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Quality Organic Nutrients, only as good as its source

I.M. Boggled

Certified Bloomin' Idiot
Veteran
By E. Biksa

Most growers have applied organic products to their crops at some point or another, commonly as teas or soil amendments to supplement an inorganic feed regimen. Others have gone a step further and eliminated salt-based nutrients from their feeding program. This can be of tremendous benefit.

Whether growing with chemical or organic fertilizers it is unwise to reuse planting media if there has been a significant crop disease or insect infestation.
With good quality organic plant nutrients, there is virtually no salt residue. Organic nutrients are only as good as the source they were derived from.

For example, kelp extracts are a very popular additive to feed programs and foiliar regimens. They contain significant amounts of potassium and often contain naturally (or otherwise) occurring plant growth promotants such as cytokinins.
An increased plant resistance to stress is also associated with applications of kelp products.

Just like a glass of orange juice, kelp extracts are not all the same.
The source of the parent material and the fashion in which it was processed largely determines the quality of the nutrient/supplement. Things to consider are: bio-activity (is the stuff nice and “alive”), nutrient value, hormones, other compounds, and impurities.
Most kelp extracts are manufactured by processing kelp (seaweed) in a solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH). Potassium hydroxide is definitely on the harsher side of the chemical spectrum as it has oxidative properties. It also contains salts resulting as impurities from the manufacturing process of potassium hydroxide. Salts are toxic to plant roots and may scorch leaves when applied as a foiliar spray.
Kelp products resulting from this process are usually brownish in colour and have a smell that is typically not favourable. In order to better preserve bioactivity in the extract and reduce salts, some kelps are extracted via a special cold water process.
It is also important that the raw kelp has been well rinsed to remove salt residues from its native environment.
Solutions produced by this method usually have a more natural colour and a smell that is pleasant to those who enjoy the ocean.

For nitrogen sources, many teas or dry mixes contain bloodmeal.
Although it is readily soluble and is fast acting, it may not be the best choice for the grower or the consumer.
When handling dried bloodmeal, growers risk their health as inhalation can lead to health problems. After all, the stuff is scraped off the slaughter house floor. Bovine disease is a concern among many consumers and producers alike.
Also, the type of soil micro-organisms (soil life) it attracts may not be healthy. I mean, what kind of organism is attracted to rotting blood? I would personally not like to have a significant population of these in my garden.

Fish emulsions
are also a source of abundant and readily available nitrogen. These extracts are usually pasteurized (heated) in the manufacturing process, significantly reducing potential for unfriendly microbes that prefer animal by-products. However, they usually smell very offensive and may not be suitable for all indoor applications. Always make sure to wipe up any fish spills (including dribbles on the bottle) right away as not to prolong the smell. And don’t get any on your fingers either!

With a good quality carbon scrubber in the growing area, the smell shouldn’t last too long.
There are also many alternative organic sources of nitrogen.
You may use different products at different time throughout the growing cycle.
Alfalfa teas have many beneficial properties

Organic bloom fertilizers
have been added to inorganic feed programs for some time now.
Growers note an increase in yield and crop quality.
Colour and smell are usually noticeably improved.
There are several good quality organic bloom nutrients that can be used on their own or in conjunction with other organic nutrients to deliver respectable results.
For the record, there are growers who have higher yields with an organic program than they had with their chemical hydroponic nutrient program.
In a recent informal but controlled study, there was a 20-30% (variety dependent) increase in the organically fed crop versus the control group fed with a popular hydroponic nutrient program as per the manufacturer’s specifications.

Most organic bloom fertilizers use bat or tropical seabird guano as a natural source of phosphorous.
As with previous examples, a product can only be as good as it’s source, just as a fine meal starts with the finest ingredients.
These guanos are animal wastes, although most guanos are mined from ancient semi-fossilized deposits. There have been restrictions with these materials due to health concerns. Bone meal, ground, palletized, or emulsified is also a more common ingredient in organic bloom fertilizers.
Typically, they are safer to handle once in solution, as most of the risk is associated with the inhalation of dust.
However, heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc) have been reportedly high in some sources of guanos.

Rock phosphate is another source for organic phosphorous.
When finely ground, a portion is readily soluble while the majority takes some time to break down to available forms in the soil.
It is a known fact that rock phosphate is a radioactive compound.
A Geiger counter will sound off next to a sack of rock phosphate.
Some studies with regards to tobacco smokers and lung disease have attributed the use of rock phosphate in tobacco crops to an increase in the incidence of lung disease. This may be attributed to rock phosphate particles sticking to the plant’s trichomes, later inhaled by the smoker.

