Mix your Organic soil and Fertilizers:
Soil Mixes and Compost Tea
Soil and Fertilizers
I don't like using fertilizers of any kind, commercial or organic. I feed my soil with homemade compost and that's good enough. I don't need super size anything. Look at Mother Nature's Forest - there isn't any green fairy coming along spraying nor spreading anything with green magic dust.Everyone is looking for a perfect soil, fertile, deep, well drained, friable and high in organic matter.
When you don't have the perfect soil you have two alternatives:
You can invest a lot of time and money and change it or live with what you have.
I have heavy clay soil.
Even though I can grow a lot of vegetables and flowers in my clay soil, I'm investing the time and some money by amending my soil.
"No commercial fertilizers and No pesticides!
Humus for the garden
What a difference this makes!
Add Humus to Sandy soil and water retention is increased.
Add Humus to Clay soil and it becomes friable and easy to dig.
If you fork - humus - into heavy clay soil - it will improve drainage.
Types of Humus or Organic Matter
Includes peat moss, sawdust, compost and manure.
My favourite is compost.
You can make your own or buy it.
The problem with "Humus" is that you have to replenish it regularly.
Fork or spade in Humus in the Fall to give the microorganism a chance to decompose the material in time for spring planting. I also use my compost as a mulch in the fall.
The most important goal of any soil improvement is the promotion of microbial activity. It's the activity of microorganism in the soil that makes nutrients available to the plants.
If you are not using Humus "gardening books suggest to use a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet" to help speed decomposition. If this plant food isn't applied, microorganisms tie up the essential elements during decomposition and making them unavailable to plants. I don't add fertilizer, because I using my homemade compost. However, I like to give you all the information I have, so you can make the best decision for your garden.
Cultivation
Cultivating the right way and at the right time will improve the structure of your soil.
Pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it, if it forms a compact ball, it's too wet. Wait patiently - even if you've already waited a whole week for this day. :)
Selecting and Mixing Organic Fertilizers
Fertilizers cannot make up for poor soil. They are just enhancers and when you stop using them you still have poor soil.
Feed the soil and nature will look after itself.
If you still want fertilizers here's some:
Knowledge is power! :)
Three major plant nutrients:
Nitrogen ( N ) - Phosphorus ( P ) - and Potassium ( K )
Different fertilizers contains different ratios of these basic nutrient elements.
Organic Fertilizer Mixes
Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium Ratios in the mixes below.
2-3-2
3 parts alfalfa hay
1 part bonemeal
2 parts greensand
2-2-4
1 part of bloodmeal
1 part of bonemeal
5 parts of seaweed
3 part of granite dust
4-5-4
2 parts bloodmeal
1 part of rock phosphate
4 parts of wood ashes
3-5-3
2 parts cottonseed meal
1 part of colloidal phosphate
2 parts of granite dust
low nitrogen - high phosphorus mixes
You'll need low nitrogen to produce flowers and not just green leaves.
0-5-4
1 part rock phosphate
3 parts greensand
2 parts wood ashes
2-8-3
1 part bloodmeal
2 parts of rock phosphate
3 parts of green sand
2 parts of seaweed
Or you can use Compost Tea. :)
Applying Fertilizer
I only use compost. When I plant anything I add compost to the planting hole. If I find any of my plants turning yellow or stressed, I'll give them compost tea. I do stop fertilizing anything around the end of August. Fertilizing late in the growing season can start new growth and be susceptible to frost damage at my end of the world.
Compost or Manure Tea
A shovel full of well seasoned compost or manure in a burlap bag. Tie the bag closed and put it in a rain barrel or a large container and steep your compost tea for 1-7 days.