii. Capitolul 2. Fundamente Ce nseamn agricultura? a) eliminm plantele slbatice; b) cultivm ceea ce vrem s creasc; c) spaiem plantele astfel nct s nu existe competiie pentru hran; d) inem plantele slbatice departe; e) facem ca terenul s fie mai fertil i mai umed ca n natur. Legumele nu cresc n sol obinuit, ci n cel mai fertil sol de care dispunem. Legumele cu cerine minime: morcovi, pstrnac, sfecl, andiv, fasolea crtoare, brusture, varz, cele mai multe dintre ierburile aromatice, nap, barba-caprei. Legume cu cerine medii : anghinare, busuioc, varza de Bruxelles, broccoli, varza trzie, elin, porumb dulce, castravete, vnt, usturoi, gulia gigant, salat verde, ceap, ridiche, rutabaga, cartofi, spanac, roii, pepene verde, napul turcesc. Legume cu cerine mari : sparanghel, varza chinezeasc, pepene galben, conopid, praz, spanacul de primvar, napii de primvar. n general ceea ce se produce repede. Formula fertilizatorului organic complet (FOC) :

- 4 pri de fin integral (sau 3 pri fin integral + 1 parte fin de snge) amestecat cu - 1/4 parte var agricol i - parte ghips (dac un utilizezi ghips, dublezi varul agricol) i - parte dolomit mrunit. Prile" se calculeaz n uniti de volum, nu de greutate. Ca fin, se pot folosi mai ales deeurile de la presa de ulei. Dac este de ales ntre var i dolomit, e preferabil dolomita. Fina de snge este un subprodus de abator. Aciditatea solului nu conteaz n grdinile mici. Se corecteaz singur de-a lungul timpului, dac solul primete amendamentele potrivite. Aplicarea de ngrminte chimice este foarte periculoas din mai multe motive: a) este foarte uor de ars legumele prin depirea dozei optime; b) sunt prea pure, deci incomplete i dezechilibrate n raport cu necesitile complexe ale plantelor; c) se dizolv prea rapid n sol. Calitatea blegarului utilizat pentru compost este dependent de calitatea furajelor de care au parte animalele. Solul argilos poate fi ctigat puin cte puin pentru legumicultur dac se incorporeaz periodic materie organic n el. Cea mai simpl metod de amendat un sol argilos este mprtirea anual a unui strat de compost gros de 2-3 cm nainte de spare. O metod ceva mai scump de ameliorare a solului argilos este aternerea unui sol corespunztor, adus din alt parte.

Creterea plantelor are loc noaptea Coacerea fructelor are loc tot noaptea
Creterea plantelor are loc noaptea. Coacerea fructelor (care este tot un fel de cretere) are loc tot noaptea. Germinarea multor legume are loc numai dac este suficient de cald. De aceea grdinarul trebuie s aib un termometru pentru sol. Capitolul 3. Instrumente i lucrri Hrleul, cazmaua, sapa se ascut ntotdeauna dup cumprare. Pentru a ngriji o grdin de 1000 mp, este nevoie doar de 4 instrumente: a) un hrle; b) o sap; c) o grebl; d) o pil pentru ascuit hrleul i sapa.

Instrumentele de calitate nu sunt ieftine, dar se dovedesc cea mai bun investiie pe termen lung. Cazmaua este perfect pentru a lucra un sol compactat, care n-a fost demult utilizat pentru legume. Instrumentele cu coad scurt sunt perfecte pentru indivizii care au sub 1,5 m nlime, sau pentru pus n portbagaj i utilizat la camping. n grdin, oamenii cu nlime normal utilizeaz instrumentele cu coad lung. n general, cu ct oelul este mai bun, cu att poate fi mai ascuit, i cu att mai mul timp poate rmne ascuit. Pe de alt parte, cu ct oelul este mai dur, cu atta risc s se ciobeasc mai uor. De aceea instrumentele de grdinrit nu se fac din cel mai bun oel cu putin, ci dintr-un oel de calitate intermediar. Este imposibil s-i dai seama de calitatea unui instrument fcut din oel altfel dect n funcie de marca i locul n care se face achiziia. Altfel, nu exist nici o metod rezonabil de a diferenia un obiect de calitate de o pies bun de aruncat la gunoi. O metod de a vedea ct de bun este oelul dintr-un instrument este evaluarea vitezei de ascuire: dac se ascute repede este de proast calitate, dac se ascute greu, probabil c e bun. Atunci cnd se nfiineaz o grdin de legume este nevoie de arat strict pentru distrugerea stratului vegetal superficial, mai ales dac este vorba de o pune, sau de un gazon. Ulterior, totul se face manual, pmntul se mrunete cu cazmaua. Nu exist ceea ce s-ar numi cea mai bun metod de a aranja legumele ntr-o grdin. Rzoarele (raised beds) sunt bune pentru anumite plante (n general cele mici: morcovi, salat, mazre pitic, fasole pitic, sfecl, brocoli, castravei, varz). Altele (mai ales cele cu rdcini puternice: pepeni, dovleac) prefer s fie cultivate fr nici o amenajare special. Rzoarele sunt foarte bune cnd se grdinrete fr irigaie. Pentru a mpiedica formarea de cruste la suprafaa straturilor, cea mai bun metod este aceea a mbogirii pmntului cu compost. Schimbndu-se proporia de humus, straturile se oxigeneaz mult mai bine. Un mic truc pentru alegerea unui instrument de calitate : punctul de contact dintre sap (sau hrle, sau lopat, sau grebl) i coad dac este de calitate, atunci e foarte probabil ca i oelul din care e fcut instrumentul s fie de calitate. Dac punctul de prindere este o butaforie, sigur oelul e jalnic. Achiziia unei roabe este unul dintre cei mai importani pai n materie de instrumentar de grdinrit. Nu trebuie s fim zgrcii cu ceva care trebuie s serveasc vreo 20 de ani. Este important ca roaba s fie din metal, nu plastic, i s fie n acord cu corpul grdinarului (care trebuie s-o probeze, s vad dac o poate manevra fr s se aplece, i fr s rite s-i loveasc genunchii). Roabele pentru crat beton sunt prea grele, i mult mai solide dect este nevoie n grdinrit. Capitolul 4. Magazinele pentru grdinrit Trebuie evitat cumprarea de semine din magazinele pentru grdinrit. Multe rsaduri sunt pur i simplu prea debile. Produse n sere, la adpost de vnt i de soare, n momentul n care sunt transplantate sub cerul liber, nregistreaz un oc de proporii, care fie le ucide, fie le ncetinete creterea cu 1-2 sptmni.

