Re: Update: 1999 Soil Experiments (a long one)
What brand of dry dog food and cat food do you recommend?
GBPUMPKIN@aol.com wrote:
> 1999 Soil Experiments
>
> This is a long overdue report on my experiments this year. For those of you
> that don't know I'm working with a very mature garden, over 25 years old.
> That gives me some unusual problems to deal with.
>
> My theory reissued (Emailed earlier this year).
>
> My theory as to what happens to soil used by the same crop year after year.
> This seems to be more acute with Atlantic Giants.
>
> 1: Microbial activity is drastically reduced. Cause unknown. Result is the
> soil is unable to breakdown natural plant foods into usable substances that
> the plants can use. A sometimes fertile soil by most standards but a Dead
> one incapable of providing the growth stimulant needed by Atlantic Giants.
>
> 2: Micro-nutrient depletion.
>
> 3: Susceptibility to disease increases, I.e.: Khun's Disease which is a
> rapidly spread disease that can reduce a large Pumpkin and plant to a brown
> soup in a matter of days. This was first observed a few yeas ago in NH and
> MA. Cause unknown.
>
> 4: Plants respond to commercial fertilizers with spurts of growth then a
> rapid decline until the next application. During this cycle they seem to be
> taking up Nitrogen more than other nutrients. This can cause the Pumpkin
> mature prematurely.
>
> My first approach was to use the compost Feeding Planting Method that got me
> my 617 in 91. That worked for a few years then that wasn't enough. I still
> use this method but incorporated into the total soil stimulation plan.
>
> What I'm trying to do:
>
> A: Drastically increases Microbial Activity
>
> B: Provide large amounts of natural fertilizers for the Microbes to eat.
>
> C: Provide a steady diet of food that encourages lush growth but at a
> consistent rate throughout the growing season. This is accomplished with the
> two items listed above.
>
> D: Provide a wide variety of Micro-nutrients to cover all possible
> deficiencies.
>
> E: Provide natural growth stimulants and additives that help the plants
> defend against disease and grow rapidly.
>
> F: Increase worm activity and population to breakdown organics.
>
> I believe crop rotation helps slow this decline but doesn't stop it. It may
> take two or three times longer to develop the same problems though.
>
> My plan attacks all of these areas using some of the following found in
> natural fertilizers, and some unconventional products and very old farmer
> tricks to stimulate the soil. Some ingredients that are used: Poultry
> Byproducts, Molasses, Alfalfa, Brewers Yeast and Corn Meal, Fish Meal and
> Seaweed.
>
> Products used in the attack:
> Cat Food (Fish Meal Base)
> Dog Food (Poultry Based)
> Neptune's Liquid Fish & Seaweed
> Nitron (A micro-nutrient supplement)
> Bradfield Plus (An Organic Fertilizer)
>
> This is a broad-based attack that uses many products. It is my intention to
> post my results for growers to make there own decisions on whether you chose
> to use them is your decision. Hopefully my tests will help other growers.
>
> Dry Dog Food Beneficial Ingredients:
>
> Ground Yellow Corn
> Meat & Bone Meal
> Corn Gluten Meal
> Soybean Meal
> Wheat Middlings
> Ground Wheat
> Wheat Germ Meal
> Ground Oats
> Brewers Dried Yeast
> Dried Skim Milk
> Dried Whey
> Vitamin E ?
> Manganous Oxide ?
> Copper Sulfate ?
> Vitamin B12 ?
>
> Dry Cat Food Beneficial Ingredients:
>
> Ground Yellow Corn
> Poultry By Product Meal
> Ground Wheat
> Corn Gluten Meal
> Soybean Meal
> Animal Digest
> Turkey Meal
> Liver Meal
> Salmon Meal
> Shrimp Meal
> Tuna Meal
> Brewers Dried Yeast
> Vitamin E ?
> Manganous Oxide ?
> Copper Sulfate ?
> Vitamin B12 ?
>
> Bradfield Plus Beneficial Ingredients:
>
> Alfalfa (Nutrients & Triacontanol)
> Poultry Protein (Slow Release Nitrogen & Micronutrients)
> Natural Sulfate Of Potash
> Molasses (Bio Activator)
> Calcium
> Sulfur
> Magnesium
> Sodium
> Boron
> Manganese
> Iron
> Copper
> Zinc
> Humic Acid
> Cold Water Seaweed
> Cottonseed Embryo
> Microbes that break down Nitrate, Phosphate & Sulfates for plants to absorb.
>
> I do not have the list of Micro-ingredients that are in Nitron. But they are
> the primary ones found in most products of this type.
>
> Nitron and Liquid Fish & Seaweed are mixed in the compost mounds and feed to
> the Pumpkin plants at the root zone. Foliar sprays are also used.
>
> Because of the drought I have had to discount the Atlantic Giants tests, run
> this year. The drought stressed them too much to rely on the results.
> Another problem with them is they are so unpredictable test results can often
> be unreliable. To help get some other test results to evaluate I grow other
> crops under the same conditions and test ingredients. I did get some
> interesting results on Tomatoes that may indicate it might benefit other
> crops.
>
> Tomato plot #1 45 plants:
>
> Tilled in Bradfield Plus and Cat Food before planting.
>
> Tomato Plot #2 86 Plants:
>
> Trenched Bradfield Plus and Cat Food between rows.
>
> The Plot #2 dramatically out produced Plot #1. Somehow either the
> combination of products in close proximity gave better results. Possibly
> because the roots could detect the concentration easier and send out more
> roots to this area to pick up the fertilizer. Not sure but it worked.
>
> Next year I will make the following changes:
> Drop Dog Food
> Increase Cat Food
> Trench feed the plants all though the patch.
>
> Nitron and Fish & Seaweed applications will not change.
>
> The above has a lot of info but we have all winter to ponder it. The
> Southern Hemisphere will have time to experiment with trench fertilizing if
> they start it soon. That's about it.
>
> George Brooks
> North Tewksbury, MA approximately 25 miles Northwest of Boston in the
> Merrimack River Valley
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
--
***Rocky Rockwell***
http://home.cyber-quest.com/rocky.r
"Woodchuck - The Other White Meat"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