An interesting alternative in one commercially available organic nutrient is the use of a sugar beet extract as a primary source of phosphorous.
This provides sugars for microbes and plant growth while supplying phosphorous for heavy fruits and blooms from a plant derived source.

As with organic produce, the financial cost of a premium quality nutrient program can be significantly higher than a chemical/salt based regimen.

Experienced organic growers don’t mind making the additional investment however.
Management is often simplified and is more forgiving.
It takes a bit of work to kill a crop with organic nutrients versus their chemical counterparts.
Insect and disease problems are less frequent.
Overall yields are comparable to chemically produced crops, and crop quality is usually noticeably increased.

Specialized markets may have a strong demand for organically grown produce, and typically fetch a premium and an easier sale for the grower.

The following are some tips for those who want to go organic:

· Good soil aeration is critical with organics.
At some level nutrient availability is closely associated with microbial activity. Healthy soil microbes require oxygen, a heavy, slow draining mix does not allow for much gas exchange in the soil as it lacks macro-pore space in the media.

· While it is a good idea to pre-mix some slow release nutrients into the planting media, it is usually best to provide most nutrients via a soluble organic solution.
This allows the grower a higher level of control of nutrient levels in the rhizosphere (root zone).

· When reusing organic planting media, remove as much plant debris as possible.
... compaction of the media over time will reduce gas exchange and drainage in the soil.

· Organic nutrients can be pretty concentrated, so sometimes more is less. However, you will be safer to over apply an organic nutrient versus a salt based fertilizer.

· If you are accustomed to chemical feed programs, you are used to seeing extremes.
Wait a few days for observation when adjusting your nutrient feed program.


:cool:
 
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issack

Active member
Veteran
GREAT read!!!!!!....i'm with it all the way..

i just learned something on this read...and that is the reason why my soil mix is doing so well is because i used half pearlite....so half soil half pearlite and double the organic amendments....useing more amendments and nitrogen and not getting plants burning cause the soil is so free flowing of gas exchange...

i'm stoned.....great read..thank you!!!
 
G

Guest

Thanks! Excellent information. You signature links provide good information as well. Organics is something I have a lot to learn about. :chin:
 

I.M. Boggled

Certified Bloomin' Idiot
Veteran
Organic Plant Foods

Organic Plant Foods

From:
"The Holistic Gardening Series: Organic Plant Foods"

"Gardening the organic way is a challenge, there's no doubt about it.
After years of reaching for the synthetic fertilizers, dusts, and spray bottles, it is very hard to break the habit of running to the garage or shed for the trusty chemicals.
It does take time and effort to discover and use alternative and more holistic gardening methods for problems that arise.

The article, Break The Chemical Dependency!, briefly touched on organic gardening. [ See the following post :) ]

This article, Organic Palnt Foods, will detail a bit more about the benefits of using organic-based fertilizers and plant foods.

Benefits of Organic Fertilizers

* Organic fertilizers, while they do release more slowly than synthetic fertilizers, offer a steadier release of nutrients to plants.

* Many organic plant foods supply micronutrients not supplied by chemical foods.

* Some are good soil conditioners. They often supply extra organic material to soil that aids in the tilth and friability of the soil.

* There is little harm to the soil with organic fertilizers.

Synthetic fertilizers will often cause a build-up of inorganic salts over time. These insoluble salts will affect soil life, soil condition, and plant health. Microbial and beneficial soil insect populations will drop.
All of this will affect the growth and performance of plants over time, while there is no build-up of salts to the soil when using organic fertilizers.

* Organic foods help to increase soil microbial activity and beneficial soil insect activity.

* There is a greater margin for error if a bit too much organic fertilizer is applied.

Synthetic fertilizers can burn plants if too much is applied.

Because they release more slowly than synthetic fertilizers, there is less chance of plant damage if a bit too much organic food is applied.

I will list some organic fertilizers that can be used as alternatives to inorganic or synthetic fertilizers.
Some of them are readily available locally while others can be found through mail-order and online sources.

~A List Of Commonly Used Organic Fertilizers & Plant Foods~


Blood Meal...12-1-1...
Provides medium to rapid availability of nutrients, mainly nitrogen (N).
Often used in combination with other organic fertilizers for a more complete blend.
Also used in composting as starter or accelerator .

Fish Emulsion...5-2-2...
Medium to rapid availability of nutrients, mainly nitrogen. Good for foliar feeding.
Also used in composting as starter or accelerator.
Often used with seaweed or kelp for liquid fertilizer.

Liquid Kelp...0.1-0.1-1...
Medium availability of nutrients, mainly potassium.
Has many micro-nutrients.
Plant growth stimulant.
Aids in protecting plants against stress.
Improves plant health and immunity to diseases.
Often used with fish emulsions.