Un vnztor de rsaduri cu simul eticii le-ar muta nainte de vnzare ntr-un spaiu intermediar, ntre ser i cmp, la adpost relativ dar i la expunere relativ. n acest fel, rsadurile nu sunt ocate atunci cnd sunt expuse total la factorii de mediu. Pmntul de rsaduri se prepar din: a) 5 l sol de grdin; b) 2,5 l compost. Amestecul se face ntr-o gleat de 10 l. Rsadurile se justific doar atunci cnd este vorba de: tomate, ardei gras, vinete. Pentru alte legume nu are sens. Capitolul 5. Seminele Este normal s ne temem c fr ap seminele vor muri. ns de fiecare dat cnd stropim, temperatura solului scade, ncetinind progresul seminelor.

Udarea corecta
Cel mai prost moment pentru a uda este la finalul zilei. Cel mai bun este la finalul dimineii, cnd soarele poate nclzi solul.
Pentru anumite vegetale colectarea de semine este foarte simpl, nct e de mirare de ce muli oameni n-o fac. Speciile auto-polenizatoare sunt stabile, de la generaie la generaie schimbrile sunt minime sau nu exist deloc. Speciile care trebuie s-i schimbe polenul devin foarte debile dac nu o fac, aa nct nu se reproduc. Pentru ele este nevoie de mai mult teren, iar selecia seminelor se face cu mai mult abilitate. Anumite plante, pentru a-i putea pstra integritatea seminelor, au nevoie de o anumit cantitate minim pentru a putea s-i pstreze specificitatea. De exemplu, porumbul trebuie cultivat n cantitate de minim 50 de exemplare. Alte plante au nevoie de minim 200 de exemplare. Seminele pot fi mprite n: a) semine uscate (formate n psti, n ciorchini, n flori uscate); b) semine umede (formate n fructe zemoase, care sunt nc umede n momentul coacerii). Exemple de semine uscate: fasole, mazre, salat verde, mutar, spanac, sfecl. Exemple de semine umede: dovlecel, dovleac, castravete, pepene verde, roie, ardei gras. Cheia pentru a obine semine uscate viguroase este extragerea seminelor atunci cnd sunt maturate, oprind apoi supra-uscarea prin stocarea adecvat. Cheia pentru a obine semine umede viguroase este lsarea fructelor s se supra-coac, urmat de extragerea ct mai trziu cu putin.

Capitolul 6. S irigm... sau nu nainte de 1930, puine grdini aveau curent, deci puine grdini irigau n modul n care considerm noi astzi aceast activitate. nainte de 1880, cnd 90% dintre americani aveau o grdin, aproape toate erau lipsite de ap curent. Exist patru mari cauze ale secetei: a) pregtirea improprie sau neglijent a solului; b) incapacitatea de a stoca precipitaiile naturale n sol; c) eecul aplicrii metodelor adecvate de pstrare a apei pn cnd este solicitat de plante; d) semnarea mai multor semine dect poate suporta apa din sol. Dac seceta se dovedete sever, trebuie aplicat o msur curajoas: eliminarea unei plante din dou, indiferent ct de mici sunt plantele eliminate. Al doilea lucru de fcut este fertigarea (irigarea fertil). S-a constatat c este nevoie de o cantitate dubl de ap pentru plante care nu sunt n sol fertil dect pentru cele aflate n sol fertil. Fertigarea const n plasarea nutrienilor i a umezelii imediat sub planta aflat n cretere. Tehnica este deosebit de util mai ales pentru plantele mari: roii, pepeni, castravei, dovlecei. n mod tradiional, fertigarea se face cu blegar sau cu ceai de compost. Capitolul 7. Compostul La momentul elaborrii acestei lucrri, nc se pot cumpra materiale care s creasc fertilitatea solului. ns este de prevzut c, pe msur ce petrolul va deveni mai scump, compostarea va fi singura soluie cu adevrat ieftin pentru sporirea fertilitii. Creterea fertilitii solului este principala grij a grdinarului. Capitolul 8. Insecte i boli nainte ca o plant s fie atacat, deja este bolnav. Promotorii agriculturi organice spun c trebuie s ne concentrm pe sol care, dac este fertil, crete plante sntoase. n multe situaii acest punct de vedere se verific. Totui, printre cauzele bolilor mai trebuie adugate: vremea rea i soiurile neadaptate climatului. Capitolul 9. Ce s creti... i cnd s creti Seminele mici ca: elina, busuiocul, mcriul i cele mai multe dintre condimente trebuie semnate foarte superficial, cam la 1,25 cm adncime. Seminele ceva mai mari (spanac, sfecl) se seamn la 2 cm adncime. Seminele mari (porumb, castravei, dovleci) se seamn la o adncime de patru ori mai mare dect dimensiunea lor. Legumele care sunt cel mai uor de crescut Varza verde crea, gulia sunt teribil de rezistente. Varza crea i poate relua creterea dup o noapte de -14 grade Celsius. Pentru a avea suficiena alimentar cu cereale europene, o familie are nevoie de mai mult de

jumtate de hectar. Dac cerealele sunt nord-americane (porumb, floarea-soarelui, fasole), un acru lucrat n ntregime manual este suficient. Dac ns se cultiv cartofi, este nevoie de mult mai puin, dat fiind faptul c se pot produce uor 10 tone de cartofi la un hectar.

http://agricultura-sustenabila.blogspot.ro/2011/10/steve-solomon-cum-sagradinaresti.html

26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 1/7

A Better Way to Fertilize Your Garden: Homemade Organic Fertilizer

June/July 2006 http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2006-06-01/A-Better-Wayto-Fertilize-YourGarden.aspx By Steve Solomon
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2006-06-01/A-BetterWay-to-Fertilize-Your-Garden.aspx

Steve Solomons garden soil and crops show the effects of steady applications of his homemade organic fertilizer. Solomon has written nine books on gardening and maintains an online gardening resource. PHOTO:MURIEL BROWN (CHEN) Because my garden supplies about half of my family's yearly food intake, I do allI can to maximize my vegetables' nutritional quality. Based on considerable research and more than 30 years of vegetable growing, I have formulated a homemade fertilizing mix that works great in most food gardens. I call it Complete Organic Fertilizer, or COF. It is a potent, correctly balanced mixture composed entirely of naturalsubstances. It's less expensive than similar commercially compounded organic fertilizers, and it's much better for your soil life than harsh synthetic chemical mixes (see "ChemicalCautions" below). The use of COF plus regular, minimal additions of compost has a long track record of producing incredible

