Re: Fertilizer

At 9:05 PM -0500 1/21/99, Miller, Devon <dmiller@kilstock.com> wrote:

> After last year's thread on alfalfa, I bought pellets and I'll try that.

I find the alfalfa pellets work for about 4-6 weeks and Osmocote lasts
about 4 months.

> I have also heard that lawn fertilizer can be a cheap solution for gardens.

Cheap chemical fertilizers release their nitrogen pretty much
instantaneously--not good for the soil microbes or the groundwater.
I've never used it so I don't know how the plants like it.

> Do you have any cheap and easy fertilizing solutions to share?  And
> environmentally sound?  (We make compost which we mulch with, that not
> enough to cover the whole garden.)

Make more compost. :) See if you can get yard waste from neighbors who
don't spray. Perhaps you can find composted fish byproducts in
Maryland. The shells from crabs/lobsters are supposed to be good
fertilizer. If you're close to the ocean, rinsed composted seaweed and
kelp are very good for plants.

> Can fertilizer be integrated into a drip irrigation system?  I'm thinking of
> setting up one of the DripWorks systems, and maybe that would solve my
> problem.

You can add fertilizer to some of the drip filters. As has been
mentioned, you need to know exactly how much water is coming out of the
drip tubes to figure how much fertilizer to use.

There are "smart" injection systems that measure water flow and inject
the correct amount of liquid fertilizer. The cheapest one of those I've
seen was around $300. The cheap siphon gadgets don't work with drip
systems--not enough water pressure.

Also if you use extra emitters on plants that like a lot of water they
will also get more fertilizer and every plant is getting the same
fertilizer formulation. Fertilizer injection systems work best if you
are growing tons of one thing.

> Am I the only one with this issue?

I would very much like to find a slower release organic fertilizer.

The Osmocote has a very nice slow release but it is a bit pricey. It
also worries me about what is in the plastic thingies. Even though it's
a very small amount I keep thinking that if they were that proud of
what they used the ingredients would be on the label.

I tried some of the fish emulsion pellets last season. They were fine
but the release seemed no better than the alfalfa pellets and they are
pretty expensive. I believe they are made on the West Coast so that
might make the price even higher in the East.


---
Peggy Enes (peggy@unicom.net)   Zone 5/6    NE KS     AHS Heat Zone 7


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