Steamed Bone MeaL...1-11-0...
Slow to medium availability.
Primary nutrient is Phosphorus (P).
Promotes root growth and seed development.
Often used in dry organic fertilizer blends...

Composted Cattle Manure...1-1-1...
Slow to medium availability.
Soil conditioner.
Also used in composting as starter or accelerator.

...

Alfalfa Meal...3-1-2...
Medium availability.
Good rose food.
Supplies micronutrients and horrmonal growth promoter or regulator.
Generates heat as it breaks down.
Also used in composting as starter or accelerator.

Greensand...0-2-5...
Medium availability.
Primary nutrient is Potassium (K).
Helps promote beneficial microbial activity.
More absorbent than sand (silica), but of similar consistency.
Good soil conditioner and for correcting potassium deficiencies. "
 

I.M. Boggled

Certified Bloomin' Idiot
Veteran
"Break the Chemical Dependency!"

"Break the Chemical Dependency!"

From the "The Holistic Gardening Series"...

Now, I'm just a gardener, like everyone else. As an average gardener, I started out like a lot of people: Bought the sprays, the 10-10-10 all-purpose fertilizer, the souped-up liquid fertilizers that can help grow pumpkins the size of bean bag chairs. Most of us do start out that way. And, it does work. That pumpkin doesn't care whether the nutrients were baked at a factory somewhere or came from compost and manure. As long as it gets the basics, it will produce, no disputing that. Everything will. For a while, and only for a while...

The whole concept of organic gardening goes into renewal and nurturing the balance of nature, or attempts to reach a balance. Most of what is done organically is benevolent to the environment, and tends to have a more gradual, yet long-term effect on the scheme of things.

For example, you dig up a new veggie patch. You till the soil. Then you broadcast 10-10-10 fertilizer over the hold plot. Your garden is growing well, lush and productive. Your success is good for a few years, and then you start noticing a decline in the vigor and health of your garden. What you are experiencing is soil compromise, because you are feeding the plants, and not the soil. In order for soil to remain productive, you have to nourish all the microorganisms and partner insects, such as earthworms, that help to maintain the health of the soil. Also, by adding inorganic based fertilizers to the soil, you have perhaps increased the salts that are building up in the soil. Because you have not added compost, manure, and other soil amendments, the tilth or structure of the soil becomes compromised, as well.

By adding nutrient and microorganism-rich compost and manure and other organic materials such as a green cover crop to your garden, you are doing precisely what Nature does, which is to add back organic material to the soil. Walk in an old established woods sometime. Brush away some of the leaf litter. Look at the rich black fluffy earth beneath. This is leaf mold, a result of the decay and recycling of organic materials on the forest floor. You will also notice numerous leaf worms, and perhaps some threads of mold or fungus in the soil. This is a self-perpetuating ecosystem. By adding organic material, you are in effect creating similar conditions in your garden.

With the cost of everything rising these days, it only makes sense to recycle. Basic composting is an ideal way for the environmentally conscious gardener to become a steward of the land, to protect the environment. Tons of compostable material wind up in landfills every day. Much of what we grind up in our garbage disposals can be composted and returned to the soil.

Vegetable and fruit peelings, newspaper, eggshells, thatch, coffee grounds, tea bags are all suitable material to be added to a working compost bin. Old grass clippings that have dried for a few days, disease-free plants such as frost-killed annuals, garden clippings, leaves and weeds that have not gone to seed are also candidates for composting. Steer away from fats, bones and other meat and dairy products to keep unwanted guests from invading the compost, such as rodents and dogs.

There are many ways to compost. The working compost bins or composters can be discretely placed in an out-of-the-way corner of the yard, and do not need to be a neighborhood eyesore. In areas where the neighborhood association or the local law might frown on open compost piles, there are closed systems that can be used that are not offensive to view. Many mail order sources and local retail outlets offer closed system composters. These composters are compact systems that are beginning to gain in popularity among gardeners.

Many communities offer free compost for the taking. This not only keeps the yard waste out of the landfills, it is also an alternative source of good material for the homeowner who does not or cannot compost on a large scale on his or her property.

There are many good resources in print and on the Internet on how to go about composting. Think of it like building a layer salad. "Green" material is alternated with "Brown", or carbon-rich material. The compost is turned or tumbled, kept evenly moist, not soggy, and the result is nutrient rich material for the garden. There are starters that can be added to the compost, accelerators to move the process along. However, once it is started, the composting will become self-perpetuating. You do not need to get as elaborate as using starters or accelerators. It will all eventually decompose into a rich, earthy smelling material if done correctly.