results. I've recommended this system in all the gardening books I've written over the past 20 years. Many of my readers have written back, saying things like, "My garden has never grown so well; the plants have never been so large and healthy; the food never tasted so good." Complete Organic Fertilizer26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 2/7 To concoct COF measure out all materials by volume: that is, by the scoop, bucketful, jarful, etc. Proportions that vary by 10 percent either way will be close enough to produce the desired results. Making this formula by weight is more difficult and I suggest you do not try to. I blend my COF in a 20quart plastic bucket, using an old one quart saucepan as a measuring scoop. I make 7 to 14 quarts of COF at a time. At any cost of materials this mix is a good value when judged by the results it produces, but COF can be unnecessarily expensive unless you buy the ingredients in 50 pound sacks (20 kg) from appropriate vendors. Urban gardeners may have to do a bit of research to find ruralsuppliers. Farm and ranch stores as well as feed and grain dealers are the best sources for seed meals and kelp meal, which are typically used to feed livestock. If I were an urban gardener, I would visit the country every year or two to stock up. The other ingredients usually can be found at garden shops, although garden centers may sell them in smaller sized packages at relatively high unit prices. You also may find the these items on the Internet but they will be less costly from farm/ranch supply stores. Seed meals and various kinds of lime are the most important ingredients (keep reading for "Basic Organic Fertilizer Ingredients"). These alone will grow a great garden. Gypsum is the least essential type of lime, but it contains sulphur, a vital plant nutrient that is deficient in many soils. If gypsum should prove hard to find or seems too costly, don't worry too much about it simply double the quantity of inexpensive agricultural lime. If you can afford only one bag of lime, in most circumstances your best choice would be ordinary agricultural limestone. The most fundamental nutrient ratio to get right in your soil is the balance of calcium to magnesium; it should be about 7 (calcium) to 1 (magnesium).To achieve that you could alternate agricultural lime and dolomite. First go through two bags of ordinary ag lime and then use one bag of dolomite lime. I strongly disagree with the many

Rodale Press home gardening publications that insisted dolomite lime is the best single choice. Repeated use of dolomite has caused many organic gardens to become hard and compacted, making it seem that even more compost was needed than was actually required. Had the same soil had its magnesium to calcium ratio brought into proper balance, it would have loosened up by itself, seeming as though huge quantities of compost had been added. Bone meal is usually available at garden centers. Guano, rock phosphate and kelp meal may seem too costly or too difficult to obtain, but they add considerable fortitude to the plants and increase the nutritional content of your vegetables. Go as far down the recipe as you can afford, but if you can't find the more exotic materials toward the bottom, don't worry too much. However, if concerns about money stop you from obtaining kelp meal, rock dust or a phosphate supplement, I suggest taking a hard look at your priorities. In my opinion, you can't spend too much money creating maximum nutrition in your food a dollar spent here willsave several in health care costs over the long term. Applying COF Once a year, best done immediately before planting the first spring crop, uniformly broadcast 4 to 6 quarts of COF atop each 100 square feet of raised bed, or, if you organize your garden in long rows, scatter 4-6 quarts of COF down each 50 feet of planting row in a band 12 to 18 inches wide. Blend in the fertilizer with a hoe or dig it in. This amount provides more than sufficient fertility for what I've classified as "low-demand" vegetables to grow to their maximum potential and is usually enough to adequately feed "mediumdemand" vegetables (see "Which Crops Need the Most," below). If you're planting in hills, first broadcast and dig in the usual 4-6 quarts of COF per 100 square feet and then mix an additional cup of fertilizer deep into each hill when forming it.26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 3/7 After the initial application, every three to four weeks you may sprinkle seedmeal around medium- and highdemand vegetables. Spread it thinly, covering the area that the root system will grow into over the next few weeks. As the plants grow, repeat this "side-dressing," placing each dusting farther from the plants' centers. Each application willrequire more seedmeal than the previous. As a rough guide, sidedress no more than 4 additional

quarts total per 100 square feet of bed during a crop cycle. After side-dressing, if the growth rate fails to increase over the next few weeks, the most recent application wasn't needed, so don't add any more. COF Cautions COF must not be spread more than one time each year or else you risk adding too much lime. The amount of lime in COF was carefully calculated to provide just enough calcium and magnesium and sulphur as essential plant nutrients but not enough to massively change the soil pH or overload your soil with calcium and magnesium. If you are planting a following crop in the same year and wish to increase fertility in that bed or row, if the earlier crop had already received the usual amount of COF do not use COF again until next year. Instead, spread and work in only seedmeal at the rate of 3 to 4 quarts per 100 square feet. If you have lots of money and care about your health, a better supplementalfertilizer is three to four parts seedmeal and one part kelp meal. COF works great anywhere there is enough rainfall to grow crops well but it may not work well, may even do damage, if it is used in arid regions. That's because the soil mineral profile in much of the North AmericanWest and also in the Wheat Belt of the Prairie States, such as western Kanasas and eastern Colorado, is quite different compared to where there is more rain. Dry-climate soils tend to have high levels of calcium and sometimes excessive magnesium or sodium. Gardeners in those regions had better consult their local experts about what sorts of lime, if any, should be put into your soil. If, without doing a soil test first, I had to recommend a fertilizer for someone in these regions, I'd suggest digging in a half-inch-thick layer of compost or rotted manure, making a mixture of 4 parts seedmeal, 1 part bonemeal and 1 part kelp meal, spreading that incomplete organic fertilizer at 4 quarts per 100 square feet, and in that conversation I'd strongly urge the person to get a proper soil test. Soil Testing People who have been compost gardening for many years are usually delighted when they experience what happens when they add COF. However, COF has limitations: it is designed to bring an imaginary soil containing absolutely no plant nutrients to near-perfection in terms of the major nutrients NPKCaMg. Complete Organic

Fertilizer contains some sulphur, but often this proves to be not enough sulphur. It does not provide the "minor nutrients" copper, zinc, iron, manganese, boron. The kelp meal in it insures that your soil is not critically short of a long list of "trace nutrients" such as cobalt or iodine. COF will, over three or four years of use, induce soil imbalances, especially amongst the minor nutrients. If everything that was taken from your garden were returned to it, then, assuming your soil was sufficiently well endowed from the beginning, it might never run short of minor nutrients. However, most of the minerals that plants remove end up in the septic tank or sewerage system. After a few years of this removal, even though you are using COF and adding major nutrients in approximately the correct amounts relative to each other, the soil might start moving seriously out of balance. In consequence you may begin to experience new problems diseases usually. Or some species may not grow as well as it did a few years ago. I suggest that after using COF for three years, you have a full and proper soil test done and from its results work out your own custom COF. You might discover you have built too high a level of calcium and/or magnesium. In that case you can delete all26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 4/7 limes ag lime, dolomite lime and gypsum from the mix. If you find you have a surplus of P (and I have seen several local gardens test that way), you can leave out the phosphorus booster from your own COF. For soil testing I recommend Logan Labs because Logan's test method leads to fullremineralization and better nutritional outcomes. And Logan is inexpensive. Ask for their Standard Soil Test. Logan's test results will not serve to guide an amateur; however, for a fee Logan will provide a soil prescription. If you did okay with high school chemistry, even if you hardly remember any of it, you will be able to work out your own custom COF with the help of a small book called The Ideal Soil written by Michael Astera. A copy can be purchased online at SoilMinerals. Chemical Cautions Synthetic fertilizers and naturally occurring salts like sodium nitrate and potassium sulphate, should come with

