Re: CULT:Fertilization (Was Iris Myths)

From: linda Mann <lmann@mailhub.icx.net>

Michael Gullo of  West Walworth, NY, wrote:
> [to] everyone following this iris
> myth/solarization/fertilization/compost/rot thread.  I think that there are a
> number of variables involved here that have been mentioned and need to be
> considered....

Good synopsis
 
> > Probably other factors to consider also, but it is getting too late for me to keep
> going.  It would seem to make sense to consult with growers in one's local area
> to see what cultural practices are successful in a particular climate.

One other important factor I would add is the interaction of nutrients,
drainage, nutrient retention capacity, and rainfall/irrigation.  Organic
matter (compost and soil organic matter in general) help retain
nitrogen, so residual nitrogen from previous applications may be higher
in soil with a lot of organic matter/compost, depending on the
composition of the compost (e.g., composted pine sawdust is very low in
nitrogen and decomposers in the compost will snatch nitrogen away from
plants).  

Also, rainfall/irrigation leaches nutrients from the soil- the higher
the rainfall/irrigation rate, and the more well drained the soil, the
faster nutrients will leach out.  Soil texture (sand vs clay) as well as
bed characteristics (raised beds, sloped beds,or hillsides vs holes in
the ground, creek bottoms, flat areas) affect drainage.  Sandy or
gravelly textured soils are better drained than silty or clay soils,
generally, but organic matter content and tillage improve drainage, at
least temporarily in clays or silts. [sand,silt, and clay are names
given to different sizes of individual soil particles - sand being
biggest, clay being smallest].

Etc etc.

Anyway, a rapidly leached coarse textured soil (sandy hillside?) in a
high rainfall area will need much higher amounts of nitrogen fertilizer
and other nutrients than a well drained raised bed with clay and compost
in a lower rainfall area.  I need to add fertilizer a couple of times in
the spring for best growth and subsequent bloom, but may or may not need
to fertilizer again in late summer/early fall, depending on how much
rain we've had over the summer.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
grateful for not much ice -how's north Georgia/SC?


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