One of the simplest ways to recycle is to allow the grass clippings to return to the lawn. Mulching mowers are a great way to finely chop these materials so they can rapidly decompose and feed the lawn.

Mulch of the organic type applied directly around plants without a weed barrier, such as shredded bark, are wonderful because they help to reduce the weed population. Any weeds that do make it through a three-inch or so layer of mulch are easier to remove. As the mulch starts to decay, it can be incorporated into the soil to help improve its structure.

Layer old newspapers on top of flowerbeds before adding shredded bark or other organic mulches. Moisten the layers so they are damp and not stiff. The mulch will lie on a weed barrier that is biodegradable.

Think about why we need to use all those sprays on the garden. By practicing good gardening techniques, we can reduce, if not eliminate, the need for many pesticides and herbicides. Clean up leaf litter in the fall. Mulch. Weed. Water deeply. Improve the soil. Set plants at their recommended spacing. Use earth-friendly products and encourage beneficial insects. Ladybugs, Praying Mantis, Spiders, and Parasitic Wasps are only a few of the beneficial predators that can help us in the war against marauding insects. Make friends with the birds. They might steal some of the fruit from your berry plants and trees, but they eat many more insects that feed on your plants. Use biological and organic controls such as beneficial nematodes, insecticidal soaps, diatomaceous earth, in the fight against insect pests. Get over the willies and hand pick the Japanese Beetles that are feeding on your roses. If you garden, you cannot be phobic about bugs and other creatures!

Am I an organic gardener? Yes, I am. I gradually became organic in practice, especially after living at the lake for the past seven years. As I get older, I find that I am thinking more about the legacy that we are leaving for our children.

It is hard to break the chemical dependency, but it can be done. We might not be able to totally eradicate the use of chemicals completely throughout the world, but we all can in our home gardens.
 

guineapig

Active member
Veteran
i want the benefits of blood and bone meal but have a rather irrational fear of infectious prions (i.e. mad cow disease).....i know the chances of prion transmission to plants are astronomically low.....but could anyone point me towards a very reputable supplier of bone and blood meal, maybe from ocean based sources rather than land? I think i know one company.....of course i do not work for this company and am interested only in spreading information about safe and ecologically responsible sources of blood and bone meals......the product is called "Wegner's Liquid"

"Wegener's Liquid is built from oceanic bone and oceanic blood and does not contain any animal mammal products. This makes Wegener\'s Liquid the best choice for gardeners who want the organic benefits of bloodmeal and have concerns about using animal bloodmeal and its relationship to Hoof and Mouth disease and/or Mad Cow disease."

of course i am sure it is more expensive than ordinary blood and bone meals.......and the threat of mad-cow disease is greatly exaggerated.....-gp out
 

I.M. Boggled

Certified Bloomin' Idiot
Veteran
Peaceful Valley Organic Farm Supply...

Peaceful Valley Organic Farm Supply...

Has a great selection of organic products available.

Fish Bone Meal 3-16-0
http://www.groworganic.com/item_F020_FishBoneMeal31606Lb.html

Fish bone meal has a fishy odor, imagine that.
It is usally used in outdoor gardens because of its odiferous qualities.
Neighborhood cats find it strangely appealing.

Bone meal, I would think, could be dry heat sterilized in a covered cake pan in a hot oven. A cup or two of water and your steam sterilizing and hydrating the bone meal. Sounds good on paper. ;)

Many Gourmet vegetable gardeners order from these folks, so imho, it is less likely to be seriously tracked by UPS records by LEO, than say the more high profile online "Hydroponic" & "grow light" specialist Suppliers.

One should use a Safe untraceable address as a "standard operating procedure" (S.O.P.), when restocking supplies as to shield oneself from such "federalee" shenanigans.
I'm not trying to excite anyone, just expousing caution in online mail order dealings.


A Gardening Tip:
An obvious outdoor vegetable garden sure can instantly explain away alot of "specialty product" purchases just in case Big Brother is watching and wondering.

And now a little story...Once upon a time...

I actually had a couple of cops stop by one day when I was out in the Vegetable garden on the front side of the house.
They politely asked if they could please check out my garden up close because the local "block watch" / "Comrade party member" lady was pestering them silly (several years ago when I lived in the big city.)

She called the police on me because she was convinced that those plants on the exposed side of my house were no doubt marijuana.

Blantant Lawbreaker she told them. Come and arrest him, he bad, very bad.

As it turned out, why they had never seen a hydroponic system without pot growing in it before and were quite interested in maybe doing that themselves (growing veggies.)

I ended up giving them a big garbage bag full of a variety of sweet and hot peppers to share with the boys down at the station and sent 'em on their merry way.

See,everybody likes that free tasty homegrown. :D

Happy Growing.


:).
 
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