labels warning against giving plants too much. One or 2 cupfuls of these can be the maximum amount 100 square feet ofsoil can accept. But uniformly spreading only one or two cups of material over 100 square feet ofsoil is not easy to accomplish. That is one reason I don't recommend the use of chemicalfertilizers. It is too easy for inexperienced gardeners to cross the line between just enough and too much. Chemicalfertilizers usually are too pure. This is particularly true of inexpensive chemical blends so-called "complete" chemicalfertilizers are entirely incomplete. They supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Some types also contain a useful amount ofsulphur. However, unless the manufacturer intentionally puts in other essential minerals, the chemical mix won't supply them. Especially troublesome is that chemicalfertilizers rarely contain calcium or magnesium, which plants need in large amounts. Crops also require significant quantities of minor nutrients such as zinc and copper. Plants short on any essential nutrient, major or minor, are more easily attacked by insects and diseases, contain less nourishment for you and often don't grow as well as they could. There is yet another chemical drawback:Inexpensive chemicalfertilizers dissolve quickly. In soils lacking clay this usually results in a rapid burst of plant growth, followed five or six weeks later by a big sag, requiring yet another application. Should it rain hard enough for a fair amount of water to pass through a clayless soil, most of the chemicals dissolved in the soil water will be transported as deeply into the earth as the water penetrates (this is called "leaching"), Often nutrients are leached so deeply that the plant's roots can't reach them. With one heavy rain or one too-heavy watering, your fertile sandy topsoil becomes infertile. The chemicals also can pollute groundwater. Organic fertilizers, manures and composts, on the other hand, release their nutrient content only as they decompose as they are slowly broken down by the complex ecology of living creatures in the soil. Soil conditions determine the how long it takes to fully decompose. Complete decomposition of most organic fertilizers takes around two months in warm moist soil. During that entire time, they steadily release nutrients. Chemicalfertilizers can be made to be "slow-release," but these sorts cost several times as much as the type that dissolves rapidly in water. The seed meals in COF are naturalslow-release fertilizers, and they usually are considerably less expensive than slow-release chemical products. The Quick and Easy Guide to Homemade Fertilizer

Organic Fertilizer Recipe26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 5/7 Mix uniformly, in parts by volume: 4 parts seed meal 1/3 part ordinary agricultural lime, best finely ground 1/3 part gypsum (or double the agricultural lime) 1/3 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) 1/2 level kitchen measuring teaspoonful (carefully measured) of ordinary washing borax per each four quarts of seedmeal.** **Overdoses of boron can poison soil. The acceptable range for boron is not very wide. Too little and you get hollow hearts and brown centers on brassicas and potatoes. Too much and everything is stunted or dies. Measure carefully! Blend this material carefully and thoroughly into your COF before spreading it. If this precision seems daunting just don't bother. 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 ofsteer manure or finished compost 4 quarts COF/100 square feet. Medium-Demand Vegetables:1/4 inch layer ofsteer manure or finished compost 4 to 6 quarts COF/100 sq. ft. High-Demand Vegetables: 1/2 inch layer ofsteer manure or finished compost 4 to 6 quarts organic fertilizer mix/100 sq. ft. These recommendations will excellently grow almost any low-, medium- or highdemand vegetable on allsoil types, except heavy clay in all humid climates. In addition to these initial applications, side-dress seedmeal around medium- and high-demand crops every few weeks through the season; altogether, this extra fertilizer may equal the volume used in initial preparation. (Gardeners dealing with heavy clay soils should use the higher amounts of COF and in the first year, spread double the amount of organic matter up to an inch-thick layer of compost or well decomposed manure and dig it in to a shovel's depth. In subsequent years, apply the same quantity of manure or compost and fertilizer mix as for any other kind ofsoil.) COF is potent, so use no more than recommended. Do not over apply because COF contains lime, and excessive liming can be harmful to soil. It can take many years to correct excesses of lime. You can double the

amount of manure and compost I suggest, but increase it no more than that. If you think your vegetables aren't growing well enough, do not apply more manure or compost; try fixing it with COF. And if you're already using COF and stillsome vegetable species are not growing well to suit you, then you should consider doing a soil test to find out ifsome other nutrients are in deficit (or great excess) because COF does not provide significant amounts of what are termed minor nutrients:sulphur, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. I wish I could add these minerals to the routine COF but doing so could cause more problems for some than it cured for others.26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 6/7 Sacked steer manure is commonly heaped in front ofstores in springtime at a relatively low price per bag. However, this material may contain semi-decomposed sawdust and usually has little fertilizing value. However, it does feed soil microbes and improves soilstructure, which helps roots breathe. And it is not raw manure; it has been at least partially composted. It is useful if not overapplied. Which Crops Need the Most Fertility For thousands of years, home gardens received the best of the family's manures, and lots of them. They have been coddled for millennia. Consequently few vegetable crops thrive in ordinary soil. Low- and medium-demand vegetables become far more productive when grown in soil that has received the basic amount of COF and a bit of compost. High-demand vegetables are sensitive, delicate species and usually will not thrive unless grown in light, loose and always-moist soil that provides the highest level of nutrition. Low-Demand Vegetables Jerusalem artichoke, arugula (rocket), beans, beets, burdock, carrots, chicory, collard greens, endive, escarole, fava beans, herbs (most kinds), kale, parsnip, peas, Southern peas, rabb (rapini), salsify, scorzonera, French sorrel, Swiss chard (silverbeet), turnip greens Medium-Demand Vegetables Artichoke, basil, cilantro, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts (late), cabbage (large, late), cutting celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, giant kohlrabi, kohlrabi(autumn), lettuce, mustard greens (autumn), okra, potato onions, topsetting onions, parsley/root parsley, peppers (small-fruited), potatoes (sweet or "Irish"), pumpkin, radish (salad and winter), rutabaga, scallions, spinach (autumn), squash, tomatoes, turnips (autumn), watermelon, zucchini, asparagus High-Demand Vegetables Italian broccoli, Brussels sprouts (early), Chinese cabbage, cabbage (small, early), cantaloupe/honeydew, cauliflower, celery/celeriac, Asian cucumbers, kohlrabi(spring), leeks, mustard greens

(spring), bulbing onions, peppers (large-fruited), spinach (spring), turnips (spring) About Organic Fertilizer Ingredients Seed Meals are byproducts of making vegetable oil and are considered valuable animalfeeds. They are made from soybeans, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, cotton seeds, canola seeds, etc. Different kinds are more readily available in different regions of the country. When chemically analyzed, most seed meals show similar nitrogenphosphorus-potassium (NPK) content about 6-3-2. Because seed meals are used mainly as animalfeed and not as fertilizer, they are labelled with their protein content rather than NPK content. The rough rule is that 6.2 percent protein provides about 1 percent nitrogen, so if you have choices buy whichever type ofseed meal gives you the largest amount of nitrogen for the least cost. Copra meal is the byproduct of making coconut oil. It differs from the otherseedmeals in that it has only about two-thirds the amount of nitrogen the other seedmeals offer. However, since oilseedmeals are valued for their protein content, the usually lower price of coprameal correctly matches its lowered level of NPK. Copramealstill works good as fertilizer, although when using it you need to amend the recipe a bit: up it to 6 to 8 parts coprameal; the other ingredients remain in the same proportions. Because copra-based COF is less potent, you spread it heavier say 6-8 quarts COF per 100 square feet. If you want to use seed meals that are free of genetic modification and grown without sewage sludge or pesticides, choose certified organic meals if you can find any and can afford the tariff. I have reports from users of GM seedmeal and they have good results using it as fertilizer; one man has used GM soybeanmeal to feed his26.09.2012 Mother Earth News Magazine www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=74392 7/7 worm farm over the past three years and the system is running well. Of course, to be really certain ofsafety, those worms should be fed to frogs for four generations. Seed meals are far less costly in 50-pound bags, which can be found at farm stores. Seed meals are stable and willstore for years if kept dry and protected from pests in a metal garbage can or empty oil drum with a tight lid. Lime is ground, naturalrock containing large amounts of calcium. There are three types. Agricultural lime should be relatively pure calcium carbonate. Gypsum is calcium sulphate. Dolomite, or dolomitic lime, contains both calcium and magnesium carbonates, usually in more or less equal amounts. If you have to choose one of these three kinds, it probably should be ordinary agricultural lime, but most people get a better result using an equal

mixture of the three types. These substances are not expensive if bought in large sacks from agriculturalsuppliers. (Do not use quicklime, burnt lime, hydrated lime or other chemically active "hot" limes.) You probably have read many times that the acidity or pH ofsoilshould be corrected by liming. I suggest that you forget all about pH. Liming for the purpose of adjusting soil pH is entirely unnecessary in an organic garden, If liming is overdone, the practice may lead to the entire collapse of the garden; I have seen soil test results from people who did this. In fact, the topic ofsoil pH is controversial. Someday I am going to take the shade ofJ.I. Rodale to task because he convinced Everybody Else that liming to adjust soil pH is a key concern. My conclusion on the subject is this:If a soil test shows your garden's pH is low and you are advised to apply lime to correct it don't. Each year, just add COF and compost/manure as shown in "How Much to Use". Over time, the pH will correct itself. If your garden's pH tests as 6.0 to 6.75, considered the idealrange to have soil pH, use the fullrecommendation of COF anyway, because vegetables still need calcium and magnesium in the right balance as nutrients. If your soil pH tests 7.0 or higher, then the basic formula for COF may not suit your needs; in this case you need a fullsoil test. If you routinely garden with COF you won't need to apply additional lime to the garden. The mix is formulated so that, when used in the recommended amount, it automatically distributes about 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet each year. Bone Meal, Phosphate Rock or Guano (bat or bird manure) allserve to boost COF's phosphorus level, hard phosphate rock and guano usually are also rich in trace elements. Bone meal may be the easiest of the three to find at garden centers and is the most available form; it will give you the biggest immediate result. Colloidalsoft rock phosphate is probably the most valuable and usefulform of rock phosphate. It analyses at having less P than the hard rock phosphates, but the phosphorus in the soft form is far more available and it does not come with the liability hard rock phosphate has carrying traces of fluorine and sometimes uranium as well. Kelp Meal (dried seaweed) has become expensive, but one 50-pound sack willsupply a 2,000-square-foot garden for several years. Kelp supplies more than just a complete range of trace minerals, it provides growth regulators and natural hormones that act like plant vitamins, increasing resistance to cold, frost and other stresses.

Some rock dusts are highly mineralized and contain a broad and complete range of minor plant nutrients. These may be substituted for kelp meal, but I believe kelp is best. If your garden center doesn't carry kelp meal and can't order it, you can get it from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply of Grass Valley, Calif. Adapted from GardeningWhen It Counts, a MOTHER EARTH NEWS "Book for Wiser Living," from New Society Publishers. The text and recipe presented here were updated by the author, Steve Solomon, in December 2011 to reflect new research and experience with COF.

A Great Organic Fertilizer Mix

Steve Solomon is a successful, knowledgeable gardener. He has written several garden books, and began the Territorial Seed Company a few decades ago. He formulated a recipe for a wonderful organic fertilizer. The recipe used to be in the Territorial Seed Catalouges before they began mixing and selling their own fertilizer. It is good for all plants, and will make you plants thrive. One should apply 4-6 quarts of this fertilizer per 100 square feet. Ive used this recipe for many years. Below is the recipe, and here is a lengthy article by Steve Solomon in Mother Earth News that discusses the fertilizer. 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) If you're concerned about the amount of lime in this recipe (as I was) read Mr. Solomon's explanation below. I've read forums that discuss this recipe, and experts agree with what he says here. "You may have read that the acidity or pH of soil should be corrected by liming. I suggest that you forget about pH. Liming to adjust soil pH may be useful in large-scale farming, but is not of concern in an organic garden. In fact, the whole concept of soil pH is controversial. "

There is more explanation in the attached article.

Here is a link to Steve Solomons books at Amazon.com.

HOME Soil and Compost Vegetable Varieties Planting/Growing Fertilizers Pests and Diseases Season Extension Great Food Great gear

Copyright 2010 Laura Lee

Steve Solomon's books http://www.growgreatvegetables.com/fertilizers/A-Great-Fertilizer-Mix.html

Recipe for a complete organic fertilizer

I've been using this recipe, which is the one Territorial SeedCompanyused to recommend back when Steve Solomon owned the company, with good results since 1993. Unfortunately Territorial no longer includes this recipe in their seed catalogs, so I'm posting it here because I believe it to be important information for the maritime Pacific Northwest home gardener.

One word of advice: Instead of buying the components in small boxes, buy them in bulk whenever possible (see "Where can I buy the components? ", below). As long as you keep them these ingredients dry, they will last for years. All measurements are in terms of volume, not weight. 4 parts seed meal 1 part dolomite lime part bone meal part kelp meal

Seed meal
This component provides nitrogen, with smaller amounts of phosphorus and potassium. I like to use cottonseed meal or alfalfa meal, both of which are relatively inexpensive and readily available. Of the two, cottonseed meal provides more nitrogen; but it is somewhat more expensive. Additionally, in some states cottonseed meal is reportedly not allowed in a certified organic operation (although that's not something that affects most of us). Another seedmeal option is rape/canola meal. In spring I like to substitute blood meal in place of some seed meal, since blood meal is somewhat faster acting. You could try using three parts seed meal and one part blood meal. What I usually do, though, is leave the fertilizer recipe unchanged but add blood meal separately at sowing time.

Tarate ?

Lime = B
Seed meals tend to be acidic, so lime is included to balance that out. Dolomite limestone is roughly half magnesium carbonate and half calcium carbonate. Calcitic limestone is pure calcium carbonate. Plants usually need more calcium than magnesium; so, if you want to be really tricky, use 1/3 part dolomite lime and 2/3 part calcitic lime. I use dolomite in the fertilizer mix, then use calcite when I lime my beds each fall. If your soil is alkaline, you might experiment with reducing or eliminating the lime in this mix.

Piatra de var

Bone Meal
This makes up the bulk of the phosphorus component. While the original Territorial recipe lists soft rock phosphate as an alternative source of phosphorus, I prefer bone meal. Not only is bone meal easier to find than rock phosphate, it also is already being produced as a byproduct of the beef industry. Rock phosphate is mined. Less bone meal is required since it releases its phosphorus more readily. The advantage of using rock phosphate is that it continues to contribute phosphorus to your soil over many years. If you choose to use it, double the amount - use one part rock phosphate.

Kelp Meal
Kelp meal contributes potassium and also many micronutrients. This tends to be more expensive than the other components, and harder to find in bulk. Fortunately you need less of it than the other materials. Another possible potassium source is Jersey Greensand. It has the same advantages and liabilities as rock phosphate (its very slow release). In addition, it does not supply micronutrients.

How Much Do I Use?

I often get e-mails that say "Great recipe! But how much do I spread in my garden bed?". There is no single answer that fits all situations, because different plants have different nutritional requirements. It also makes more sense in many cases to fertilize plant by plant, instead of broadcasting it into the entire bed. If you want to know how much I use for the various vegetables, check out my FAQ on Maritime Vegetable Culture. This recipe will also work for ornamental plants, and even for lawns; but I haven't developed guidelines for those uses.

Where can I buy the components?

Whether a particular business sells any or all of these components will vary from year to year, unfortunately. Check with local feed or farm supply stores first. I've occasionally had luck finding bulk bags at plant nurseries. If you live in the Puget Sound region, consider checking your local McLendon's Hardware. In my experience they usually carry most of these products in mid-size bags - 20 pound bags of cottonseed meal and (sometimes) kelp meal, 20 pound bags of bone meal, and of course 40 pound bags of both dolomite and calcite lime. They're only a couple miles away from my place, so usually I go there first. Note that kelp meal is getting harder to find in bulk packages.

Further Notes

When possible, I purchase certified organic versions of all these products. Philosophically I prefer to support organic agriculture; but, more specifically, I have concerns about certain practices in the beef industry - so Ialways buy organic bone meal nowadays. Even so, wash your hands after handling any bone meal. If you want to learn more about these components - to discover their typical NPK values, for example Colorado State University has an informative pamphlet available online: OrganicFertilizers , publication234. A recent email let me know about a 2006article SteveSolomonwrotefor MotherEarthNews . While his recipe is still similar to the old Territorial formula, he has made some changes. He substitutes gypsum for some of the lime - I would not recommend gypsum for the maritime Pacific Northwest since the calcium is bonded to sulfate, which may actually increase the acidity of your soil (counteracting the calcium's effect, in other words). He's also doubled the bone meal component, but without doubling the alternative rock phosphate (which is rather odd). Note that Steve lived in Tasmania at the time the article was written, and as such may have tweaked the formula to better match his local growing conditions. The specific list of fertilizer components and amounts on this page is exempted from my copyright notice it's not possible to copyright a list of ingredients, and the recipe itself is not original to me in any case. I would like to thank Tim Peters, then (back in the early 1990s) lead plant breeder and trial grounds manager of Territorial Seed Company, for answering some of the "why" questions I posed to him regarding the recipe. http://westsidegardener.com/howto/fertilizer.html

Here's another article, same info but written by Steve

from https://www.motherearthnews.com/Orga...ur-Garden.aspx
Quote:

A Better Way to Fertilize Your Garden - Homemade Organic Fertilizer By Steve Solomon Because my garden supplies about half of my familys yearly food intake, I do all I can to maximize my vegetables nutritional quality. Based on considerable research and more than 30 years of vegetable growing, I have formulated a fertilizing mix that is beneficial for almost any food garden. It is a potent, correctly balanced fertilizing mix composed entirely of natural substances. Its less expensive than commercial organic fertilizers, and its much better for your soil life than harsh synthetic chemical mixes (see Chemical Cautions). In my gardens, I use only this mix and regular additions of compost. Together they produce incredible results. Ive recommended this system in the gardening books Ive written over 20 years. Many readers have written me saying things like, My garden has never grown so well; the plants have never been so large and healthy; the food never tasted so good. The basic ingredients seed meal, various kinds of lime, bone meal and kelp meal are shown below. The complete recipe is on the tear-out poster located within this article. Complete Organic Fertilizer

To concoct the mix, measure out all materials by volume: that is, by the scoop, bucketful, jarful, etc. Proportions that vary by 10 percent either way will be close enough to produce the desired results, but do not attempt to make this formula by weight. I blend mine in a 20-quart plastic bucket, using an old saucepan as a measuring scoop. I make 7 to 14 quarts at a time. This mix is inexpensive judged by the results it produces; its also inexpensive in monetary terms if you buy the ingredients in bulk from the right vendors. Urban gardeners may have to do a bit of research to find suppliers that have the right ingredients. Farm and ranch stores as well as feed and grain dealers are the best sources for seed meals, which are typically used to feed livestock. If I were an urban gardener, I would visit the country every year or two to stock up. The other ingredients usually can be found at garden shops, although they probably will be sold in smaller quantities at relatively high prices per pound. You may find the best prices by mail order or on the Internet. Seed meals and various kinds of lime are the most important ingredients (see Basic Organic Fertilizer Ingredients). These alone will grow a great garden. Gypsum is the least necessary kind of lime, but its included because it contains sulfur, a vital plant nutrient that is deficient in some soils. If gypsum should prove hard to find or seems too costly, dont worry about it double the quantity of inexpensive agricultural lime. If you can afford only one bag of lime, in most circumstances your best choice would be dolomitic limestone. You also could alternate agricultural lime and dolomite from year to year or bag to bag. Bone meal is usually available at garden centers. Guano, rock phosphate and kelp meal may seem costly or difficult to obtain, but they add considerable fortitude to the plants and increase the nutritional content of your vegetables. Go as far down the recipe as you can afford, but if you cant find the more exotic materials toward the bottom, dont worry too much. However, if concerns about money stop you from obtaining kelp meal, rock dust or a phosphate supplement, I suggest taking a hard look at priorities. In my opinion, you cant spend too much money creating maximum nutrition in your food a dollar spent here will save several in health care costs over the long term. Applying the Fertilizer Mix Before planting each crop, or at least once a year (preferably in the spring), uniformly broadcast 4 to 6 quarts of fertilizer mix atop each 100 square feet of raised bed, or down each 50 feet of planting row in a band 12 to 18 inches wide. Blend in the fertilizer with a hoe or spade. This amount provides sufficient fertility for what Ive classified as low-demand vegetables to grow to their maximum potential and is usually enough to adequately feed medium-demand vegetables (see Which Crops Need the Most). If youre planting in hills, mix an additional cup of fertilizer into each. After the initial application, sprinkle small amounts of fertilizer around medium- and highdemand vegetables every three to four weeks, thinly covering the area that the root system will grow into. As the plants grow, repeat this side-dressing, placing each dusting farther from their centers. Each application will require more fertilizer than the previous. As a rough guide, sidedress about 4 to 6 additional quarts total per 100 square feet of bed during a crop cycle. If the growth rate fails to increase over the next few weeks, the most recent application wasnt needed, so dont add any more. Chemical Cautions Nonorganic synthetic fertilizers should come with labels warning against giving plants too much. One reason I dont recommend the use of chemical fertilizers is that its too easy for

inexperienced gardeners to cross the line between just enough and too much. Chemical fertilizers are too pure. This is particularly true of inexpensive chemical blends even so-called complete chemical fertilizers are entirely incomplete. They supply only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Unless the manufacturer intentionally puts in other essential minerals, the chemical mix wont supply them. Especially troublesome is that chemical fertilizers rarely contain calcium or magnesium, which plants need in large amounts along with tiny traces of several other minerals. Plants lacking any essential nutrients are more easily attacked by insects and diseases, contain less nourishment for you and often dont grow as well as they could. There is yet another drawback: All inexpensive chemical fertilizers dissolve quickly in soil. This usually results in a rapid burst of plant growth, followed five or six weeks later by a big sag, requiring yet another application. Should it rain hard enough for a fair amount of water to pass through the soil, the chemicals dissolved in the soil water will be transported as deeply into the earth as the water penetrates (this is called leaching), so deep that the plants roots cant reach them. With one heavy rain or one too-heavy watering, your fertile topsoil becomes infertile. The chemicals also can pollute groundwater. The risk of leaching is especially great in soils that contain little or no clay. Organic fertilizers, manures and composts, on the other hand, release their nutrient content only as they decompose as they are slowly broken down by the complex ecology of living creatures in the soil. The soil temperature determines the length of this process. The rate of decomposition roughly doubles for each 10 degree increase of soil temperature. Complete decomposition of most organic fertilizers takes around two months in warm soil. During that time, they steadily release nutrients. Chemical fertilizers can be made to be slow-release, but these sorts cost several times as much as the type that dissolves rapidly in water. The seed meals in my organic fertilizer mix are natural slow-release fertilizers, and they usually are less expensive than slow-release chemical products. The Quick and Easy Guide to Fertilizer 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)

Seed meal

*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 sidedressings 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. Sacked steer manure is commonly heaped in front of stores in springtime at a relatively low price per bag. However, this material may contain semidecomposed sawdust and usually has little fertilizing value. However, it does feed soil microbes and improves soil structure, which helps roots breathe. And it is not raw manure; it has been at least partially composted. It is useful if not overapplied. Which Crops Need the Most For thousands of years, home gardens received the best of the familys manures, and lots of them. Few vegetable crops can thrive in ordinary soil, because they have been coddled for millennia in highly improved conditions. However, different vegetables demand different levels of soil quality. Both low- and medium-demand vegetables will become far more productive when grown in soil that has received at least the minimum applications of fertilizer listed above. Highdemand vegetables are sensitive, delicate species and usually will not thrive unless grown in light, loose and always-moist soil that provides the highest level of nutrition. Low-demand Vegetables Jerusalem artichoke, arugula (rocket), beans, beets, burdock, carrots, chicory, collard greens,

endive, escarole, fava beans, herbs (most kinds), kale, parsnip, peas, Southern peas, rabb (rapini), salsify, scorzonera, French sorrel, Swiss chard (silverbeet), turnip greens Medium-demand Vegetables Artichoke, basil, cilantro, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts (late), cabbage (large, late), cutting celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, giant kohlrabi, kohlrabi (autumn), lettuce, mustard greens (autumn), okra, potato onions, topsetting onions, parsley/root parsley, peppers (small-fruited), potatoes (sweet or Irish), pumpkin, radish (salad and winter), rutabaga, scallions, spinach (autumn), squash, tomatoes, turnips (autumn), watermelon, zucchini High-demand Vegetables Asparagus, Italian broccoli, Brussels sprouts (early), Chinese cabbage, cabbage (small, early), cantaloupe/honeydew, cauliflower, celery/celeriac, Asian cucumbers, kohlrabi (spring), leeks, mustard greens (spring), bulbing onions, peppers (large-fruited), spinach (spring), turnips (spring) Basic Organic Fertilizer Ingredients Seed meals are byproducts of making vegetable oil and are mainly used as animal feed. They are made from soybeans, flaxseed, sunflowers, cotton seeds, canola and other plants. Different kinds are more readily available in different regions of the country. When chemically analyzed, most seed meals show similar nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) content about 6-4-2. Because seed meals are used mainly as animal feed and not as fertilizer, they are labeled by protein content rather than NPK content. The general rule is that 6 percent protein provides about 1 percent nitrogen, so buy whichever type of seed meal gives you the largest amount of nitrogen for the least cost. If you want seed meals that are free of genetic modification and grown without sewage sludge or pesticides, choose certified organic meals. Seed meals are less expensive in 40- or 50-pound bags, which can be found at farm stores rather than garden centers. Seed meals are stable and will store for years if kept dry and protected from pests in a metal garbage can or empty oil drum with a tight lid. Lime is ground, natural rock containing large amounts of calcium, and there are three types. Agricultural lime is relatively pure calcium carbonate. Gypsum is calcium sulfate. Dolomite, or dolomitic lime, contains both calcium and magnesium carbonates, usually in more or less equal amounts. If you have to choose one kind, it probably should be dolomite, but youll get a far better result using a mixture of the three types. These substances are not expensive if bought in large sacks from agricultural suppliers. (Do not use quicklime, burnt lime, hydrated lime or other chemically active hot limes.) You may have read that the acidity or pH of soil should be corrected by liming. I suggest that you forget about pH. Liming to adjust soil pH may be useful in large-scale farming, but is not of concern in an organic garden. In fact, the whole concept of soil pH is controversial. My conclusion on the subject is this: If a soil test shows your gardens pH is low and you are advised to apply lime to correct it dont. Each year, just add amendments as shown in How Much to Use. Over time, the pH will correct itself, more because of the added organic matter than from adding calcium and magnesium. And if your gardens pH tests as acceptable, use the full recommendations in How Much to Use anyway, because vegetables still need calcium and magnesium in the right balance as nutrients. If you routinely garden with this homemade fertilizer mix, you wont need to apply additional lime to the garden. The mix is formulated so that, when used in the recommended amount, it automatically distributes about 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet each year.

Bone meal, phosphate rock or guano (bat or bird manure) all serve to boost the phosphorus level, and phosphate and guano usually are also rich in trace elements. Bone meal will be the easiest of the three to find at garden centers. Kelp meal (dried seaweed) has become expensive, but one 55-pound sack will supply a 2,000square-foot garden for several years. Kelp supplies some things nothing else does a complete range of trace minerals plus growth regulators and natural hormones that act like plant vitamins, increasing resistance to cold, frost and other stresses. Some rock dusts are highly mineralized and contain a broad and complete range of minor plant nutrients. These may be substituted for kelp meal, but I believe kelp is best. If your garden center doesnt carry kelp meal and cant order it, you can get it from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply of Grass Valley, Calif.: (888) 784-1722.

http://www.cannabis-world.org/cw/showthread.php?t=4893

Dolomita

Originally Posted by

c-ray

dolomite lime seems to have it's pitfalls especially when applied in large doses so if epsom salt and dolomite lime are out where are you going for magnesium? I am using celtic sea salt and sea-crop ormus type seawater extract Yea thats another reason I like using 50/50 calcidic lime/dolomite lime. For magneisum I used to use 2ml/gal epsom salt. The epsom salt is fungistatic[1] at low levels (which isn't determined yet) according to Dr. Ingham. Because I can't find a organic source of high Mg that won't hurt the microherd I have started using chelated amino acids in a foliar spray. I have magnesium and calcium. The chelated micronutrients are so small they are directly utilized by the plant. I also use a non-ionic surfactant made from yucca without any preservatives. I have never read reserach on it but I assume preservatives in yucca surfactants can injure micobes in the phyllosphere. Spraying with the chelate amino acids will inhibit some microbes in the phyllosphere but I assume they can recover much faster then those in the media. Many of the micro's are mobile and I find foliar spraying to be as effective as using espom salt. And if I understand correctly the highest levels of Mg and Ca are utilized from late veg to flower formation. I have used espom salt in a foliar spray but it seems to leave a white residue on the leafs. FWIW: all these chelated aminos are certified USDA Organic. Here is a quote from the site: http://www.essential_plant_nutrients...etreecare.com/ [quote]Albion

http://www.cannabis-world.org/cw/showthread.php?t=4893

RE: Need help with SS's Fertilizer Recipe

clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on

Fri, Apr 8, 11 at 15:04

IMO your summation is largely paraphrase. Paraphrase of what I've been saying for 9 years? Well, then yes. I try to focus on the point and summarize where I can. Sometimes I'm more successful than other times.

Not the case. Steve Solomon was the originator of the Soil and Health Library often linked to from this site (GW). What is not the case? He did not create the concoction? or he is not promoting it as better? Because you go on to say that he both created the concoction and he recommends it as better. I just found a website with a recipe attributed to Steve Solomon. This may be what the OP was referring to.
Complete Organic Fertilizer

Steve Solomon developed a fertilizer mixture specifically for our maritime [west of the Cascade mountains] climate. It is best to buy each ingredient in bulk, as it is cheaper over time than buying small boxes of fertilizer. Store in metal galvanized garbage cans and keep moisture out. Four parts seed meal (cottonseed or canola meal is usually readily available here in the Northwest.) 1/2 part lime in equal amounts of agricultural lime and dolomite. Leave out the lime for acid loving plants such as rhododendrons. 1/2 part phosphate rock or bone meal (for vegetarians phosphate rock would be the obvious choice). 1/2 part kelp meal. I suspect there is more written about that recipe in a book somewhere. I see what he's getting at. He's using the bulk of the materials (seed meal) for the food and then incorporating specific additives to try to adjust for soil conditions west of the Cascades. I guess I would caution that the additives are specific to that location and may not work the way you want them to in other places. NPK should not be the goal of an organic fertilizer. Protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals are the goal. Microbes do not eat NPK. They eat food. You don't have to mix grains to get a better food. You may mix them if you like, but I don't see any difference in one from another or any mix of them. The OP asked about the amounts of alfalfa meal & linseed meal, to exchange for the Cottonseed meal, or soybean meal. Personally I would go pound for pound, but if you wanted to be more precise about the protein value, then you can compare the amounts

of protein at the linked website for Ingredients 101.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ingredients 101 - linseed meal

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg041352217606. html

RO
http://www.emharghita.ro/dolomita.html

http://www.aaz.ro/detalii/478285/DEL-CA-MAG-1KG-&-2KG

DEL-CA-MAG
Supliment mineral de uz veterinar
COMPOZIIE oxid de calciu - 32,02% oxid de magneziu - 20,27%

ACIUNE FARMACOTERAPEUTIC Calciul i magneziul sunt dou dintre cele mai importante minerale pentru sntatea animalelor. Ele sunt implicate n procesele de cretere i dezvoltare ale acestora, precum i n meninerea echilibrului acido-bazic, n activarea enzimelor, n moderarea excitabilitii musculare i intervin n fenomenele de transfer de energie.

http://www.emharghita.ro/calciu-si-magneziu-furajer.html

CAOLIN = substitut pt. dolomita

Steve Solomons formula for complete organic fertilizer

I like the idea of Steve Solomons formula for complete organic fertilizer (COF). He recommends you purchase the ingredients in bulk from farm stores. Measure the material out by volume, that is by the scoop or bucketful, and then mix it together in a bucket. Seedmeals are a by-product of making vegetable oil and mainly used in animal feed. Coprameal is a by-product from coconuts

with the bonus is that is usually grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Blood and bone is also known as tankage. There are three types of lime Agricultural lime pure calcium carbonate, Dolomite lime calcium and magnesium carbonate, and Gypsum calcium sulfate. Mix together uniformly in parts by volume: 1. 4 parts any kind of seedmeal except coprameal OR 3 parts any seedmeal except coprameal and 1 part blood-andbone. (This higher nitrogen option is slightly better for leafy crops in spring) OR 4.5 parts less-potent coprameal, supplemented with 1.5 parts blood-and-bone BLEND WITH 1/4 part ordinary agricultural lime, best finely ground AND 1/4 part gypsum (or double the amount of lime) AND 1/2 part dolomite lime PLUS 1 part of one of these phosphorus sources: finely ground rock phosphate, bonemeal, or high phosphate guano 1/2 to 1 part kelpmeal or 1 part basalt dust

2. 3. 4. 5.

P.S. If youre in need of easy ways to spread the fertilizer, look at thesecoupons for Harbor Freight tools.
Gardening when it counts

by Steve Solomon